The devices are rumoured to come with slim bezels, no headphone jack, no home button, no Touch ID, and possibly even no landscape-mode docking
Apple’s next-generation iPad Pro could get a revamp and resemble the iPhone X, with slimmer bezels, no headphone jack, and a Face ID.
According to a report by BGR, the California-based tech giant is expected to launch two new iPad Pro models, which will be the first iPads to come without a home button and, obviously, Touch ID.
But new information unearthed by Japanese blog Mac Otakara, which has leaked reliable Apple-related information in the past, indicates that a lot more changes will be incorporated.
IPads usually come in two sizes – 10.5 inches and 12.9 inches – with the devices measuring 250.6 x 174.1 x 6.1 mm and 305.7 x 220.6 x 6.9 mm respectively. The new 2018 iPad Pros will have the usual screen sizes but the device on a whole will be smaller, thanks to slimmer bezels. The new 10.5 inch iPad Pro will measure 24.7 x 178.7 x 6 mm, which is not so different from its predecessor. The difference will be really felt with the 12.9 inch model, which measures 280 x 215 x 6.4 mm.
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Mac Otakara also points out that both devices will have a ‘diamond cut’ design on the front and back, like the iPhone SE.
The iPads’ Face ID will work with a TrueDepth front camera, but only in portrait mode. This has forced Apple to move the Smart Connector, which allows you to connect mini keyboards, to the bottom of the device, next to the Lightning port. This will mean the iPad will have to be awkwardly docked in portrait mode and not landscape.
However, the BGR report states that the devices will be able to support landscape mode and standard docking.
There will also be no headphone jack, meaning users will either have to use their own Bluetooth headphones or will have to buy an adaptor.
There is no word on when the products will be released but it is likely to be released during the next few months.