Two bits of news have emerged for anyone excited about Apple’s upcoming 12-inch-plus iPad Pro. Sources from the Chinese supply chain suggest the tablet will come equipped with Oxide LCD display technology, while a separate report from The Wall Street Journal (paywall) claims Apple is considering adding USB 3.0 ports (among others) to the devices.
What is unanimously agreed upon is that we are unlikely to see the plus-size iPad until the second half of the year, with a Digitimes report suggesting it may not even go into mass production until the third quarter of 2015.
If the rumors are anything to go by, it’ll be worth waiting for, though.
On the Oxide LCD front, today’s report claims Apple has been assessing different panel technologies, including a-Si, TFT LCD and Oxide LCD, in terms of cost versus performance, and has only recently decided to go forward using the Oxide technology.
Oxide LCD tech has higher electron mobility than traditional LCD panels, meaning they are faster and more power-efficient than the screens currently used in Apple’s iPads. This would be essential for a larger iPad, which Apple would presumably want to keep as slim as the current iPad Air 2 (so no thicker battery).
Sharp, LG Display and Samsung Display are all rumored to have sent Apple display samples, with Sharp tabbed as likely to become the main supplier based on its experience in Oxide production. LG Display will likely get a lesser quantity of the orders to ensure production stays smooth.
Limited test production is said to begin around May, with mass-production following in July and August.
The Wall Street Journal meanwhile claims Apple is considering adding USB 3.0 technology to the device, thereby allowing users to transfer data up to 10 times as quickly as current USB ports. This would contrast with current-generation iPads, which don’t feature any USB port at all. On top of this, Apple is also said to be considering adding ports for a keyboard and a mouse.
“Apple has continued to rework some of the features of the larger iPad,” a source told the newspaper. “It is now considering the faster technology for data synchronization between the larger iPad and other computing devices. Apple is also working on technology to speed up the iPad charging time, but it remains uncertain if the final design will have these new features.”
While there’s no guarantee these ports will show up in the iPad Pro as shipped, easy connectivity for a mouse and keyboard, plus USB 3.0, would be useful in an enterprise context, which is where a lot of Apple’s attention is focused at the moment.
Whether Apple can turn around its faltering iPad business remains to be seen, though. Sources who spoke with Digitimes claimed iPad shipments are expected to be in the vicinity of 45 million in 2015.
Luke Dormehl is a U.K.-based journalist and author, with a background working in documentary film for Channel 4 and the BBC. He is the author of The Apple Revolution and The Formula: How Algorithms Solve All Our Problems … and Create More, both published by Penguin/Random House. His tech writing has also appeared in Wired, Fast Company, Techmeme and other publications.
9 responses to “iPad Pro may boast superior display, USB 3.0 ports and more”
What? Larger screen iPad? Sure and I look forward to it so I can replace my current 3rd Gen with something bigger, but USB 3 AND keyboard, and mouse ports? Last time I checked there was no support for a mouse in iOS and without a direct file structure not much point for it. Also how can the device stay that thin and have support for a bunch of ports? Reeks of desperation for some analyst somewhere.
Better release an iPad with OSX. (Something like a touch macbook)
I love the ‘faltering iPad business’ mention. They sold almost everyone an iPad, so now that means failure.
Steve Jobs just turned in his grave. Or not. These port-rumors are so unlikely, it must be a hoax.
A larger version of the iPad would be useful. Great for in-store, in-dashboard, in-company, creating music & art and reading magazines.
I take these rumors with a grain of salt. There’s not much usability in having devices hang off the side of a touchscreen device. They need more storage on iPad. They also need to make the iPad into the device most people would use instead of a mac. They need to continue to evolve the photo and video editing software, continue to evolve the speed of the device, and they need to make us want to throw our old devices away.
Uhhh….why? I can understand trying to extend the successful iOS platform to attack Windows. But if that’s the case, wouldn’t putting iOS on a notebook form factor make more sense? An iBook if you will. What exactly is a larger iPad for? It’s just a too-big tablet, but one which can’t replace a notebook.
iOS Book
The more I read about this the more I think…why can’t the new 12″ MacBook Air and the 12″ iPad Pro be the same device? Lets think about this…the newest rumors are that the iPad Pro will have USB 3.0 ports (most likely type-c) and be able to have mouse input…hmm well isn’t the new MacBook Air also rumored to have a type-c port? The market for the 2-in-1’s is growing…why couldn’t this be the hybrid of Apple’s design? When “docked” to the keyboard we run OS X and when separated…a more capable version of iOS…all documents are synced through iCloud as well as pictures movies etc…I am no expert by any means just a dedicated Apple follower/user. I would love somebody with more knowledge than I to comment on this…just a thought.