Why are so many people waiting for the new iPad Pro?

April is almost a third of the way through, and there is still no sign of the new generation of iPad Pro that everyone is talking about. Although Apple did launch a new iPad, it is not what we imagined.

But even so, the industry still maintains a high level of enthusiasm for predicting the new iPad Pro. Why is that?

As early as the beginning of this year, rumors about Apple releasing a new size iPad Pro began to appear, following various leaks about iPhone 8.

Sources say the latest iPad Pro will be a 10.5-inch version, which is the result of a larger screen-to-body ratio. There will also be two 9.7-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pros to be released. The specific time is of course March. Apple often releases new iPads during this period.

However, as the days go by, we are all disappointed. Apple did release a new iPad, but it was a new product called "iPad" for cheap needs, not the iPad Pro we imagined.

In fact, people are mentally prepared for Apple not to release the new iPad Pro in March. After all, the company will move into its new Apple Park in April. If it wants to hold the press conference there, it is reasonable.

However, as April is about to enter the middle, Apple still has no intention of sending out invitations, which is puzzling. However, it did convene a small meeting with the media not long ago, at which it announced that a newly designed Mac Pro is under development.

What’s even more strange is that, unlike Apple’s silent attitude, the industry has not lost confidence and is still speculating when the 2017 iPad Pro will arrive. This contrast is really interesting.

We rarely encounter such a situation: Apple has not made any expected moves for a long-rumored new product, while the leaks about it have not stopped. So why do we believe in the arrival of the new iPad Pro so much?

Reliable evidence

The reason people are so confident that a new iPad Pro is coming is first and foremost because the source of the news is indeed very reliable.

The most well-known Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo was the first to confirm that Apple would launch a new 10.5-inch iPad, followed by the Japanese blog Macotakara, which has been known for many leaks.

Later, a blogger performed mathematical calculations and concluded that if the 10.5-inch iPad Pro adopted the resolution of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, then its screen would be able to support split-screen processing of two iPad mini-level applications, which in a sense proves the significance of its existence.

In the following months, more and more scattered revelations emerged.

Based on our experience with Apple in recent years, generally speaking, when rumors have reached this level, we can basically be sure that it will indeed release the new products mentioned in the leaks.

So why is Apple still silent? According to DigiTimes, "supply chain manufacturers from Taiwan" said the iPad Pro will be released in April, and the event will "mark the official opening of Apple Park."

Considering that DigiTimes had previously revealed that Apple would launch a cheap 9.7-inch iPad to replace the iPad Air 2, and that is exactly what happened in the end, its information is quite reliable.

In addition, IHSMarkit analyst Rhoda Alexander also said that Apple's supply chain has begun to speed up the pace for the 10.5-inch iPad Pro. She even assured that limited mass production of the new product has begun.

The most interesting thing is that the various rumors about the release date of the new iPad Pro say April, May, June, and September, but there is no denial that they will no longer be released.

In the future, the arrival of the new iPad Pro is indeed necessary.

It’s time to upgrade your iPad Pro

In September 2015, Apple officially released the 12.9-inch iPad Pro; in March 2016, Apple released the 9.7-inch iPad Pro. The biggest difference between the latter and the former is the screen size, and the other is the new technology such as TrueTone, which is not very important. In general, the two are basically the same, both equipped with A9X chips. So, this is equivalent to Apple using the same configuration for two years.

By 2017, it had to release new products to keep up with the development according to the rules of previous years. The iPad Pro is positioned as a high-end professional, and Apple's publicity has always emphasized that it can take on the role of "the next computer" for people.

So, in the face of those professionals who have endless pursuit of device performance, Apple has no choice but to launch an iPad Pro with updated configuration to meet their needs.

In addition, for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, the split-screen application function is actually very important, as it gives professionals a certain multi-tasking capability, which was also a major shortcoming of the iOS system in the past that made it difficult to handle professional work.

From this point of view, although the 9.7-inch iPad Pro can also be split-screen, it is not uncommon for Apple fans to criticize that "text looks difficult after splitting the screen", and there are also people who think that it is not suitable for editing work as a whole.

Another point is that when Apple launched the cheap 9.7-inch iPad, the 9.7-inch iPad Pro overlapped with it to a certain extent. Launching the 10.5-inch iPad Pro at this time can not only avoid such an embarrassing situation, but also stimulate people's desire to buy it again with a brand new design.

If the configuration is simply upgraded while the design remains unchanged, the only people who would be willing to pay for it are professional users who feel it is necessary to upgrade the performance.

Why believe firmly?

Why do we still firmly believe that Apple will still launch a new wave of iPad Pro?

For ordinary Apple fans, perhaps they just want to see something to look forward to in this boring first half of the year. On the other hand, the iPad Pro is indeed due for an update.

Perhaps the overall performance of the iPad is still not satisfactory, but we can be sure that it will not be abandoned by Apple. Even with the Mac Pro, Apple still found an opportunity to tell the world that it will continue to bring changes to its desktop computers. As a new direction currently identified by Apple and unlikely to have a better solution for the time being, the iPad Pro can still continue to develop and serve as the company's "occupying force" in this field.

So when will Apple announce the start of the press conference? It's hard to say. However, the opening of Apple Park is indeed a good opportunity, and we can look forward to that day.

Fortunately, one third of April has passed, so we don’t have to wait too long. I believe that many Apple fans are still using iPad Air 2 or even earlier iPads.

The reason why we are reluctant to change is that the general idea is that "it is enough". So when the 10.5-inch iPad Pro is launched - this kind of iPad with a large screen ratio is indeed the first time in history - will everyone finally start to consider whether to replace their "old friend"?

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.