Apple May Include USB 3.0 Ports on Upcoming 12.9-Inch 'iPad Pro'

Following up on a report from earlier today claiming Apple has pushed back its plans for the so-called "iPad Pro", asking suppliers to begin production in September rather than this quarter, The Wall Street Journal weighs in with its own claim that Apple is indeed now targeting the second half of this year for the mass production of the device.

12_9_ipad_ipads_light

Mockup of iPad Pro, iPad Air, and iPad mini

Beyond timing, the report also claims Apple is still tweaking plans for the iPad Pro's design and feature set, with the company considering including USB 3.0 ports to accommodate data transfer and peripherals connectivity.

“Apple has continued to rework some of the features of the larger iPad. It is now considering the faster technology for data synchronization between the larger iPad and other computing devices,” said the person. [..]

The company has also been considering adding ports to connect to a keyboard and mouse, the people said.

Apple is reportedly also looking into ways to speed up charging time for the iPad Pro, as the device will almost certainly come with an even higher-capacity battery than the iPad Air family.

Finally, The Wall Street Journal's sources indicate the iPad Pro's display does indeed measure 12.9 inches diagonally, marking a substantial increase over the iPad Air family's 9.7-inch display. Rumors have been split between 12.9 inches and 12.2 inches for the iPad Pro's display.

Related Roundup: iPad Pro
Related Forum: iPad

Top Rated Comments

ErikGrim Avatar
118 months ago
"The company has also been considering adding ports to connect to a keyboard and mouse, the people said.”

That is literally the dumbest statement anyone in a world where wireless mice and keyboards have been the norm for more than a decade have made.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bb426 Avatar
118 months ago
Somehow, I really doubt this.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Reason077 Avatar
118 months ago
In other news, sources claim next iMac will ship with a floppy disk drive.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BBCWatcher Avatar
118 months ago
"Adding ports to connect to a keyboard and mouse?" What is this, 1995? :eek:

I agree with JoEw. More believable would be a pair of reversible Type-C USB 3.1 ports. If somebody wants to hook a keyboard or mouse to one or both of those ports, fine, but they'd be at least somewhat more generalized than that.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Silver78 Avatar
118 months ago
The past year i've had a dream of the apple watch, iphone and 12" ipad.

Felt that those 3 things would fit me perfectly. But that was last year.

Honestly now the idea of 12" ipad is not a "wow" idea anymore but more like "well why not" and i would propably go for a 12" if i decide to replace my ipad 4.
But im no longer knocked of my feet by the thought of 12" ipad. Larger internet surfing screen and movie watching but the rest .... An extra set of icons on screen, the appstore destroyed by freemium crap and no real news in apps.

All the talk about mac air still going with 1400x900 resolution and no Macpad is so disappointing.

"Apple you are loosing me" first with the mac mini and now you are stalling progress with possible devices comming out 2015 that should have been on the streets in 2014.
Look at how the competition are spraying out gorgeous full OS tablets... Us applefans are getting an extra row of icons!?
I allready went with the intel NUC and my last ipad upgrade was a windows tablet instead.
I really really want to stay in apple land but apple you are making it very difficult
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
illegalprelude Avatar
118 months ago
Basically like most rumors, nobody has any idea what they're talking about. Only difference is that these guys can hide behind being an 'analyst.'
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 16 Camera Lozenge 2 Perspective Gray

Five Key Upgrades Coming to iPhone 16

Friday March 15, 2024 1:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone is Apple's top-selling product, and it gets an update every year. In 2024, we're expecting the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro lineup, with an arguably more interesting feature set than we got with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Capture Button All four iPhone 16 models are set to get a whole new button, which will be...
When To Expect New iPads Feature 1

Apple to Announce New iPads on March 26, Rumors Claim

Monday March 18, 2024 4:02 am PDT by
Apple is widely expected to release new iPad Air and OLED iPad Pro models in the next few weeks. According to new rumors coming out of Asia, the company will announce its new iPads on Tuesday, March 26. Chinese leaker Instant Digital on Weibo this morning 日发布%23">claimed that the date will see some sort of announcement from Apple related to new iPads, but stopped short of calling it an...
airpods 3 orange

Two New AirPods 4 Models Expected to Launch in September or October

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:56 am PDT by
Apple suppliers will begin production of two new fourth-generation AirPods models in May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Based on this production timeframe, he expects the headphones to be released in September or October. Gurman expects both fourth-generation AirPods models to feature a new design with better fit, improved sound quality, and an updated charging case with a USB-C...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Expected to Depreciate Heavily

Tuesday March 12, 2024 9:04 am PDT by
Resale value trends suggest the iPhone SE 4 may not hold its value as well as Apple's flagship models, according to SellCell. According to the report, Apple's iPhone SE models have historically depreciated much more rapidly than the company's more premium offerings. The third-generation iPhone SE, which launched in March 2022, experienced a significant drop in resale value, losing 42.6%...
iOS 17 Passkey With Apple ACCOUNT Feature

'Apple ID' Expected to Change to 'Apple Account' Starting With iOS 18

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:13 am PDT by
MacRumors was first to report that Apple was planning to rebrand "Apple ID" to "Apple Account" across its software platforms and websites like iCloud.com as early as this year, and now Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has corroborated this change. A mockup of the new Apple Account branding In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the new "Apple Account" branding will start to be used later this...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

iOS 17.4.1 Update for iPhone is Imminent

Monday March 18, 2024 5:27 am PDT by
iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 should be released within the next few days, with a build number of 21E235, according to a source with a proven track record. MacRumors previously reported that Apple was internally testing iOS 17.4.1. As a minor update for the iPhone, it will likely address software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. It is unclear if the update will include any other changes. ...
M3 iPad Feature 3

New iPads Likely to Begin Shipping in April

Monday March 18, 2024 9:52 am PDT by
Apple's new iPad Pro models with OLED displays will likely begin shipping to customers in April, according to information shared today by Ross Young, CEO of display industry research firm Display Supply Chain Consultants. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman also said the new iPad Pro models might not ship until "deeper" into April in his Power On newsletter on Sunday:I've repeatedly said that new...