MacRumors

Apple is planning to unveil its rumored 10.5-inch iPad Pro at an event set to be held in early April to "mark the inauguration" of its Apple Park campus, reports Taiwanese site DigiTimes citing supply chain sources.

DigiTimes previously said the 10.5-inch iPad Pro would not be available until May or June, but now claims Apple has "moved ahead the production" of the rumored tablet.

Over the past few weeks, we've heard a lot of speculation about when Apple will debut the 10.5-inch iPad Pro and its sister tablet(s). Rumors originally suggested the company would hold an event in March, but that has been in question as it is nearly mid-month with no hint of an event.

Earlier today, a reliable supply chain source told MacRumors that Apple would announce products later this month, likely between Monday, March 20 and Friday, March 24. There was also a rumor circulating suggesting Apple would hold an event on April 4, but that was incorrectly based on an erroneous interpretation of Personal Pickup dates for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

While we haven't yet nailed down a specific timeline for the unveiling of new iPads, the prospective launch window is narrowing and rumors suggest we're going to see them within the next month. Just today, new iPad models were spotted in device logs gathered by Fiksu, suggesting a release is indeed on the horizon. Fiksu, like our unnamed supply chain source and DigiTimes, believes a launch is imminent.

If an event takes place in April, it could potentially be held at Apple's new campus, Apple Park, but there's one snag in that plan. Apple is going to open the campus in April, but the company's press release said the auditorium where events will be held, now dubbed the Steve Jobs Theater, will open "later this year." The wording makes it unclear if the theater will be ready for Apple Park's grand opening, and thus ready for an event.

According to today's report from DigiTimes, Apple plans to target the education and business sectors with both the rumored 10.5-inch iPad and a refreshed 12.9-inch model, which the site says will be Apple's "mainstream products" for the mid-tier to high-end tablet market in 2017.

While DigiTimes believes the 10.5-inch iPad Pro will now see an April debut, the site says the production schedule for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro "still remains unclear" with volume production perhaps delayed until May or June.

Rumors suggest that the new 12.9-inch iPad will feature a modest refresh, but the 10.5-inch model is rumored to have a nearly bezel-free edge-to-edge display and a body that's actually the same size as the existing 9.7-inch iPad Pro. There have also been rumors suggesting Apple plans to release a lower-end 9.7-inch iPad Pro and a 7.9-inch model, but whether those rumors are true remains to be seen as the focus has mainly been on Apple's larger upcoming tablets.

Apple today shared a new advertisement on its YouTube channel, this time designed to promote both the iPhone 7 and the iMessages sticker feature that was introduced in iOS 10.

The video features people running around putting a variety of bright, animated stickers on objects, food, other people, and more, mimicking the kind of stickers that are available on iOS.

Introduced in iOS 10, sticker packs are part of the Messages App Store, which lets developers create apps that can be used in iMessages. Stickers can be resized, put on top of chat bubbles, added on photos, or stuck on top of other stickers, with simple controls for dragging.

While Apple has promoted other Messages features available in iOS 10, this is its first ad spot that focuses primarily on stickers, which still don't seem to have caught on with iPhone users.

Multiple new iPad models are being tested in Cupertino and the nearby Bay Area, potentially confirming rumors suggesting several refreshed iPads are launching in the near future.

New iPad model identifiers have been spotted in device data collected by mobile marketing company Fiksu and were shared by TechCrunch this morning. Four identifiers have been popping up in data logs, but that doesn't necessarily correspond to four new devices as WiFi and WiFi + Cellular iPads historically have different model numbers. Fiksu believes the numbers correspond to between two and four new iPads.

Below are the iPad identifiers that have been found along with their corresponding count, as provided by Fiksu. Only a small number of visits have been seen, which Fiksu says is "about the same number we see being tested about a month before release."

- iPad 7,1 - 17
- iPad 7,2 - 11
- iPad 7,3 - 5
- iPad 7,4 - 10

These identifiers are similar to identifiers for existing iPad Pro models, which are as follows:

- 12.9-inch iPad Pro (Wi-Fi) - iPad 6,7
- 12.9 inch iPad Pro (Cellular) - iPad 6,8
- 9.7-inch iPad Pro (Wi-Fi) - iPad 6,3
- 9.7-inch iPad Pro (Cellular) - iPad 6,4

At the very least, the presence of these identifiers suggests there are a minimum of two new iPad models in the works, in line with rumors suggesting Apple is working on both a revamped 10.5-inch iPad Pro that will effectively replace the 9.7-inch iPad Pro and a new 12.9-inch model.

The 10.5-inch iPad Pro is said to feature a nearly bezel-free edge-to-edge display that allows Apple to fit a larger screen in the same 9.7-inch form factor, and it is said to include an A10X processor and Touch ID built directly into the display.

Rumors sourced from reliable KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo have suggested there are supposed to be three new models on the horizon, including a 12.9-inch tablet, a lower-cost 9.7-inch tablet (priced as low as $299), and the flagship 10.5-inch tablet, while Japanese site Mac Otakara has claimed Apple could be working on four iPads, the three mentioned by Kuo along with a 7.9-inch iPad mini Pro model.

Though Fiksu is seeing only four identifiers, it's possible additional iPads are in development but haven't been found in device logs as of yet.

On the other hand, it potentially indicates we're going to get a new 10.5-inch model and a new 12.9-inch model, with no new iPad mini or refreshed lower-end 9.7-inch model. This scenario doesn't fit Mac Otakara's prediction, but should Apple lower the price of the existing 9.7-inch iPad Pro, it does fit in with what Kuo has predicted.

Apple's new iPads could debut as soon as later this month, according to supply chain analysts who shared the information with MacRumors this morning. Apple may be planning an event or a release for late March, perhaps even as early as next week.

Update: Fiksu has released an additional chart that displays the count of new iPad models in its data starting in September. The number of iPad Pro models have been steadily ramping up, leading Fiksu to predict an "imminent" release date within a month.

Apple today seeded the sixth beta of an upcoming macOS Sierra 10.12.4 update to developers, just under one week after seeding the fifth macOS Sierra 10.12.4 beta and over a month after releasing macOS Sierra 10.12.3.

The sixth macOS Sierra 10.12.4 beta is available for download through the Apple Developer Center or the software update mechanism in the Mac App Store for those who have previously installed a beta.

macOS Sierra 10.12.4 brings iOS's Night Shift mode to the Mac for the first time. First introduced on iOS devices with iOS 9.3, Night Shift is designed to gradually shift the display of a device from blue to yellow, cutting down on exposure to blue light. Blue light is said to disrupt the circadian rhythm and is believed to interrupt sleeping patterns.

Night Shift can be activated through the Displays section of System Preferences, where a setting to have it come on at sunset and turn off at sunrise is available. Night Shift can also be toggled on manually through the Notification Center or via Siri.

Update: Apple has also made the sixth beta of macOS Sierra 10.12.4 available for public beta testers.

Apple today seeded the sixth beta of an upcoming iOS 10.3 update to developers, just under one week after seeding the fifth beta of iOS 10.3 and three months after the release of iOS 10.2, the last major update to the iOS 10 operating system.

Registered developers can download the sixth iOS 10.3 beta from the Apple Developer Center or over-the-air with the proper configuration profile installed.

iOS 10.3 is a major update, introducing significant new features and changes to the iOS 10 operating system. The biggest consumer-facing feature in iOS 10.3 is "Find My AirPods," which is designed to help AirPods owners locate a lost earphone. Find My AirPods records the last known location of when an AirPod was connected to an iOS device via Bluetooth and can play a sound on a lost AirPod.

Apple's latest update also introduces a new Apple File System (APFS), installed when an iOS device is updated to iOS 10.3. APFS is optimized for flash/SSD storage and includes features like strong encryption.

Apple plans to introduce some App Store changes in iOS 10.3, allowing developers to respond to customer reviews for the first time. iOS users are also able to label reviews in the App Store as "Helpful" or "Not Helpful," which should help surface the most relevant review content.

Also new in iOS 10.3 is a redesigned app open/close animation, an Apple ID profile in Settings, a better breakdown of iCloud storage usage, warnings about outdated apps that won't work with future versions of iOS, HomeKit support for programmable light switches, improvements to SiriKit (bill paying, bill status, and scheduling future rides), CarPlay interface improvements, iCloud analytics options, and more.

Update: iOS 10.3 beta 6 is also available for public beta testers.

Apple is expected to announce new products later this month, most likely between Monday, March 20 and Friday, March 24, according to reputable supply chain analysts we spoke to who wish to remain anonymous. The analysts said the information is from its own sources and not based on other reports.

The research firm did not disclose which products it expects Apple to announce, but rumors have widely suggested at least a trio of new iPad Pro models will be unveiled as early as this month, including an all-new 10.5-inch model with slimmer bezels and updated 9.7-inch and 12.9-inch versions.

The sources expecting an iPad refresh include, among others, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Barclays analyst Blayne Curtis, and Japanese blog Mac Otakara. The last of the three expects a new 7.9-inch model that would supplant the iPad mini 4, but other reports deny or fail to mention that particular claim.

Last month, Mac Otakara said Apple will host a March event where it will debut its new iPad Pro lineup, a larger iPhone SE model with 128GB storage, and new Apple Watch bands. The report also claimed Apple will add a red color option for iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, which could be part of (PRODUCT)RED.

Apple has yet to invite the media to an event this month, however, and those invites would be on shorter notice than usual if it is indeed planning to announce new products this way as early as next week.

In each of the past two years, Apple invited the media to its March event roughly 11-12 days beforehand, including February 26 invites for a March 9 event in 2015 and March 10 invites for a March 21 event last year.

There are three plausible scenarios if new products are in the cards: Apple is planning a March event, and invites will go out soon; Apple is planning a Spring event, but not this month; or Apple will share its announcements through a press release as it did when it dropped the price of the fourth-generation iPad to $399 in March 2014.

A few reports have suggested the 10.5-inch iPad Pro could face shipping delays, so perhaps Apple will delay announcing it entirely.

Apple has hosted March events four times in the past six years. In 2011 and 2012, it introduced new iPad models at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. In 2015, it revealed Apple Watch pricing and release date information. Last year, Apple debuted the 9.7-inch iPad Pro and iPhone SE at its Town Hall.

One rumor suggested Apple could be planning an event on April 4, but this date was based on Personal Pickup for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, which is generally not a reliable indicator of an event. The in-store pickup date for 12.9-inch iPad Pro models is a rolling target, as evidenced by the April 10 date now shown.

The all-new 10.5-inch iPad Pro is expected to have slimmer bezels, and possibly no Home button, allowing it to have the same overall footprint as the 9.7-inch iPad Pro. This design could foreshadow the rumored 5.8-inch iPhone. The tablet is also rumored to have a higher-resolution display and quad microphones.

The updated 12.9-inch iPad Pro is said to feature a 12-megapixel rear camera and True Tone display like the current 9.7-inch model, using advanced four-channel ambient light sensors to automatically adapt the color and intensity of the display to match the light in the surrounding environment.

Apple is widely expected to launch an iPhone with a 5.8-inch edge-to-edge OLED display later this year, made possible by slimmer bezels and no Home button. And while some reports have claimed the screen will be curved like the Galaxy S7 edge, a growing number of sources expect a flat display.

"We anticipate Apple will adopt a flat implementation of OLED design on their special iPhone model, which is analogous to the current 2.5D glass design," IHS Markit analyst Wayne Lam told MacRumors today.

"Much like the recently announced LG G6, we anticipate a touchscreen with a new longer aspect ratio design to take advantage of higher coverage area of the iPhone in its entirety. This new design language is expected to become the trend for 2017, as we all anticipate Samsung's reveal later this month," he added.

Lam is referring to the LG G6's 5.7-inch LCD display with a 2:1 aspect ratio, meaning the screen's length is double the size of its width. iPhones have a 16:9 aspect ratio. Leaked pictures of Samsung's Galaxy S8 reveal a similarly longer OLED display with slim bezels and no physical home button.

Last month, he noted that the LG G6 achieves a large screen while remaining holdable and pocketable:

LG’s G6 is a study in creating large immersive screen designs that do not break the ergonomic requirements of the average human hand. By addressing dueling consumer demands for larger screens but yet more pocketable device, LG took on the challenge of re-imagining what a modern smartphone should look like and function ergonomically.

While he ruled out having any insider information, display expert Raymond Soneira of DisplayMate told MacRumors that flat OLED displays using a glass substrate "cost considerably less" and are "available in much higher production volumes" than curved OLED displays using a flexible plastic substrate.

"The existing iPhone 7 has 2.5D cover glass with a flat glass LCD display, so Apple could make a similar 2.5D OLED display using a glass substrate OLED display at lower cost and much higher production volumes," he said.

Soneira has been tracking OLED displays in smartphones since 2010, and after a span of just seven years, he believes OLED display technology is now exceeding the performance of the best LCDs for smartphones.

He said OLED displays provide a number of significant advantages over LCDs for smartphones, including being thinner, lighter, and more power efficient for most image content. OLED displays also have a very fast response time, better viewing angles, higher peak brightness, and often better color accuracy.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and Chinese research firm TrendForce have also recently said they expect Apple's next flagship iPhone to have 2.5D cover glass, which refers to the slightly curved edges that the front of iPhones have had since the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in 2014.

Conversely, The Wall Street Journal recently said Apple's next high-end iPhone will have a curved screen, but the report did not divulge any specific details. The Korea Herald also said the device will have a curved OLED display using a flexible plastic substrate, rather than a flat display based on glass.

IHS Markit analyst Kevin Wang previously expected the 5.8-inch iPhone to have a curved display, possibly with dual curved edges like the Galaxy S7 edge, but the research firm has since reversed course, which is understandable given Apple has reportedly tested at least ten different iPhone prototypes this year.

Japanese website Nikkei Asian Review and Barclays analysts have also outlined expectations for an iPhone with a curved display in the past, so there is clearly a divide between the rumors that might not clear up until "iPhone 8" part leaks likely begin to surface over the coming weeks and months.

One possibility is that reports calling for a "curved" screen are actually referring to the 2.5D cover glass, which would make an edge-to-edge display appear slightly curved. Or, given the flexible properties of OLED, some reports might be simply assuming the next iPhone will have a curved display, when a flat design is still an option.

Samsung is expected to supply Apple with OLED displays in 2017. IHS Markit and other sources expect Apple to use OLED on a larger number of iPhone models in the future. IHS noted the longer aspect ratio will afford Apple new uses of the display, such as Touch Bar-like functionality.