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
Buyer's Guide: iPad Pro (Buy Now)

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Where's the New Apple TV?

Monday December 22, 2025 11:30 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Apple TV 4K since 2022, and 2025 was supposed to be the year that we got a refresh. There were rumors suggesting Apple would release the new Apple TV before the end of 2025, but it looks like that's not going to happen now. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said several times across 2024 and 2025 that Apple would...
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Next Year With These 12 New Features

Tuesday December 23, 2025 8:36 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another nine months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models. The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras Under-screen Face ID Front camera in...
maxresdefault

Hands-On With a Rough iPhone Fold Mockup

Monday December 29, 2025 10:55 am PST by
Apple is rumored to be introducing a foldable iPhone in September 2026, and since it will bring the biggest form factor change since the iPhone was introduced in 2007, curiosity about the design is high. A 3D designer created an iPhone Fold design based on rumors, and we printed it out to see how it compares to Apple's current iPhones. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These 8 New Features to Your iPhone

Monday December 22, 2025 8:47 am PST by
Earlier this month, Apple released iOS 26.2, following more than a month of beta testing. It is a big update, with many new features and changes for iPhones. iOS 26.2 adds a Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. Below, we have highlighted a total of eight new features. Liquid Glass Slider on Lock Screen A new slider in the Lock...
apple intelligence black

Report: Apple's AI Strategy Could Finally Pay Off in 2026

Tuesday December 30, 2025 9:01 am PST by
Apple's restrained artificial intelligence strategy may pay off in 2026 amid the arrival of a revamped Siri and concerns around the AI market "bubble" bursting, The Information argues. The speculative report notes that Apple has taken a restrained approach with AI innovations compared with peers such as OpenAI, Google, and Meta, which are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in data...
apple fitness 2026 1

Apple Teases 'Something Big' Coming Soon to Apple Fitness+

Tuesday December 30, 2025 2:11 pm PST by
The Apple Fitness+ Instagram account today teased that the service has "big plans" for 2026. In a video, several Apple Fitness+ trainers are shown holding up newspapers with headlines related to Apple Fitness+. What's Apple Fitness+ Planning for the New Year? Something Big is Coming to Apple Fitness+ The Countdown Begins. Apple Fitness+ 2026 is Almost Here 2026 Plans Still Under ...
airpods color prototypes

Apple Tested AirPods in Bright Colors

Saturday December 27, 2025 6:06 am PST by
Apple reportedly tested a version of the first-generation AirPods with bright, iPhone 5c-like colored charging cases. The images, shared by the Apple leaker and prototype collector known as "Kosutami," claim to show first-generation AirPods prototypes with pink and yellow exterior casings. The interior of the charging case and the earbuds themselves remain white. They seem close to some...
tesla red orange bg feature

Tesla Could Be Planning to Support Apple Car Keys

Sunday December 28, 2025 4:24 am PST by
Support for Apple Car Keys may now be more likely to come to Tesla vehicles, amid new evidence that the automaker is embracing native, system-level digital car keys. According to Not a Tesla App, 4.52.0 of Tesla's mobile app contains multiple code references to Harmony Wallet Key Cards. The discovery is notable because it represents a shift in how Tesla appears to be approaching mobile...

Top Rated Comments

ErikGrim Avatar
141 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
141 months ago
Somehow, I really doubt this.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Reason077 Avatar
141 months ago
In other news, sources claim next iMac will ship with a floppy disk drive.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BBCWatcher Avatar
141 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
141 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
141 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)