Apple's long-rumored 12.9-inch "iPad Pro" will enter mass production sometime in September or October, according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The analyst also believes that the larger-screened iPad will come with a Force Touch-enabled stylus accessory for users to more easily navigate the increased surface area of the tablet.
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Kuo believes manufacturer Cheng Uei will receive the exclusive assembly rights of the stylus. The analyst also points to recent market feedback of Force Touch on products like the Apple Watch and MacBook as reasons that the technology wouldn't exclusively drive big hardware sales, but Apple's commitment to the consistency of its devices will see Force Touch implemented on all of the company's products in the future.
Rumors about a first-party Apple-built stylus accessory began swirling earlier in the year, coming again from Kuo. Late last year, the first bit of news surrounding the iPad Pro pointed towards a 12.2-inch display, but subsequent stories have pushed the 12.9-inch rumor that's been heavily circulated ever since. Now, the latest rumors for the iPad Pro suggest the device is an unlikely candidate for next month's iPhone-centered media event, with a mid-to-late fall launch date somewhat lining up with Kuo's prediction today.
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(View all)"Who wants a stylus? You got to get them, and put them away ... Yuck!" ... SJ
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The combination of a larger screen, Apple's standard thinness, and Force Touch is worrisome…
"To ... create the new iPad Pro, we asked ourselves 'what do people most need from a large screened tablet?' The answer, of course, is neither function nor affordability, but portability. The new iPad Pro is unapologetically flexible, allowing you to sympathetically scrunch it up and put it in your pocket to carry around.The design for this forced us to ... rethink ... everything we knew about tablets. By ... removing the battery, and adding a gorgeous RetinaFlex display, this is simply the most portable iPad ever. We also knew that this would be used in the professional market, by people who carry around a computer with them. The innovative 'always on' design means you can keep it hooked up to your MacBook Pro, without having to worry about a battery ever running out.
Simply put, it's the best iPad we've ever made."