Yesterday, a handful of blogs ran with a rumor speculating that Apple could host an event on April 4 given that was the date Apple's online store listed for in-store availability of 12.9-inch iPad Pro models in the United States at the time. The rumor is likely false, however, and here's why.
The problem is that Apple's in-store Personal Pickup tool is generally not a reliable indicator of a specific launch date or Apple event. The in-store pickup date for 12.9-inch iPad Pro models is a rolling target, as evidenced by the April 5 date now shown just one day later. Tomorrow, it will likely show April 6.
The date shown is most likely just a rough approximation of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro's current 2-3 week shipping estimate, plus a few extra days to reach the store. On February 9, for example, we reported that most 12.9-inch iPad Pro models were available for in-store pickup on March 3 at the time.
Apple could still hold an event on April 4, especially considering many of its past events have been on a Tuesday, but it would be purely coincidental.
Personal Pickup does confirm the 12.9-inch iPad Pro remains in tight supply, which can sometimes foreshadow an upcoming product launch. In January, however, Apple said it had an issue with one of its iPad suppliers that was not expected to be fully resolved this quarter, which could reasonably explain the shortage.
Apple is expected to launch at least a trio of new iPad Pro models in the near future, though, so an event might be announced soon enough. Japanese website Mac Otakara said Apple is planning a March event where it will unveil those new iPads alongside a 128GB iPhone SE, red iPhone 7, and new Apple Watch bands.
An all-new 10.5-inch iPad Pro with an edge-to-edge display and updates to the current 9.7-inch and 12.9-inch models are rumored. A new 7.9-inch model is a wildcard, as reports are conflicting about whether the iPad mini 4 will live on or be replaced by a lower-cost 9.7-inch model as predicted by KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
The problem is that Apple's in-store Personal Pickup tool is generally not a reliable indicator of a specific launch date or Apple event. The in-store pickup date for 12.9-inch iPad Pro models is a rolling target, as evidenced by the April 5 date now shown just one day later. Tomorrow, it will likely show April 6.
The date shown is most likely just a rough approximation of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro's current 2-3 week shipping estimate, plus a few extra days to reach the store. On February 9, for example, we reported that most 12.9-inch iPad Pro models were available for in-store pickup on March 3 at the time.
Apple could still hold an event on April 4, especially considering many of its past events have been on a Tuesday, but it would be purely coincidental.
Personal Pickup does confirm the 12.9-inch iPad Pro remains in tight supply, which can sometimes foreshadow an upcoming product launch. In January, however, Apple said it had an issue with one of its iPad suppliers that was not expected to be fully resolved this quarter, which could reasonably explain the shortage.
Apple is expected to launch at least a trio of new iPad Pro models in the near future, though, so an event might be announced soon enough. Japanese website Mac Otakara said Apple is planning a March event where it will unveil those new iPads alongside a 128GB iPhone SE, red iPhone 7, and new Apple Watch bands.
An all-new 10.5-inch iPad Pro with an edge-to-edge display and updates to the current 9.7-inch and 12.9-inch models are rumored. A new 7.9-inch model is a wildcard, as reports are conflicting about whether the iPad mini 4 will live on or be replaced by a lower-cost 9.7-inch model as predicted by KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Related Roundup: iPad Pro
Buyer's Guide: 12.9" iPad Pro (Buy Now)
24 comments
As we reported this morning, Apple today cut the prices of higher-end MacBook Pro SSD upgrades by up to $400, and as it turns out, there have been pricing changes to components in other Mac...
Apple's long-awaited AirPower could be launching in the near future, based on coding changes that 9to5Mac's Guilherme Rambo says he found in the latest iOS 12.2 beta, released yesterday...
A new Sports Illustrated article offers a look inside Apple's so-called sports surveillance room at its Results Way office complex in Cupertino, California, where a team of Apple employees have...
Alongside a refresh of the iMac and new Radeon Pro Vega graphics options for the iMac Pro, Apple today quietly lowered the price of some of the storage upgrade options for the MacBook Pro.
2TB...
With less than one week to go until Apple's "It's Show Time" media event, the company is said to still be courting major news companies to join its revamped Apple News subscription...
Apple may have plans to announce a new seventh-generation iPod touch in a press release as early as tomorrow.
MacRumors received a tip earlier this month claiming that Apple would announce new...
The Verge has obtained never-before-seen photos of a development board for the original iPhone, providing an interesting look back at the measures Apple took to ensure the smartphone remained as much...
Alongside a spec bump to standard iMac models, Apple today quietly added 256GB RAM and Radeon Pro Vega 64X graphics options to the iMac Pro.
Upgrading to 256GB of 2,666MHz DDR4 ECC memory...
