Apple's upcoming 2018 iPad Pro models may feature a display with rounded corners like the iPhone X according to an image asset for the new devices found by 9to5Mac's Guilherme Rambo in the most recent beta update.
The asset in question, which appears to be for new iPad Pro models, is used as a mask to create rounded corners of UI elements and it features the same rounded corners that we've seen in the iPhone X. The J3xx name suggests a 2018 iPad model and it's a reference that's been found in other parts of the iOS 12 code in relation to new iPad Pro models.
Rambo set up a modified device in the iOS Simulator to demonstrate that iOS 12 on an iPad can handle rounded corners, with a demonstrative image of what Split View multitasking might look like on a tablet with rounded corners.
Previous rumors have suggested Apple is planning a major design overhaul for the 2018 iPad Pros, doing away with the Home button, introducing slimmer bezels, and adopting a TrueDepth camera system for Face ID.
Given the similarities between the design described in rumors and the iPhone X, it makes sense that Apple would also introduce a rounded corner design in the iPad Pro. Current iPad Pro models do not use rounded corners for the display.
There's no word on when Apple plans to introduce its updated iPad Pro models, but the new tablets could perhaps come in September alongside new iPhones. Apple could also choose to introduce them at a separate iPad and Mac-focused event as it has done in past years.
Monday January 26, 2026 1:55 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today introduced its first two physical products of 2026: a second-generation AirTag and the Black Unity Connection Braided Solo Loop for the Apple Watch.
Read our coverage of each announcement to learn more:Apple Unveils New AirTag With Longer Range, Louder Speaker, and More
Apple Introduces New Black Unity Apple Watch BandBoth the new AirTag and the Black Unity Connection Braided...
Thursday January 29, 2026 10:07 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today confirmed to Reuters that it has acquired Q.ai, an Israeli startup that is working on artificial intelligence technology for audio.
Apple paid close to $2 billion for Q.ai, according to sources cited by the Financial Times. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone and audio brand Beats in 2014.
Q.ai has...
Monday January 26, 2026 3:56 pm PST by Juli Clover
Alongside iOS 26.2.1, Apple today released an updated version of iOS 12 for devices that are still running that operating system update, eight years after the software was first released.
iOS 12.5.8 is available for the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 6, meaning Apple is continuing to support these devices for 13 and 12 years after launch, respectively. The iPhone 5s came out in September 2013,...
Tuesday January 27, 2026 2:39 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Update: Apple Creator Studio is now available.
Apple Creator Studio launches this Wednesday, January 28. The all-in-one subscription provides access to the Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Motion, Compressor, and MainStage apps, with U.S. pricing set at $12.99 per month or $129 per year.
A subscription to Apple Creator Studio also unlocks "intelligent features" and "premium...
Thursday January 29, 2026 2:40 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
On an earnings call with equity analysts today, Apple CEO Tim Cook responded to fast-rising RAM and SSD storage chip prices in the supply chain.
Prices for RAM and NAND storage chips are surging lately due to high demand from companies building out AI servers, resulting in supply constraints.
Cook said that rising memory chip prices had a "minimal impact" on Apple's gross margin in the...
Why do we need rounded corners on a tablet? If the case is square then rounded corners seems like poor design. I can understand on the iPhone the rounded corners because it is a small screen platform in a phone body that is intended to slip into a pocket or purse without snagging up on anything but for a tablet, especially a 10"+ pro tablet, rounded screen corners, "just because" is stupid, period.
I mean I used to think the hexagonal screens on Battleship Galactica was a stupid design choice, I didn't think it was a prophecy for what our screens are morphing into.
I think would be a subtle but cool feature. If you look at an iPhone X and an iPhone 8 the round corners definitely create a significantly more "organic" feeling about using the device.
For those old school MacGeeks, this reminds me of OSX 10.4 and before, where the top menu bar was artificially round-cornered on the old 20/23/30 lucite cinema displays.