Mobile leaker Ben Geskin today shared images on Twitter purporting to be a case for the next-generation iPad Pro, which Apple is rumored to be launching sometime in the first half of this year.
There's a square cutout in the top corner of the case, suggesting the new iPad Pro might have a square-shaped camera setup modeled after the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro. A hole for the microphone is visible on one side, and there are gaps for the standby button and USB-C port.
Aside from that, not much can be gleaned from the photos, and we have no way to verify if it's actually a case designed for the 2020 iPad Pro. The new iPad Pro models are said to feature the same dimensions as the 2018 iPad Pro models, and based on renders, the design will also be close to identical with the exception of a triple-lens camera.
There were some rumors indicating Apple would release new iPad Pro models in 2019, but that didn't happen, and current information from reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggests Apple plans to release an iPad Pro update during the first half of 2020, perhaps sometime in March.
We've already seen dummy models said to be of the new iPad Pro models, which featured a triple-lens camera, but those may not be entirely accurate when it comes to the camera design.
Kuo believes that the next iPad Pro update will come with upgraded Face ID, an A14X chip, and a rear-facing time-of-flight (ToF) camera system that would allow for 3D models to be captured using the iPad Pro and then edited with the Apple Pencil for an "all-new productivity experience."
The time-of-flight camera is expected to be a 2020 iPhone feature, so it's not entirely clear if Apple plans to put the time-of-flight functionality in the iPad as the company may first want to bring the feature to the iPhone.
Apple's planned launch date for the iPad Pro could be pushed back due to production delays caused by the coronavirus outbreak in China, or if it launches on time, its supplies could be constrained.
Recent rumors indicate Apple is planning to hold an event on Tuesday, March 31, so if new iPad Pros are in the works for the first half of 2020 and aren't delayed, they could be announced at this event.
Kuo has also said that Apple plans to release an updated high-end 12.9-inch iPad Pro with a mini-LED display in the third quarter of 2020. If so, a new 12.9-inch model in fall 2020 would certainly be soon after.
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