Apple's 12.9-inch iPad Pro with 5G and a Mini-LED display has been delayed until 2021 because of the impact the coronavirus outbreak has had on Apple's supply chain partners, according to a new Chinese-language report by United Daily News.
Last week, analyst Jeff Pu told investors that the rumored high-end iPad Pro may be delayed until early next year due to the device's "complex panel design." UDN says Apple originally planned to launch the device in the fall, but has given up on meeting this roadmap because of the outbreak. Either way, today's report adds further weight to the likelihood of a delay until 2021.
Back in December, before the global health crisis took hold, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple was developing up to six Mini-LED products, including a 12.9-inch iPad Pro with an A14X chip for release in the third quarter of 2020.
Last month, leaker Jon Prosser said a new 5G-enabled iPad Pro with an A14X chip and no other hardware changes would be introduced in late 2020, "barring any further delays."
Apple refreshed the iPad Pro in March. The relatively minor update features an A12Z Bionic chip (since found to be an A12X chip with an extra GPU core enabled), an Ultra Wide camera that enables 0.5x zoom, a LiDAR Scanner for enhanced augmented reality, and better sounding microphones. It was the first update to the iPad Pro since the device received a major redesign in October 2018.
