iPad: Latest Rumors

This past couple of weeks I have written posts about the iPhone 6 and iOS 8, but now it is time for the iPad.  Some rumors came up this week about the 12.9″ iPad (code named iPad pro) and third generation iPad mini won’t be launching until 2015 and the iPad air will have some iPhone 5s improvements.  At this point in time, there are not many rumors for the next generation iPads because they usually don’t launch until October.  With that said, here’s a quick guide to what we know so far about the iPad air, iPad mini and iPad pro.

iPad air 2

The iPad air, credit: Macgasm

This iPad, for those of you who are keeping track, is the iPad 6 (or the sixth generation iPad.)  The redesign of the iPad 5 came with the new name “air” which relates to the lightness and thinness of it.  There’s a lack of rumors for the new iPads, so many of the points will be educated guesses based on Apple’s history.

• A8 Processor, which is the same processor that will be found in the iPhone 6 (KGI Securities)
• Touch ID, found on the iPhone 5s (KGI Securities)
• Similar design
• Improved internal components
• Better camera (higher than 5MP)
• Release date: October 2014, some rumors suggest April or June at WWDC

iPad mini 3

iPad mini with Retina display

This will be the third generation iPad mini, but the second one to feature a Retina display.

• Release date: 2015 (KGI Securities)
• Touch ID
• They predict the release date won’t be until 2015 because the iPad mini currently has updated internal components (A7 chip and Retina display) and can survive another year.
• This reminds me of a rumor saying the iPad mini 2 (the current generation) wouldn’t come out until 2014…but the rumor wasn’t true since it came out in October.

iPad pro

One of the iPad pro concepts sitting next to a 11″ MacBook Air.

This 12.9″ rumored iPad will be aimed at the education market, business market and at developers creating apps for the iPad.  The larger display will be a hybrid between the laptop and a tablet.  Here are some of the latest rumors:

• Quad-core A8 Processor, available in 128GB size, arriving in Fall 2014 (Patrick Wang of Evercore Partners)
• Arriving in 2015 because Apple is busy working on the iWatch (KGI Securities)
• 64-bit computing with an UHD (ultra-high definition) display (Korea Times)
• Touch ID, 64-bit A7 or A8 chip (TechRadar)
• Arriving with late spring/winter or October 2014 release, 2 models (2K display launching in April 2014 and 4K display launching in October) (Pad News)

Other iPad Rumors

iPad air and iPad 4 side by side, credit: iMore

• iPad 2 to be discontinued in the first quarter of 2014, in favor of the iPad 4 (KGI Securities, AppleInsider)