iPad Pro 2 release date, news, rumors: March 2017 Apple Event to showcase new iPad devices

The rumors are rife that Apple will be updating its current iPad models in the coming months. While the Cupertino-based tech giant will be having a huge press event at this moment for their new lineup of Apple devices, the much awaited iPad Pro 2 may not be one of them. Instead, the next iteration of the iPad Pro, along with the other iPad brands, will be revealed in the March hardware event next year.

According to Game N Guide, the arrival of the new iPad Pro device will happen early 2017. To be exact, the unveiling of the iPad Pro 2 will take place sometime in March, the same period when Apple unveiled a new iPad variant and the iPhone SE this year. Apple may have already picked up the habit of having a press event in March, and the tech giant is likely to hold one next year to showcase the new iPads.

A leaked image reported by Apple Insider last July reveals what appears to be the iPad Pro 2. Their source also reveals that the production of this still-unconfirmed Apple product would start in September this year. With that, this new iPad model can be expected to be finished and packaged in the early part of 2017. 

The leaked photos are said to come from a Chinese supplier that is currently in charge of the iPad Pro 2 production. The images reveal a slimmer and lighter body for the iPad Pro 2 compared to its predecessor. There also appears to be a water-resistant feature, and similar to the newly released iPhone 7 smartphones, the iPad Pro 2 is also missing the traditional 3.5mm headphone hack.

KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo stated earlier in his predictions that the iPad Pro 2 will have three variants. These are the 12.9-inch model, the regular 10.5-inch variant and the smaller 9.7-inch model. The two larger variants will be the top-tier ones, running on the new A10X chipset, while the smallest variant will keep the current A9X processor.