Rumour: ‘iPad Pro’ Will Have Smaller Screen Than Thought

Apple’s rumoured “iPad Pro” may be smaller in size than has been rumoured, according to a Japanese report citing unnamed sources.

The Cupertino-based company has long been rumoured to be planning a push into the education and corporate markets with a larger tablet, nicknamed the iPad Pro, and while previous reports have suggested a 12.9-inch display, Apple-centric website Macotakara said its sources say the device’s screen will be slightly smaller at 12.2 inches.

Large display

This would be comparable to the 12-inch display of Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3, against which the iPad Pro is intended to compete, according to the site. The iPad Air 2 (pictured), released in October, has a 9.7-inch display.

Macotakara suggested the upcoming tablet will be thicker than the iPad Air 2, which measures 6.1 millimetres, and will be somewhere between the iPhone 6’s 6.9mm thickness and the 7.1mm thickness of the iPhone 6 Plus.

The iPad Pro will, like the iPad Air 2, feature a pair of speakers and microphones on the top and bottom sides of the device, and will possibly support stereo sound, the site said.

Microsoft is already pitching its Surface Pro 3 at the enterprise, and saw sales of the device rise 127 percent to $908 million (£567 million) in the most recent quarter.

Apple’s iPad business, for comparison, generated $5.3bn in the same quarter, but iPad sales have dropped for three consecutive quarters. In the most recent quarter, Mac sales surpassed those of iPads for the first time in three years.

As part of its enterprise efforts, Apple recently formed a partnership with IBM to help stimulate the development of business software for iOS and to sell iPhones and iPads to large businesses.

How well do you know Apple? Take our quiz.