There isn’t any question that Apple’s working on a larger-screened iPad: early details leaked in 2013 and have been followed by dimensional drawings and prototype shells over the past year. All of the leaks suggest that the “iPad Pro” or “iPad Plus” will be nearly identical to the iPad Air 2, except with an almost 13″ screen and four (rather than two) speaker grilles. Few of the leaks have suggested major new design elements, such as an extra connector port, an integrated stand, or a stylus; no one believes Apple will even rotate the rear logo to signify a preferred horizontal orientation. In short, the “iPad Pro” will likely be a bigger-screened iPad Air, much as the iPad Air was just a bigger version of the iPad mini that preceded it.
Despite once-credible reports of an early 2015 release, the big iPad was apparently pushed back at least twice so Apple could focus on making more iPhones. Since it’s supposedly been rescheduled for a fall release, I wanted to pose a question: given what we (think we) know about it, do you believe a bigger-screened iPad without other major design changes will be compelling enough to succeed?…
What is “known” about the hardware?
Leaks have more or less established several of the big iPad’s key physical characteristics. First, it’s believed to be roughly 8.6″ wide by 11.9″ tall, with the same basic shape of the iPad Air 2. Second, the screen is almost certainly larger than 12″ and smaller than 13″ on the diagonal. Third, the locations of ports, buttons, and other elements are apparently staying the same from iPad mini to Air to Pro.
Apple has apparently tested everything from 12.2″ to 12.9″ displays, but reports have differed on the final size and resolution of the display. Code recently found in iOS 9 suggests that the resolution will be 2732 by 2048, which at 12.9″ would have an equal pixel density to the iPad Air. However, 3-D models with dimensions matching leaked body dimensions suggest that the display could be closer to 12.7″. As shown in the rendering above, if Apple preserves the same 4:3 screen aspect ratio as all earlier iPads, the front of the new iPad would need to have extremely thin left and right bezels with a 12.7″ screen — even thinner than ones on the iPad Air. The FaceTime camera would have to be in the same position as on earlier iPads, above the portrait orientation screen, with equal space for a Home button below the screen.
As such, while the screen will be roughly comparable to the one on the 12″ Retina MacBook, it will be different in that its primary intended orientation will be portrait rather than landscape, and it will be less wide when laid on its side. If Apple wanted to change this usage scenario to make the big iPad more Mac-like, it would need to change both the shape of the iPad and the location of its key front- and bottom-facing components.
Instead, Apple is apparently adding two additional speakers to the unit’s top, which will likely enable the new iPad to perform stereo audio in either portrait or landscape orientation, switching speaker outputs based on the way the iPad’s being held. Case makers have produced prototype cases that feature an extra hole on one of the long edges, potentially for SIM card access, possibly for a second connector port. The Wall Street Journal claimed that Apple was considering adding a USB-C port to the new iPad to improve support for computer peripherals, and dummy models have shown how it would look. But there’s no other evidence that an extra port — USB-C or Lightning — will make it into the final device. Given that the 12″ MacBook shipped with a single port, it may well be wishful thinking.
What is “known” about the software?
iOS 9 is clearly being designed with an eye towards larger iPads. Most notably, it adds support for split-screen iOS applications that dynamically adjust their sizes to fit smaller and larger windows. Apple set the stage for the feature by introducing iOS features such as auto layout before officially debuting split-screen multitasking in iOS 9 last month. As valuable as split-screen support is for iPad Airs (and “nice” as it is for iPad minis), it would basically be mandatory for larger-screened iPads. Running only one app on a nearly 10″ screen often doesn’t feel like a good use of space; as shown on the 13″ MacBook Pro screen below, even running only two apps on a 12″ or larger screen seems wasteful.
Apple has been priming Mac users for an iOS-like working environment by introducing a full-screen mode in OS X Lion, which enabled one app to take over the entire display like an iPad. This year, it introduced a split-screen mode for OS X El Capitan akin to the same feature in iOS 9. Personally, I’ve never found OS X’s full-screen mode compelling on even the smallest-screened MacBook Air, and El Capitan’s split-screen mode isn’t better in any way than just using normal Mac windows. Going full-screen or two-pane becomes increasingly ridiculous as screen sizes increase, but it’s as close as Apple can come to bridging the obvious divide between iOS’s and OS X’s capabilities.
It appears highly unlikely that Apple will allow the big iPad to run OS X, although there’s mounting evidence that the processing capabilities of high-end iPads and low-end Macs will begin to overlap this year. The hardware differences between an entry-level 1.1GHz 12″ Retina MacBook and sub-13″ iPad Pro may well come down to their different philosophies on storage capacity, RAM, keyboards, trackpads, and touchscreens rather than CPUs and GPUs. And who knows what will happen with iOS 10 (or… iOS X) in 2016?
Who will this iPad be for?
Conventional wisdom suggests that the big iPad will be pitched at two categories of customers — creatives and enterprises — because the screen size will be roughly equivalent to the usable area of an 8.5″ by 11″ piece of paper. But it’s also possible that Apple will market it to potential Windows PC switchers who have held off on going Apple until now, as well as to educational institutions.
- Creatives will view a bigger iPad as a larger (and better) canvas for drawing, editing, writing, and displaying work, including art, photos, and videos. They’re a natural audience for this product.
- Enterprise customers will similarly like the larger composition and display surface; corporations with thousands of employees may also find field uses for the bigger screen, which will be closer to the Windows laptops and tablets they are transitioning away from.
- PC switcher holdouts may find the larger-screened iPad easier to buy as a complete replacement for a Windows laptop, though they’ll wonder whether the iPad Air would be enough for them. The PC switcher market can be a challenge because it’s price-sensitive, and if someone hasn’t switched yet, it’s unclear whether a more expensive iPad would make a difference.
- Educational institutions, particularly collegiate ones, are in the same camp. Older students and instructors may have valid reasons to prefer larger iPads, which could fully replace textbooks in size. And the price point could be close enough to a Windows PC to serve as a viable laptop replacement, if the necessary peripheral support is there. Younger students will likely continue to be served (well) by the iPad mini and iPad Air.
Will you want one?
That’s up to you — previous polls we’ve run have suggested that roughly half of our readers are at least open-minded about the value of larger-screened iPads, and some people are actively looking forward to buying them. Share your thoughts below!
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this would be nice to read newspapers and magazines on – plus the usual content on a bigger screen..
would buy straight away as i am pretty sure apple knows how it should feel in the hand.
I personally think the iPads need to get one size bigger. I used mine for watching a streaming movies and games and I always thought the iPad screen could have been larger. A larger screen on its own won’t tempt me to buy one (I sold my iPad as I couldn’t justify it). Now I can cope with my iPhone 6 Plus for browsing and games.
I think Apple need to take iPad to the next level, a Bluetooth stylus maybe redesigned the Apple way to actually make it work well.
I agree but I’m worried Apple’s product lineups will be to cluttered. Maybe they should kill off the iPad mini. I think the difference in size between the mini and the 6 Plus is too mini :p. But then again, the iPad Mini is a product which allows people to buy an Apple tablet for 300$/400$. And I can’t imagine Apple slashing the launch price of the 9.7 inch iPad to 400$. So I think they should kill off the Mini.
They should also snipe the iPod Touch. Keep all other iPods except the Touch. I also never understood why the Mac mini was introduced…
iPod Tuch has a firm maker for kids w/o smartphones and developers who need a test device.
3 lines (mini/air/pro) is fine. Apple has done that for years with the MacBook/iMac/Mac Pro.
I would look very hard at the iPad Pro. But more likely to upgrade to the Skylake 15″ Mabook Pro when it comes out.
You can buy the iPad Air for $399. Not sure why anyone would pick the mini 3 over the original air. I would just make the 12.9″ and 9.7″ models.
Yes but I was actually talking about the newest models.
The newest original iPad is 500$ and the newest iPad Mini is 400$. Of coourse if you want to get the least expensive models there is the 400$ iPad Air and the 300$ iPad Mini 2.
The one device that has been attracting me lately is Surface Pro 3, I just love the idea of a paper-size device with an awesome stylus that I can take notes on. If Apple could replicate the experience with the stylus on iPad Pro, I’d get it without any doubts. However, if it comes without the stylus, I fail to see the point of a bigger version of iPad Air when it doesn’t have any new experiences.
I have one, and it pains me to say it. But it is the greatest computing device ever made, bar none. And I don’t say that lightly. Given my experience, I would only buy a larger iPad if it included a stylus that matches the Surface Pro’s, which won’t be easy. I have both the Pencil by 53 and the Wacom Fineline, and neither lives up to the quality of the Surface.
Agree 100% – I am a 25 year Apple diehard, with a MacBook Pro 15″ being my main computer, and a Mac Mini for home use…however, I sold my MacBook Air and use the Surface Pro 3 as my “portable”. It pains me to say this, but it’s an infinitely better computing and productivity device than the iPad. As halftone says, the stylus blows 53’s Pencil out of the water. The Surface Pro 3 shows that Microsoft under new leadership could actually come up with devices that rival Apple’s. Its a seriously well designed computer.
I agree about the Surface, although for me the stylus isn’t really the point: the point is that the Surface tablets (both the Pro and the regular model) are more useful than an iPad for content creation. They do it all–you can have your tablet experience and your laptop experience, all in something slimmer and lighter than a Macbook Air. You can even dock them and use them like desktop computers attached to a monitor, keyboard, and mouse.
I’ve been using Apple products since the mid 1980s but am seriously considering ditching all my Apple products and switching to a Surface tablet as my only computing device. Even Windows phones, once Windows 10 comes out and if universal apps become a reality, are looking attractive now: they’ll be able to run iOS and Android apps in addition to Windows apps. In a sense, Microsoft is becoming the new Apple, in all the good ways. It’s innovating, open to new ideas, improving usability and adding lots of excellent new features to its software. It’s a big ship to turn around, and there’s still plenty to hate about Microsoft (this is the company that brought us Sharepoint, after all), but I’m getting more and more impressed with the new things coming out of Redmond.
Please… Surface Pro 3 what? The atrocious Microsoft Modern/MetroUI on Windows8.x and Windows10 just plain sucks.
The best ever ? Of what? It is a huge mess.
Windows on tablets sucks. The childish Metro/ModernUI is beyond awful. Productivity wise it sucks big time.
I love both the Surface Pro and the Cintiq Companion. I’m not talking about the software or the OS, of course, I can’t imagine ever using Windows for my work. From a hardware standpoint though, these are a category of product that it’s inexcusable that Apple doesn’t have a product to sell me. Support from creatives is the only reason the company still existed when Steve came back, it’s really insane that Apple wasn’t a leader in bringing devices like this to the market.
Contrary to what Apple is saying, to me my iPad is pretty much solely a consumption device. I do very little productivity on it because the apps are not desktop class apps.
There used to be a memory issue as well but iPad Air 2 has fixed this issue. 2GB of ram is key for multi tasking but I feel the iPad pro will need at least 3-4GB of ram if they are going to target this to pro users or/and try to push people to use the iPad for productivity.
Because the thing that gets me going nuts on my iPhone and iPad is when a Safari tab refreshes or when an app restarts. It’s so infuriating.
So to sum up, I think we need desktop class apps and more memory. That’s it.
I can be fairly productive on the iPad Air 2 I have using Pages and Numbers and email. Do these really need to be “desktop class” to be productive? Sure a trackpad and keyboard take it up to full productivity, but one can get away with plenty on an iPad. It’s not meant to be a desktop replacement for true productivity anyway, so for short work, I think it works quite well.
I agree about the greater RAM for a “Plus” or “Pro” model of iPad and I think it would be super interesting to see Apple take on the stylus concept. So far, it seems pretty useless on other devices, even their ads can’t demonstrate it’s usefulness – all they ever show is someone circling something, maybe drawing an arrow lol.
Taking notes, like in a meeting or in class, is going to be better and more effective on a keyboard if you’re a decent typist (I can type much faster than I can write) or if not, with pencil and paper. Seems to me the concept of a stylus could be re-envisioned, and that’s an opportunity for Apple.
Oh no I’m not complaining about the keyboard or trackpad you know. I think the iPad display offers enough possibilities to make awesome apps to do some productivity.
I think iPads will never be as good at productivity as laptops and desktops are.
Also, the Apple apps are absolutely awesome. That is not what I’m complaining about. I’m complaining about other apps like Autocad360, Photoshop, etc. Those are all fun apps but that is it. There are so many great apps on the app store that allow you to for example start drawing plans for some building. But when you want to move it to your computer to do the heavy lifting (rendering), the file is not compatible with the desktop app. This is just one example but applies to the majority of apps.
I will accept that tablets will never catch up with desktops when it comes to computing power. But when it comes to apps, they need to be much more powerful (compatibility with the desktop apps and features)
Also, you maybe won’t believe me but at times my apps crash due to lack of free ram. Apps like Autocad 360 which I just mentioned. They crash when opening big files (20-25mb drawings). I know they crash due to lack of ram because when I kill all other apps that are running in the background, the app does not crash.
And yes I agree Apple should add a stylus. I think Force Touch will make the iPad so much more powerful in the future, assuming it will be added to the iPad in the future.
There are so many apps which are being showcased in ads, during keynotes,… which are never used in real life… Because they just are not good enough because of the lack of features, compatibility and input (drawing).
The option for a larger size would be nice, but I’m happy with current size.
The key takeaway is that iPad Pro is designed for professionals, enterprise, and educational market. While some consumers (e.g., John Siracusa) will no doubt embrace larger iPad with some advanced features, I think most folks will be disappointed or perplexed by this addition.
I, for one, look forward to second generation retina MacBook.
Hey Jeremy, I really enjoyed this piece. I keep asking myself the same question: Who IS this thing for? When I updated my iPad4, I opted to go with the Mini because I got tired of carrying around a 9.7″ screen. I can’t imagine carrying around an iPad this big. I’m looking forward to it, though, for some reason.
If the iPad Pro has a pressure sensitive touchscreen with stylus support (for art and note taking) that could replace a low end MacBook (i.e. run Mac OS X), I’d buy one in a heart beat. But we know Apple doesn’t want that…yet (out of fear of it cannibalizing its MacBook sales). And this is the problem with innovation. So often its progress is impeded by purely business decisions.
The iPad Pro and the new Macbook should have been the same product. Pressure sensitive stylus support, touch screen, full OS X, removable keyboard.
I don’t yet have an iPad. This will be my first one! I could not buy the current model cause it does not have stereo speakers (if you use it horizontal to watch for example Youtube videos), which is plain silly.
I think the iPad Air has the ideal size: full sized keyboard in landscape, runs two apps in split screen (although the iPad Plus would run full iPad layout apps in split view, unlike the Air which shows stretched iPhone apps). But it will be very expensive, heavier and bulkier than the Air, eliminating the reasons to go for an iPad instead of a small macbook.
Will use it read magazines and newspapers even more than now on latest iPad.
As a musician now using a Samsung 12.2 tablet to read and annotate sheet music for rehearsal and performance, I’d definitely appreciate an even bigger iPad. Although, I’ve got to say, the Samsung and Android are a pretty good combination. For sheet music, the main problem with the Samsung is that the aspect ratio is wide-screen rather than proportionate to a printed sheet of music. I hope the new iPad will be about 4:3 or similat.
Great point. I would want a larger iPad ONLY if it keeps its current aspect ratio. Sheet music on PDF, comic books, certain games. And the option to split the screen which is coming anyway.
While larger iPhones have been something consumers have longed for for quite some time, not as many users have avidly expressed their desire for a larger iPad; in fact, in the case of the iPad Mini, it was quite the opposite.
Although we agree it’s unlikely, OS X on an iPad (with maybe the Intel M from the new MacBook) would be a fairly wicked machine. At the very least, iOS needs to grow into a more flexible, Mac-feature-inspired powerhouse in order to truly make a larger iPad worth the dough and screen real estate. Unlike a larger iPhone, there needs to be a blatant reason customers would want to carry around a larger device — otherwise, users may be more apt to choose a functionally-rich MacBook this is superior in capabilities, yet similar in weight, size, etc.
I have an Air 2 and the thought of a bigger iPad excites me. My primary use is for reading comics which may sound dumb but I read a crap ton of comics. I use it for other things too. However, just being bigger and having better sound is not enough to justify swapping. The hints toward a stylus is what really can swing me one way or another. I want to see iOS grow up on the iPad but I will settle for a bigger screen with dedicated stylus support. Without that, then I will have to compare and contrast and do the algebra to make the decision.
Yes. Comic books are my number one reason to want a larger iPad.
I think this is a good move. I switched from iPad 3 to Surface Pro 3 when the SP3 released and the larger screen size is very welcome. I think that one of the prime audiences for these new, larger iPads could likely be those who commute each day and watch films/TV on their tablets… let’s face facts, when it comes to movies bigger is always better.
I’d still like to see Apple come up with a device set to rival the SP3. Microsoft misfire constantly lately but with the Surface Pro 3 / Surface 3 they really did nail it, it’s a perfect device for both productivity and consumption. I’d like to see what Apple could come up with for a device similar to the SP3… knowing Apple and their skills in design they could almost certainly come up with a device superior to the SP3 that would run OSX and potentially Windows.
1000
The preferred position of my iPad Air is landscape, not portrait. Do many people really use their iPad in portrait mode?
Only if you’re writing. It’s the bad habit of writing on a landscape screen. Remember the Apple portrait screens? Why did they stop making them? This could be a game changer, again.
A really good functional stylus would be great for photo editing. I use a Pixelmator for iPad for most of my photo editing and I think a stylus would be helpful for being more precise than my fat fingers.
If it has a full fledged OS like Mac OSX, then yes.
HEAR ME NOW, AND BELIEVE ME LATER:
APPLE WILL RELEASE A KEYBOARD COVER ALONGSIDE THIS IPAD.
The large form factor and surprising lack of new 3rd party keyboard covers released since the iPad Air 2 first came out clearly indicate a move to compete with the Surface.
Roger that.
Some airlines are phasing out seat-back displays, they will charge for connecting to WiFi using your own device. Some travelers will want to watch movies on a large IPad… Not me, I’ll probably end up buying the 2nd generation of the new macbook.
I have an iPad 2 and have held out buying a new one, waiting for a larger one. I have been using my iPad for YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, Spotify and web browsing and believe a larger screen with stereo speakers would be AMAZING! My current iPad is slow and glitchy so I’m saving some cash for a new iPad.
It’ll be great for people who like to take photos with their iPad – they’ll look even more ridiculous than they do already!
“the “iPad Pro” will likely be a bigger-screened iPad Air, much as the iPad Air was just a bigger version of the iPad mini that preceded it.”
WHAT?
Are you forgetting the original iPad and all versions between that and the intro of the iPad Mini?
Revisionist history or oversight?
Neither. I was referring to the fact that the iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro/Plus industrial designs are basically identical to one another. The mini debuted the new form factor, which was then rolled out for the Air, and all leaks to date suggest that the Pro/Plus is based upon the exact same look/materials/etc.
I’m a medical professional. I use an LTE connected iPad for all my portable computing. I’D LOVE A LARGER IPAD, ONE BIG ENOUGH TO PROVIDE A USABLE ONSCREEN KEYBOARD IN PORTRAIT ORIENTATION.
Given that they “just” released the retina MacBook, I’m not quite sure what they might be up to with this one.
The rMB is supposed to be portable like the iPad Air (or even more, this one) and yet work like a full computer (sans the ports :) ). With the current iOS featureset, it cannot really replace OSX for “real” work (e.g. multiple documents open in Pages and stuff like that).
My guess is a larger iPad will make sense along with a stylus (creative people, note taking etc). Hell, if they bring stylus support to the iPad mini (and a proper stylus along), that will be reason enough for me to upgrade.
An iPad design which is nothing more than larger and adds a port is utterly and completely a waste of time. Apple, look at the Surface Pro 3. It’s perhaps the best, most innovative product of the past 2 years. The first real product that can replace a laptop. Apple has nothing to touch it. Apple’s goal should be not to release a larger iPad but to surpass the Surface Pro 3 with great innovation and design. I want an iPad Pro that gives me a reason to buy one. Being larger won’t come close. I fear the worst, but hope for the best.
I’m in. LOVE the iPad; it has changed my life.
If I have missed the comment, I apologize, but what about storage space? I work in remote areas without cellular or wifi – I desperately need a 256 GB iPad. I dont care about the screen size, just let me store my content locally on my iPad. I don’t want to use iCloud.
Surface Pro 3 offers me 512 GB – I bet by xmas they will be offering 1 TB. Having the iPad limited to 128 GB is its biggest downfall.
It’s true that you can get a Surface Pro 3 with 512 GB, but it’ll cost you. At $1,750 US, it’s more expensive than a 13″ Macbook Air with the same specs (i7, 512 GB). At that price point you’re basically just deciding between Mac and Windows.
I cant wait for iPad Pro I work in finance and wnt to have full office paper size ipad To easier review and mark up documents. I hope it will be more than kust larger iPad Air 2 stýus would be super helpful to me. Must say my clients who have Surface Pro 3 are very complimentary i hope Apple will come up with something great;)
Customers are getting tired of the dry OS. Size and speed simply doesn’t matter. Android has eclipsed iOS in many ways. Fan boys are killing the company.
Really? Got any references for that?
I’m heading off to the Naval Postgraduae School for a masters in Systems Engineering next year, and a larger iPad would be awesome. I’m hoping for a great Apple designed keyboard case as well.
For me as an engineering student the answer is pretty simple: if there’s first party stylus support equivalent or better to the MS surface I’ll buy it. Otherwise not. period.
It’s the only thing missing from my Air1 (and some RAM would be great ;)
“Equivalent or better” are the operative terms.
My fear is that Apple will say, “you wanted a stylus, so here it is”, but give us something that uses bluetooth, or (even worse) is battery powered. Then artists won’t buy it, because it not what they asked for at all, and Apple will say” “see, told you nobody wanted a stylus”.
Proper stylus support has the digitizer integrated into the screen. The stylus is not powered in any way, nor is it paired in any way. The screen itself does all of the sensing — compatible stylus in range, it just works automatically.
I’m VERY worried that Apple will botch this. I sure hope I’m wrong.
If Force Touch is part of the package then from and artist’s point of view it is worthwhile. Form a musician’s perspective, just about every muso now uses an iPad to see their charts, yes, very worthwhile. From an educator’s perspective it opens up a variety of creative areas from learning how to write (if the stylus is included) to taking notes in class, to drawing in visual arts. I currently do all of the above but the current iPads do not have the pressure sensitivity that a graphics tablet has. Graphic designers would go for the larger size and would probably do some layout work if the stylus was added to the package. A good marketing campaign would certainly sell this version of the iPad. I’m sure Apple have already thought about all this.
As an artist and Apple Fan Boy I would love the iPad Pro! I’ve put off a purchase of a Wacom Companion or Surface Pro in hopes that this new bigger iPad!
LOL @ Surface Pro 3 comments. Why would a tablet that weights as much as a brick ever be considered useful for anything other than stopping doors?
If that’s what you think of the Surface Pro, then you don’t understand what it is and what can do. It’s incredibly more portable than anything that even remotely comparable to it. You’d need both a MacBook Pro and a Cintiq 13HD to be able to make the same use out of anything that Apple makes.
• I believe the #1 thing that an iPad Pro MUST bring is app compatibility across platforms. Currently, even the Apple Apps such as iMovie & Garage Band do not cross platforms in compatibility. These programs/apps should never have an issue.
• Next would be a stylus! Making detailed adjustments can be difficult on a touchscreen when using a finger. Also signatures for field personnel is a big plus if you have a stylus rather than using your finger.
• More RAM is also necessary, 4 GB on a Pro model would really help to make things “work” more smoothly.
• ON DEVICE DOCUMENT STORAGE (i.e. document folder) that syncs with iCloud (optionally) and INCREASED iCloud basic storage levels to 20 GB, I currently use other means for storing documents as my photos alone exhaust the 5GB of the base iCloud account.
If it can use a stylus as well as a Samsung Galaxy Note tablet, I’m sold. I’d buy another Note but Samsung has a habit of abandoning it’s devices by not updating android on them. Mine hasn’t seen an update in 2 years.