iPad Pro release date, new features revealed [REPORT]

Updated on

Apple’s much-awaited iPad Pro will have some exciting new features that, Apple hopes, will help it revive tablet sales. Insider sources familiar with the matter told Mark Gurman of 9to5Mac that the 12.9-inch iPad Pro is internally codenamed J98 and J99. While J98 is the WiFi only version, J99 is the internal name for WiFi + Cellular iPad Pro.

iPad Pro multi-user login support to arrive later

The big-screen iPad will have a split-screen application feature and multi-user login support. The split-screen multi-tasking feature was initially expected to come out with iOS 8 last year. But Apple withdrew it at the last moment because it was not fully polished for public consumption. The feature will be showcased as part of iOS 9 at the WWDC event next month using existing iPad models, reports Gurman.

The 12.9-inch iPad Pro and multi-user login support will arrive later. Sources said that the split-screen feature will support 1/2, 1/3, and 2/3 views depending on apps. Using split-screen mode, users can place two different apps side-by-side or dual views of a single app. However, 9to5Mac warned that Apple could still pull the feature before next month’s WWDC event.

The iPad Pro has been delayed repeatedly because of display production issues. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in a research note earlier this week that the tablet will start shipping in the fourth quarter of this year. That’s in line with the usual iPad launch window of October-November. Kuo claims that Foxconn will be the sole supplier of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

iOS 9 to be tweaked for the iPad Pro

Gurman reports that the Cupertino company will further tweak the iOS 9 so that the iPad Pro users can further leverage its bigger screen space. Apple is also redesigning the core apps and features such as Notification Center to present them better on the 12.9-inch display.

The multi-user login support will allow several users to share an iPad. But they will have access to only their own apps, media and documents. However, this feature may not be showcased at the WWDC event. The iPad Pro is expected to feature Force Touch technology, a USB-C port, Bluetooth stylus, and NFC capability.

Leave a Comment