We could see an 11-inch iPad Pro 3 at Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference in June. According to the Chinese-language Economic Daily News, the company is planning to release it alongside a 12.9-inch iPad Pro at WWDC, although we’re also told not to expect a new iPhone SE 2 or iPhone X Mini — or whatever you want to call a less expensive model — in the first half of this year.
It would make sense that Apple would launch the iPad Pro 3 in June, given that it has launched new iPads in June of past years. The Taiwanese news outlet also noted that this timeframe would be in line with what Rosenblatt Securities analyst Jun Zhang said in a recent note, as he expects mass production of the iPad Pro 3 to begin soon and probably to go on sale toward the end of June. His note was slight different, however, as he predicted 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch versions, with no mention of an 11-inch model. Of course, this is a pretty small difference.
We’ve been hearing rumors about the iPad Pro 3 for quite some time, and they’re only going to heat up further as the expected reveal data approaches. This year’s version of the tablet is expected to feature an eight-core A11C processor and Apple’s Face ID facial recognition system. We’ve also been hearing from various sources that Apple is planning on slimming down the bezels on the iPad Pro 3, but it’s unlikely that the tablet will get an all-display design. The note from Rosenblatt also suggested that the new iPad won’t have a Home button anymore, following the same lines as the iPhone X. If the iPad Pro 3 does indeed come with Face ID included, then this seems very likely.
One other rumor that we’ve been hearing batted around quite a lot is that Apple is planning to release three new iPhones this year. The details on this rumor vary quite a lot. GBH Insights analyst Daniel Ives has argued more than once the case for Apple to release new iPhones at staggered intervals this year, but that seems very unlikely.
The general consensus is that there will be two large iPhone models with OLED displays and one less expensive model with an LCD panel. Various names are being attached to these phones, such as the iPhone 11, iPhone X Plus, and iPhone 11 Mini. However, others have suggested that there could a fourth model that’s essentially an updated iPhone SE. The iPhone SE 2 has been rumored to be slated for release at WWDC along with the iPad Pro 3, but the Economic Daily News seems to indicate that this won’t happen.
Of course, as with all Apple rumors, it’s best to take them with a grain of salt because we won’t know what the company is actually doing until it makes an announcement. Granted, we will probably have a pretty good idea of what’s going to happen in the days leading up to the planned event, but until then, the rumor will continue to churn out stories, and like in the case of the iPhone SE 2, these rumors will often continue to contradict each other.
