New iPad Pro 2 release date, price & specs rumours

The iPad rumour mill has started turning for 2018. We look ahead to the iPad Pro 2's release date, price & specs

CONTENTS

• > Release date
• > Design
 
• > UK price
• > Tech specs and new feature
• Apple launched three new iPads in 2017, in 9.7in, 10.5in and 12.9in sizes. (We discuss their respective merits in our iPad buying guide.) But our thoughts are already turning to the next generation.
  In this article we gather the rumours about the new iPads we'll see in 2018, covering their specs, features, pricing and release date.
  If you're interested in smaller and cheaper tablets, take a look at our iPad Pro mini and iPad 9.7in rumour roundups, and for buying tips check out our guide to the best cheap iPad deals. (Credit for the main illustration goes to Martin Hajek.)
  
  
  

Release date

1. The most recent iPad Pro models were announced at WWDC 2017 on 5 June 2017 and are available to buy now. It's reasonable to expect more announcements at WWDC 2018 next summer, but we're hopeful that Apple will have more news at its customary spring press event: perhaps the iPad mini 5.
2. Sources quoted by Bloomberg predict, in fact, that the new iPads will be released "a little more than a year after the last major iPad Pro upgrade", which suggests a late summer, early autumn time frame - perhaps August or September 2018.

UK price

The 10.5in iPad Pro starts at £619 for the 64GB with Wi-Fi model and £749 for the 64GB Wi-Fi + Cellular model; while the 12.9in iPad Pro starts at £769 for the 64GB Wi-Fi model and £899 for the 64GB Wi-Fi + Cellular model.

You can order the new iPad Pro models here.

Apple bumped up the prices in the UK as the pound weakened following the Brexit referendum result, and we fear that prices may rise again - if the pound continues to struggle, or if Apple decides to bring in an iPhone X-esque edge-to-edge screen, or both.

Design

Apple is expected to bring across some of the design changes from the iPhone X to the iPad line-up in 2018.

Bloomberg's sources expect "at least one" new iPad model to ditch the Home button and go for an edge-to-edge screen, replacing Touch ID with Face ID. The sources suggests that this model will have a screen size that's close the currently offered 10.5in, but removing the Home button will enable Apple to push this closer to 11in, or keep it the same size while shrinking the chassis.

The sources don't expect this screen to be OLED, however. They don't say why not, but after the production difficulties (and supply shortages) that the iPhone X's OLED screen seemingly cau

BY RJA......