Apple is no longer releasing iPad Air 2's successor according to reports but iPad Pro and iPad Mini 4 are set to replace the bad news as Apple also is reported on the verge of planning its release this year.
A Chinese report first hinted the information last week about Apple's change of tablet lineup. According to the report, the tech giant's China-based manufacturing partner confirmed orders of 12.9-inch and 7.9-inch tablets which are presumed to be iPad Pro and iPad Mini 4, respectively.
However, some reports have surfaced that the 7.9-inch iPad Mini 3 will be ditched in favor of iPad Pro to give focus. As the report puts it, Apple sees the dire need to focus this time on producing iPad Pro units and take advantage of the production in the tech market.
This report has also been validated through a tech site saying iPad Air 2's successor might be coming in 2016 instead with a few tweaks and changes in configuration.
If iPad Mini 3 is feasible after all, tech experts see the integration of an A8 SoC and 802.1 lac Wifi.
MacRumors reports that iPad Pro will rock a 2,732 × 2,048-pixel screen resolution. However, this report has not been confirmed by Apple as of now.
According to sources, the iPad Pro model will sport four speakers situated on four corners of the tablet. The rising USB Type-C port is also seen to power up iPad Pro. Some speculations noted that Apple will incorporate the Touch ID system and Apple Pay from the iPhone line.
Meanwhile, a report from the Wall Street Journal predicts a stylus, an additional keyboard and a mouse will be housed in. Apple Insider also presumes that Sharp will still do Apple's LCD panel.
Microsoft's Surface Pro 4 is coming on in a tight competition with Apple as the year ends.
Apple iPad Pro and iPad Mini 4 are set to launch in the fourth quarter of 2015.
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