iPad Pro Rumor: 10.5-Inch Display to Launch in WWDC 2017 With Amazon Echo-Like Speaker

Apple is rumored to launch a 10.5-inch iPad Pro during the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) this coming June. According to reliable analyst KGI’s Ming-Chi Kuo, the Cupertino-based tech giant is about to launch two new hardware devices at its WWDC conference. A new iPad with thinner bezels and bigger screen, and it has been rumored for months. The other device could also be an Amazon Echo competitor from Apple. 

Since August of 2016, analyst Kuo has been predicting that Apple will unveil a trio of new iPads including a 12.9 inch iPad Pro 2, a new 10.5 iPad Pro and a low-cost 9.7 iPad in 2017. KGI’s analyst thinks that a launch this year’s conference is likely because of the timing of a production ramp-up at the end of this quarter. Moreover, it is also likely that Apple will have a preview of iOS 11, macOS 10.13, tvOS 11 and watchOS 4.

The upcoming iPad Pro is expected to be about the same size as Apple’s current 9.7-inch model but it will feature a 10.5-inch display, which is larger because of the narrow bezels. The new design should improve the user experience and help gain traction in the corporate and commercial sectors. It is rumored that 10.5-inch iPad Pro’s screen will extend nearly to all four edges of the device. Rumors also stated that there will be no home button and the Touch ID scanner feature is embedded in the screen.

Moreover, KGI analyst said that Foxconn will be the only assembler of the new-look iPad Pro, while GIS will be the exclusive supplier of touch panel modules. Kuo also predicts that 10.5-inch iPad Pro shipment will be between 5 million and 6 million units, accounting for 15 percent of total iPad shipments in 2017.

Apart from the 10.5-inch iPad Pro, Apple is also expected to unveil its Siri smart speaker, a rumored Echo competitor as a high-end speaker as well as a vocal assistant.