iPad Pro leak exposes four new Apple tablets
Four unannounced iPad Pro models have prematurely leaked, listings for the quartet of iPadOS tablets apparently being added to Apple's site before hurriedly being removed. Apple has been widely predicted to launch new iPad Pro models in the first half of 2020, complete with features like an iPhone 11 Pro-style triple camera array on the rear.
That camera array, analysts have suggested, could be accompanied by a new time-of-flight (ToF) sensor. Such a sensor would allow the iPad Pro to more accurately measure depth in the space around it, and be useful for augmented reality applications.
Unsurprisingly, though, Apple has remained tight-lipped about the possibility of new hardware, though company execs are generally upbeat about the potential for AR. That apparently hasn't prevented a premature listing of four new iPad Pro models temporarily being added to Apple's Chinese site. They were promptly removed, but not before iPhone in Canada snagged a screenshot, MacRumors reports.
Four new iPad Pro models - two sizes
Of the four, two are apparently 11-inch iPad Pro, and the others are 12.9-inch versions. They're model numbers A2228, A2229, A2231, and A233. The mentions were apparently in a user manual that had been made available on the Apple China site.
One of each size is the WiFi-only version of the iPad Pro, while the other two are the cellular models. For the moment that's expected to be 4G LTE rather than 5G. Apple's first commercial devices with 5G support are believed to be the new iPhone models launching late in 2020.
It's not our first glimpse of the new iPad Pro, mind. Earlier this month, an iOS 14 leak seemingly confirmed the triple camera setup on the tablet. Like the iPhone 1 Pro, that's believed to consist of a regular wide-angle lens, an ultra-wide lens, and finally a telephoto lens. Currently, the iPad Pro has a single 12-megapixel camera.
There's also talk of a far more laptop-like experience planned over the next few months. In late February, for instance, it was rumored that Apple was working on a new iPad keyboard design. That would add a trackpad, allowing for more accurate cursor control.
That cursor could well arrive in iOS 14. Early access to the upcoming OS release suggested that Apple was adding the on-screen mouse pointer as part of efforts to make building cross-platform apps more straightforward for developers. Apple has long attempted to position the iPad Pro as a notebook alternative, but the absence of familiar controls like a trackpad and mouse pointer have proved to be a stumbling block for some who would otherwise migrate over from their MacBook.