Apple iPad Pro release date, specs, rumours, price

Apple is working on a new, larger iPad aimed at people who want higher-specs, a bigger screen and the best iPad money can buy. The company is reportedly also working on the iPad Air 2.The iPad Pro hasn't been officially announced, but rumours and leaked details mean there is little doubt it exists. It could be released sometime in the second half of 2014 as Apple looks to further bolster its product range with the iPhone 6 and the iWatch also rumoured to be launching in the back half of the year, along with iOS 8.Exactly what Apple calls this new iPad remains to be seen – and there might even be two new iPads announced. Names rumoured include the iPad Air 2, iPad Pro and the iPad 6. Apple doesn't have a very clear naming convention for iPad, which makes predicting what the next model will be called difficult.We'll be regularly updating this page with the latest news, rumours, leaked images and more.

WHEN WILL THE iPAD PRO, iPAD AIR 2 OR iPAD 6 LAUNCH?

Apple tends to update its product lines once every year. It has been reported that Apple will launch the iPad Pro sometime in October 2014 – the original iPad Air launched on 22 October 2013.Apple could show off the iPad Pro/iPad 6/iPad Air even sooner – the company's annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) takes place June 2-6. Such an early announcement seems unlikely however, with speculation suggesting Apple will mostly focus on iOS 8.Respected industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has predicted that a new iPad Air will launch this year with the iPad Pro following sometime in 2015."We believe Apple plans to launch upgraded iPad Air early this year, and will accelerate development of 12.9in iPad. As such, more resources will be allocated to these two products, which will affect the progress of the development of new iPad mini. All told, we think chances of the debut of a new iPad mini in 2H14 are slim. In addition, the 12.9in iPad is unlikely to be offered in 2014. For these reasons, we predict the only new iPad product in 2H14 will be the upgraded iPad Air,” he wrote in a note to investors.So far opinion is divided, but it appears certain that we'll see at least one new iPad model in 2014, be that an updated iPad Air or the new iPad Pro.

iPAD PRO SCREEN SIZE

It has been widely reported that the iPad Pro will have a 12.9in screen. This would make it more like a laptop than Apple's other iPads. Apple already has the 7.9in iPad mini and 9.7in iPad 4, so a 12.9in iPad Pro would be a natural progression.We've already seen so-called 'pro' tablets from the likes of Samsung, with larger screens and a greater emphasis on productivity a big selling point. With the iPad mini Apple has shown that it is now more willing to experiment with different devices than it was under Steve Jobs, so a big-screen iPad isn’t such an outlandish idea.Back in July 2013 the Wall Street Journal reported that Apple was experimenting with larger screens for iPads and iPhones and various reports since have suggested that this is the case.Rumours about the resolution of the screen point to two options. A 2K screen would put the new iPad Pro in line with the iPad Air and iPad mini 2, while a 4K screen with a resolution of around 3840 by 2160 pixels has also been mooted.In January 2014 research firm DisplaySearch reported that a new iPad would have a 12.9in screen with a resolutionof 2,732 by 2,048 with a pixel density of 265 PPI. That would make it one of the most impressive screens ever seen on a tablet.

iPAD PRO DESIGN

SET Solution has had some fun and put together a concept video that shows how they think the new iPad Pro will look. The 12.9in iPad Pro looks a lot like the iPad Air, albeit with an even thinner bezel and thinner edges and a dual LED flash for the camera.For something a bit stranger, in February 2014 SET did a second video showing a 12.9in iPad Pro that runs OSX. This is extremely unlikely. Apple has spoken out against merging its mobile and desktop operating systems, saying it makes no sense to do so.Unlike the iPhone 6, which has seen more 'leaked' (read that as 'fake') product shots than you can shake a stick at, the iPad Pro hasn't sparked people's imaginations. It seems likely that Apple will continue in its quest to make iPads slimmer while staying true to the simple, clean design.

iPAD PRO FEATURES AND SPEC

In line with iPhone 5s, we'd expect Touch ID to be included on any new iPad models, be they the iPad Air 2, iPad 6 or iPad Pro. Whether or not Apple will include a faster processor in the new iPad is a topic of some debate – it is in the habit of incremental upgrades to its hardware, but the current iPad Air is already one of the fastest tablets around. Even the most demanding games run on it fine, so the need for a faster processor isn't too great. That said the iPad Pro will likely use a more powerful version of Apple's A7 chip and might even make the jump to a new A8 processor.It is very likely that the iPad Air 2, iPad 6 and or iPad Pro will have updated Wi-Fi. Apple has already introduced 802.11ac Wi-Fi support into its Mac line, so we'd expect to see it added to its new iPads.Apple's numerous patents also shed light on what the company might have planned for its new iPads. In June 2011 the company filed a patent for a touchscreen and stylus combo. A so-called 'iPen' might make sense on an iPad with a larger screen. Apple has filed numerous patents for a stylus, covering everything from how the pen is detected to laser pointers and scanning.

A bigger iPad would also lend itself to use with a proper keyboard and Apple isreportedly working on one. A cover that doubles up as a decent keyboard would pit the iPad Pro directly against Microsoft's Surface range, especially now that Office is available for iPad.