Apple is said to be delaying the launch of their new 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models until WWDC in June
With the release of Apple’s new iPad line-up looming, a new report from Digitimes claims that Apple will be delaying the launch of their new 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models until either May or June, with many believing Apple shall wait until June and release the next-generation iPad hardware at their 28th annual World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC).
The report cites industry sources who apparently have knowledge of Apple’s plans, with the sources claiming Apple’s new iPad range won’t arrive into Apple Stores earlier than May or June. – Originally, it was believed Apple’s plan was for three new iPad models to be released in the first quarter of 2017, however the delay reported by Digitimes pushes them into the second quarter of the year. Anticipation for a new iPad hardware has been building since Tim Cook announced ‘Exciting Things’ are coming to iPad at their 2017 Q1 earnings call which saw a significant decline in year-on-year iPad sales.
Earlier this month we reported that shoppers have noticed that Apple’s online store is now showing that the 12.9-inch iPad Pro is in short supply, hinting that stock is drying up and a new model is on the way. Estimated shipping times of between 2-3 weeks is showing online in countries across the globe, including the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, the United States and Germany and others. KGI Securities analyst, Ming-Chi Quo has previously predicted that the new models will come in 12.9”, 10-10.5” and 9.7” versions. noting that the 12.9” model will be the second generation of the existing 12.9” iPad Pro, the 10-10.5” model will be the high-end model equipped with a narrow bezel design, and the 9.7” model will be the low-priced option.
Vendors have hoped that at least one of the two large-size tablets, 10.5-inch iPad or the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, will be released in the first quarter of 2017 along with the entry-level 9.7-inch iPad. – However, the sources said that they are now more certain that both of the planned two large-size models will not come until May-June, thereby affecting first-quarter sales of supply chain makers.