With rumors circulating about a future refreshment of the iPad Pro, which could be announced as part of an alleged Apple event on Tuesday, March 23, it seems that at least one accessory manufacturer has already begun to prepare.
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A photo shared today on Reddit shows what appears to be a Speck folio that is listed as compatible with an as yet unannounced 20-inch iPad Pro model, in addition to older 11-inch iPad Pro and 10-inch iPad Air , 9 inches. The user who sent the photo said he found the folio on the Target shelf, but when he tried to buy it, the verification system said the item could not be sold until April 6.
While the packaging doesn’t explicitly mention that the new 11-inch iPad is a Pro model, it’s almost certainly the device it would refer to, as no other future iPad is rumored to have an 11-inch screen. The ninth-generation iPad, for example, is rumored to have a 10.5-inch screen, like the third-generation iPad Air.
Although it’s hard to draw firm conclusions from photos like these, it’s possible that Speck found out that the next 11-inch iPad Pro will be very similar in size to the current model. This wouldn’t be too surprising, as there have been rumors of a major redesign for the next iPad Pro, with new key features that should include a Mini-LED display, faster A14X chip and 5G support on cellular models.
I haven’t even read much about the alleged release date of Target on April 6 for the Speck folio, but it’s at least in the period from late March to early April for the next iPad Pro update that was reported by DigiTimes earlier today.
Interestingly, most rumors only mentioned a new 12.9-inch iPad Pro and not an 11-inch model, but the devices are usually updated simultaneously. March is a regular month for Apple to announce new or updated products, with other rumored products, including the long-awaited AirTags, a new Apple TV, new AirPods and several Apple silicon Macs.
Apple last updated its iPad Pro range in March 2020 with a marginally improved A12Z chip, an Ultra Wide camera, a LiDAR scanner and microphones with better sounds.
(Thanks, Greg!)