So, is there a room for a new-category device, something between the tablet and the notebook? If you ask rumormongers, apparently there is.
Those of you who’ve been keeping tabs on the rumor mill are aware that Apple may or may not release a rumored 12.9-inch iPad this year – the latest intel points to a 2014 launch.
Maybe that’s why we’re not seeing compelling iPad Pro concepts, except for this one, but that has changed today thanks to Ramotion, an iPhone app development company. You may remember Ramotion for their previous eye candy concepts such as the OS X 11 mockup with an iOS 7-style flat interface or this one envisioning what Viber’s iOS 7 redesign should look like.
Ramotion’s Denis Pakhaliuk, was kind enough to send a couple high-resolution iPad Pro renderings my way, to share them with you guys. Their mockup will knock you off your seat so check out the images below the fold and meet us in comments…
Built as the intersection of two product lines – the iPad Air and the MacBook Pro – Ramotion’s iPad Pro vision builds on talk of a larger 12.9-inch screen with more pixels than the 2,048-by1,536 pixel resolution Retina screen on the current full-size iPads.
The device is basically about a “large screen and powerful hardware along with the convenience of the tablet form factor to make work delightful,” as Ramotion put it. The mockup calls for a 12.9-inch ultra sharp screen sporting a 4K resolution of 4,096-by-3,072 pixels – that’s four times the pixels of the iPad Air’s screen.
Not only does this mean a bigger canvas for your apps and content, but also better multitasking with side-by-side apps. The 10.1-inch Galaxy Tab Pro tablets support this feature and Samsung is happy to advertise it as a competitive advantage over the iPad.
Despite the bigger form factor, the iPad Pro should retain Jony Ive striking industrial design and proportional elegance of the current iPad family, as the below image illustrates.
The holes?
They’re for the speaker. Actually, there’s a speaker in each corner of the device. Such a setup would theoretically allow for some interesting software features. For starters, Apple could simulate surround sound positioning by independently adjusting the volume of each speaker.
“Imagine that you are banging a drum in GarageBand on the corner on the screen and you hear the sound from this particular corner,” says the post.
And what’s this? Say hello to MagSafe, Apple’s magnetically attached power connector introduced on January 10, 2006, in conjunction with the MacBook Pro. I’m loving a LED indication of charge!
For what it’s worth, I don’t think there’s a reason to opt for MagSafe charging when Apple has just transitioned its mobile products to Lightning I/O.
Apple’s in-ear headphones have undergone some rethinking, too (below). The wires should be virtually unbreakable thanks to the new monolithic design of all the components.
“The unique iPad Pro coating case makes it resistant to mechanical damage,” writes Ramotion. I know what you must be thinking right now, ‘where did the iSight camera go’, right?
In a truly radical fashion, Ramotion’s designers think Apple could conceal the eight-megapixel camera inside the Apple logo in the center, which would be ideal for taking pictures in any orientation. “Special coating allows light to penetrate on one side only and has no effect on the quality of your photos,” reads the description.
For those wondering, Ramotion’s iPad Pro is 11.8 inches wide, 7.9 inches tall and 0.3 inch deep versus the iPad Air which measures 9.4 x 6.6 x 0.29 inches. Surprisingly enough, Ramotion’s artists think the iPad Pro will run two 64-bit A7 processors whereas all the rumors point to an upcoming Apple-designed A8 chip.
The full set is available on Behance.
In order to really appreciate these painstakingly detailed renderings, I suggest zooming in on the images included in this article as they go beyond Retina!
You’re welcome.