Apple could give iPad Pro fans a new 12-inch screen option in March

Despite the coronavirus outbreak, future Apple products are thought to be on course for unveilings, with a new twelve-inch iPad Pro rumored to arrive as soon as this March.

Tuesday, Digitimes cited industry sources as saying that the next iPad Pro refresh will be announced around March, with shipments unlikely to peak until after April. The supposed new twelve-inch iPad should be outfitted with a triple rear camera sporting a time-of-flight sensor for 3D scanning, enhanced photography and improved augmented reality.

From the report:

After upgrading its 9.7-inch iPad to the 10.2-inch specification in 2019, Apple is set to release a new 12-inch iPad Pro model featuring a rear-end three-lens time-of-flight 3D sensor in the spring in a bid to boost its share of the global tablet market.

Monthly shipments should peak at 3-3.5 million units in the second quarter, the story has it.

The current iPad Pro comes in two sizes: 11 and 12.9 inches. If a twelve-inch model is actually coming, I truly hope it’s positioned between the current 11 and 12.9-inch form factors as a third option for customers rather than replace the 12.9-inch model or — worse — reduce its size.

Apple shipped 44 million iPads in 2019, a slight drop over 2018 when the current iPad Pro family with Face ID was unveiled. DigiTimes’ sources estimate that first-quarter iPad shipments will fall substantially by 9.6 percent from earlier projections to hit 8.46 million units.

DigiTimes is a hit-and-miss source with a good track record of reporting on Apple’s upcoming products based on supply chain chatter, but a bad track record when it comes to timeframes.

Best thing you don’t read too much into this report given the conflicting rumors about Apple’s upcoming product launches in the wake of the coronavirus disruptions across the world.