Apple may launch 9.7-inch iPad Pro instead of iPad Air 3 at March event

Next month, Apple was supposed to announce a new 9.7-inch iPad. Now, rumours suggest that it won’t be the iPad Air 3 but a smaller iPad Pro.

The tech giant is believed to refresh its iPad Pro line-up by introducing a smaller version of the device, according to 9to5Mac. The iconic 12.9-inch iPad Pro will now get a smaller sibling with 9.7-inch display.

Apple’s MacBook Pro also comes in two variants with 13-inch and 15-inch screen sizes.

As previously reported, the new 9.7-inch iPad Pro will be launched on March 15 and go on sale as soon as March 18. The smaller iPad Pro will come with almost similar specifications as its bigger sibling.

The 12.9-inch iPad Pro features Apple A9X processor with 4GB of RAM. 9to5Mac also mentioned that the smaller iPad Pro will arrive with similar storage options.

The smaller 9.7-inch variant is also expected to some with the support for Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil. However, to fit the smaller iPad Pro, Apple will have to resize the Smart Keyboard.

It will also include the revolutionary display technology of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro to support Apple Pencil. The smaller variant of the iPad Pro will also sport same colour options and 4-speaker design.

Apple is reportedly slowing down the production of the original iPad Air and older generation of iPad Mini 2 models. As a result, prior to the launch of the smaller iPad Pro there might be heavy discounts on the above mentioned iPad models.

Launched back in September 2015, the Apple iPad Pro features a 12.9-inch Retina display with a resolution of 2048 x 2732 pixels. The high resolution display touts its refined Multi-Touch technology, says Apple.

Powered by the 64-bit Apple A9X chipset paired with 4GB of RAM, the device offers 32GB or 128GB storage options and houses a massive 10,307 mAh battery.

The 12.9-inch Apple iPad Pro price starts at $799 (AU$1104).

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