AppleInsider Staff
As has become a rite of passage for rumored Apple products, the company's long buzzed-about 12.9-inch "iPad Pro" was allegedly shown off in a series of photos posted to Chinese microblogging site Weibo on Monday, suggesting that it could house a USB type-C port or a second Lightning connector.
A trio of oddly diminutive shots, first noted by HDBlog.it, depict an iPad-like device with what appears to be a solid Apple logo inlaid on its rear. A camera and microphone hole sit in the upper-right, next to a pair of switches set into the curve of the right edge.
The left side holds a slot that could be for a USB type-C or Lightning connector, while the bottom left is home to a headphone jack and iPhone 6-style speaker grille.
It's difficult to discern the scale of the device, as there is no object nearby for reference, and none of the shots show its full length. Additionally, it's unclear if it actually houses any components or is simply a shell.
Relatively little is known about the rumored jumbo iPad, though it is believed to ship with an A8X processor and could also feature USB expansion ports, new fast charging technology, and a stylus. Production is said to have been delayed until this fall thanks to yield issues with the display, which is the latest Apple device rumored to sport Sharp's IGZO technology.
Charles Martin
Malcolm Owen
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
Wesley Hilliard
Andrew Orr
47 Comments
Why would it have an A8X? An A9 would make more sense if releasing this fall.
If this is legit...I'm pretty sure it would be USB-C, as I can think of absolutely no benefit to adding a second lightning connector...
Why would it have an A8X? An A9 would make more sense if releasing this fall.
Exactly, the iPad Air 2 already has an A8X.. so.. umm.. why would the iPad Pro have that ?
so, essentially, this story is nothing but filler for a very slow apple news day.
An extra lightning port on the side could be used to dock the thing horizontally. I remember that some of the early leaks of the original iPad _also_ contained a side port like that... but when it came out it was nowhere to be found.
I'm not saying that's what it is or what it's for... just an idea :-)