Anyone holding onto the hope of seeing Apple's rumored 12.9-inch iPad Pro at the Monday event can pretty much let go.
Unnamed sources told Bloomberg News Apple had to delay the production of the larger iPad due to the lack of currently available display panels. Manufacturing of the tablet is expected to get going in Sept., which is typically the time of year the company starts rolling out its new iPhones.
If manufacturing of the iPad Pro, as it is unofficially known, is delayed to the fall, then its release may be delayed to this time next year.
Apple CEO Tim Cook knows he has to shake the iPad line up in a big way, Bloomberg News noted, and a jump from a 9.7-inch screen to one that is 12.9 inches seems a bold move on its own.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the tablet will be made with business professionals in mind. It could come with a USB 3.0 port, as well as a faster processor and an elite battery that can handle plenty of multitasking.
At 12.9 inches, the iPad Pro would also match the screen size of Apple's current MacBook laptops.
"Apple is now considering adding USB ports and adopting so-called USB 3.0 technology, a much faster version that promises to transfer data up to 10 times as rapidly as current USB ports," the Journal's Lorraine Luk reported. "Currently, Apple's 9.7-inch iPad and 7.9-inch iPad Mini don't come with a USB port."
The delay in production also may confirm that Apple's Monday event will be all about the Watch. It may have been a long shot for the larger iPad to debut this early, but this recent development certainly confirms what many suspected.
