Apple appears to finally be prepping for release its long anticipated iPad Pro, the 12.9-inch tablet the company will try to revitalize its product line with.
Digitimes recently learned Apple's suppliers are going to start delivering iPad Pro components in mid- or late-September, citing unnamed sources. The website said that could mean Apple would release the tablet by the end of November, putting it on shelves just in time for Christmas.
Apple's iPad may never be as popular as it was when it was first released, but the company can hope to give the product a much-needed jolt. Interest in tablets of all brands has been waning for some time and analysts believe it has a lot to do with smartphones increasing in size and capabilities.
With Apple now in the market of selling "phablets" (phones the size of small tablets) with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, their strategy for tablets seems to be going bigger as well, while also upping the device's power.
Regardless of the bigger, bolder iPad, Digitimes reported Apple will be "cautious" in setting orders for the 12.9-inch tablet, despite its importance for the product line.
As Business Insider noted, Apple has been working on the iPad Pro for at least three years, as the first prototype for the tablet surfaced in 2012. As its name implies, the new iPad is likely to be marketed heavily toward business professionals.
Past reports have indicated the iPad Pro will be able to double as a laptop like Microsoft's Surface Pro. Apple is also expected to incorporate its partnership with IBM with the iPad Pro's release, Business Insider noted.
