A smaller Apple iPad Pro 2 might be in the cards

With less than one month from the presumed date of Apple’s first big event of the year, rumors are mounting on the new devices likely to make an appearance alongside the new 4 inch iPhone “SE”, a smaller, more powerful version of the iPhone 5C, designed to support Apple Pay, and powered by what some have speculated could be a A9 processor.





Recent rumors have suggested that Apple could be skipping a refresh of the iPad Air, and going for what some have rationalized it as a re-branding of the iPad Air, as a smaller, leaner version of the iPad Pro, with a 9.7 inches form factor.

The specs of the new tablet are expected to be closer to the iPad Pro than the iPad Air, which is likely to support the same features and accessories, such as a smaller version of the Smart Keyboard, and the Apple Pencil.

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What does the “Pro” in iPad Pro mean

While some may have thought the iPad Pro got its name from its size, that was actually never the case, just as the MacBook Pro didn’t get its “Pro” suffix from being bigger than the MacBook Air. In this regard, Apple is rather specific on its methodology for naming new products. The iPad Pro, as a matter of fact, is a product that is created for a category of users geared towards productivity. Whether the new iPad Pro’s form factor is 12.9 inches, 9.7 inches or anything in between, the real difference between the Pro and other iPad devices will be support for features that make sense to professional customers who expect to be able to use accessories like Apple Pencil, as well as more processing power and storage.

By creating a Pro version of the iPad, Apple hit the nail on the head by strengthening the consistency of its product lines, to cater to different user types, just as it already did with the MacBook and with the iPhone 6/6Plus.

By this token, Apple isn’t likely to downsize the iPad Air, but rather keeping it as a cheaper option for iPad users, although there is a strong chance that the original iPad Air will be discontinued.



