Apple to reportedly drop Air branding for the iPad, launch a 9.7-inch iPad Pro in March

Friday, February 26, 2016

Recent reports have indicated that Apple is all set to launch a new 9.7-inch iPad at an event in March. Prior to today, the company was expected to introduce the third-gen Apple iPad Air next month, but now a fresh report by9to5Mac claims that the forthcoming 9.7-inch tablet will drop the Air moniker, and be branded as an iPad Pro model.

The report says that the iPad Pro 9.7-inch will arrive with the Apple Pencil compatibility. The slate will offer the same internals as the 12.9-inch iPad Provariant, but with a more compact design for productivity. The company is also working on a smaller detachable keyboard for the new 9.7-inch iPad Pro, which will connect with the slate via a Smart Connector. Previous reports have indicated that similar to the 12.9-inch models, the smaller iPad Pro will sport quad stereo speakers, a range of colour options and storage capacities. It will also sport an LED flash unit for the rear camera.

In addition to the new 9.7-inch iPad, the brand is also expected to launch a next-generation 4-inch iPhone 5se, and new Watch updates. The new devices will be reportedly be unveiled on March 15th or March 22nd.