Apple is expected to add brand new iPad and MacBook Pro models to its lineup, reports have claimed over the past few months. We heard that a 10.2-inch iPad would replace the 9.7-inch model, while a 16-inch MacBook Pro would join Apple’s MacBook lineup this fall. A brand new story out of Asia seems to give credence to those rumors, as the same local supplier is expected to provide components for both products.
The Economic Daily News story focuses on the financial performance of a local company which may be the only backlight module supplier for the 16-inch MacBook Pro, set to launch in the fourth quarter of this year.
A series of reports mentioned the 16-inch MacBook Pro in the past few weeks, without revealing any details about the device. Apple canceled the 17-inch Pro notebook several years ago and decided against replacing it. The advancements of display technology, however, would now allow Apple to pack a larger screen in a body that shouldn’t be significantly larger than that of the 15-inch MacBook Pro.
The same report also notes that the 10.2-inch iPad will hit mass production in July, without providing any additional details. That sounds like an unusual size for Apple’s tablets, which have featured 9.7-inch screens since Steve Jobs unveiled the first-gen device back in 2010. Since then, Apple has explored other screen sizes, going all the way up to 12.9 inches for the latest iPad Pro model.
Apple could increase the screen size of its 9.7-inch tablet by reducing the bezels even further, just as it did with the iPhones and the iPad Pro. It’s unclear at this time, however, whether the 10.2-inch iPad will have a fingerprint sensor or not. Apple will likely introduce new iPad and MacBook models at an October press event following the mid-September iPhone keynote.
