Apple Delays Production Of iPad Pro Till September

Apple is delaying the launch of the iPad Pro, following issues with the display panel supplier in procuring enough 12.9-inch panels in time for an early launch.

Internal conflict is also delaying the launch, with some executives looking into adding additional USB 3.0 ports, alongside ports for a mouse and keyboard.

This would go against the previous aesthetic for the iPad, involving one port for charging and another for headphones. Adding a USB 3.0 port and a few others would make the iPad Pro a rather chunky device.

It might be what is needed however to compete with the Surface Pro 3, Microsoft’s own hybrid tablet/computer. Microsoft recently announced triple the sales of hardware in 2014, with over one million Surface Pro sales.

The new release date will be in October, alongside the launch of the iPad Air 3 and iPad Mini 4. The iPad Pro will be targeted at business customers, instead of the Air and Mini, both consumer products primarily.

There are worries the iPad Pro will cannibalise the MacBook market, currently on a large increase with 5.5 million sales in 2014. This will be even more relevant if the iPad Pro features a 12.9-inch screen, basically the same as the top-end 13-inch MacBook Air.

Price for the iPad Pro will most likely be $150 more than the iPad Air, right in the high-end market.