Taiwanese touch panel manufacturer GIS plans to expand its capacity for new products at its plant in Chengdu, China, according to industry sources quoted in a report from the supply chain publication today. DigiTimes.
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One of the new products is likely to be Apple’s long-range 12.9-inch iPad Pro with a Mini-LED screen that is expected to launch at the end of March or early in the second quarter, industry sources said. The time frame suggests that Apple may announce the device within the next few weeks, or at least in April.
There has been talk for months about a new 12.9-inch iPad Pro with a Mini-LED screen. The device still has an LCD screen, but with Mini-LED backlighting for higher brightness, improved contrast ratio and other benefits. It is unclear whether the 11-inch iPad Pro will also be updated with a Mini-LED screen, as many rumors have only mentioned the 12.9-inch model, despite the fact that the devices are usually updated together.
The new 12.9-inch iPad Pro is also expected to have a faster A14X chip and support 5G networks on cellular connectivity models.
March is a common month for Apple to announce new or updated products. Apple last updated its iPad Pro series in March 2020 with a slightly improved A12Z Bionic chip, an ultra-wide camera, a LiDAR scanner and better-sounding microphones.
The Chinese leak “Kang” recently suggested that Apple plans to host an event on March 23, and although it has a strong record so far, Apple may of course decide to release the new iPad Pro with a press release to announce. Other rumored products include Apple’s long-awaited AirTags article trackers, a new Apple TV, new AirPods and more Apple silicone Macs.