The latest round of iPad Pro rumours are here – and not only do they say that a larger tablet is on the way from Apple, but it will be here this autumn, complete with a stylus and Force Touch.
According to one analyst, a Bluetooth stylus will be sold alongside the new 12.9-inch iPad Pro that will enable users to take advantage of Force Touch – the technology that can read the pressure with which a user touches the screen. It is already in place on the Apple Watch screen, as well as in the Trackpad of the MacBook.
Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst at KGI Securities, has been making the predictions in a new research note. He happens to have a reputation for being the most accurate Apple product predictor around.
“We also believe a Force Touch-enabled stylus will enhance productivity as it would offer more precise operation than using only fingers,” he said.
“Technically, we believe the stylus can be made compatible with iPad models other than the 12.9-inch version, but it depends on the support of software.”
Introducing a stylus would be a bold move for Apple, given that Steve Jobs famously hated the digital pointers, once quipping “if you see a stylus, they blew it”.
There’s also no indication of price for the new stylus yet either.
We’re moving towards a key time of the year for Apple, with September and October generally its busiest months of the year thanks to an iPhone event in September, followed by an iPad show in October. A third version of the iPad – to go with the iPad and iPad mini lines – would certainly mean another hectic autumn in Cupertino.