Speculations are rife Apple will give a preview of the iPhone 8 at the WWDC 2017 that will kick off June 5. But one analyst is convinced the tech giant will instead introduce the 10.5-inch iPad Pro with bezel-less screen profile, alongside the new iOS 11.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-chi Kuo said in a new report to expect the revelation of a new iPad Pro model, joining the 12.9-inch and 9.7-inch form factors, when Apple opens the door for the 2017 edition of the Worldwide Developers Conference. No mention was made on the rumored iPhone 8 sneak peek, indicating that KGI does not agree with the suggestion that the next iPhone will make a brief appearance via the WWDC 2107.
Instead, the new iPad Pro model will be announced with the Siri Smart Speaker with touchscreen, according to Kuo, who in the past has provided accurate predictions on upcoming Apple products and services.
Kuo said the Siri Speaker with AI features will take center stage with touchscreen functionalities. "We also believe this new product will come with a touch panel," Kuo's report was quoted by MacRumors as saying.
But the WWDC 2017 hardware introductions will be highlighted by the new iPad Pro, which Kuo said will sport a device size that is nearly identical with the 9.7-inch model only with a larger screen size. "The newly designed 10.5" iPad Pro will have a similar form factor to the 9.7" model, but will feature a larger display thanks to narrow bezels. The new design should improve the user experience and help gain traction in the corporate/commercial sectors," the analyst wrote in the KGI report.
The same report indicated Apple will ship out up to 15 million units of the 10.5-inch iPad Pro this 2017.
The new iPad Pro and the Siri Smart Speaker getting introduced with iOS 11 at the WWDC 2017 is meant to encourage developers to start supporting the fresh hardware products, especially in the case of the latter, the KGI report said.
The iPhone 8 or any of the new models rumored to come out this year appearing at the same event appears unlikely to happen as release date of the flagship smartphones is not expected until September or October 2017.