iPad Pro Update Expected 'Around March,' but Production Slow to Ramp Up

Rumors have been pointing toward a significant iPad Pro update in the first half of this year, including a new triple-lens rear camera system supporting 3D sensing for immersive augmented reality experiences.

iPad 3cam

MacRumors concept of ‌‌iPad Pro‌‌ with triple-lens rear camera system

In a new paywalled blurb published today, DigiTimes claims that production on the device has already begun with a launch expected "around March," which is Apple's usual timeframe for a spring media event in years that it chooses to hold one. The blurb also says that production has been slow to ramp up following the Lunar New Year holiday, with impacts from the Wuhan coronavirus epidemic presumably also playing a role.

Apple is scheduled to launch its new iPad Pro series around March, with related suppliers already kicking off production for the model ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday. However, their output has started growing slowly after the extended Lunar New Year break in China with shipments unlikely to peak until after April, according to industry sources.

It's looking like Apple has a fairly significant slate of products ready for updates, so the company may indeed hold a spring media event this year. In addition to updated ‌iPad Pro‌ models, we're also expecting a new low-cost "iPhone SE 2" or "iPhone 9," an updated 13-inch MacBook Pro with the improved scissor-switch keyboard from the 16-inch model, and possibly a few other products.

We'll update this article with any additional details once ‌DigiTimes‌ expands its blurb into a full story.

Related Roundup: iPad Pro
Buyer's Guide: iPad Pro (Neutral)

Popular Stories

New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

20 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Monday December 16, 2024 8:55 am PST by
Apple released iOS 18.2 in the second week of December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. Apple has added a handful of new non-AI related feature controls as...
iphone 16 apple intelligence

Apple Drops Plans for iPhone Hardware Subscription Service

Wednesday December 18, 2024 11:39 am PST by
Apple is no longer planning to launch a hardware subscription service that would let customers "subscribe" to get a new iPhone each year, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman first shared rumors about Apple's work on a hardware subscription service back in 2022, and at the time, he said that Apple wanted to develop a simple system that would allow customers to pay a monthly fee to gain...
iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Rumored to Stick With 'Triangular' Camera Design

Wednesday December 18, 2024 2:36 am PST by
Contrary to recent reports, the iPhone 17 Pro will not feature a horizontal camera layout, according to the leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post on Weibo, the leaker said that a source has confirmed that while the appearance of the back of the iPhone 17 Pro has indeed changed, the layout of the three cameras is "still triangular," rather than the "horizontal bar spread on the...
elevation lab airtag battery

Your AirTag's Battery Will Last for Up to 10 Years With Elevation Lab's New TimeCapsule Enclosure

Wednesday December 18, 2024 10:05 am PST by
Elevation Lab today announced the launch of TimeCapsule, an innovative and simple solution for increasing the battery life of Apple's AirTag. Priced at $20, TimeCapsule is an AirTag enclosure that houses two AA batteries that offer 14x more battery capacity than the CR2032 battery that the AirTag runs on. It works by attaching the AirTag's upper housing to the built-in custom contact in the...
apple tv 4k yellow bg feature

New Apple TV Rumored to Launch Next Year With These Features

Tuesday December 17, 2024 9:02 am PST by
The current Apple TV 4K was released more than two years ago, so the streaming device is becoming due for a hardware upgrade soon. Fortunately, it was recently rumored that a new Apple TV will launch at some point next year. Below, we recap rumors about the next-generation Apple TV. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last week reported that Apple has been working on its own combined Wi-Fi and...
blackmagic vision pro

Blackmagic Debuts $30K 3D Camera for Capturing Video for Vision Pro

Monday December 16, 2024 4:17 pm PST by
Blackmagic today announced that its URSA Cine Immersive camera is now available for pre-order, with deliveries set to start late in the first quarter of 2025. Blackmagic says that this is the world's first commercial camera system designed to capture 3D content for the Vision Pro. The URSA Cine Immersive camera was first introduced in June, but it has not been available for purchase until...
mac pro creativity

Apple Launched the Controversial 'Trashcan' Mac Pro 11 Years Ago Today

Thursday December 19, 2024 7:00 pm PST by
Apple launched the controversial "trashcan" Mac Pro eleven years ago today, introducing one of its most criticized designs that persisted through a period of widespread discontentment with the Mac lineup. The redesign took the Mac Pro in an entirely new direction, spearheaded by a polished aluminum cylindrical design that became unofficially dubbed the "trashcan" in the Mac community. All of ...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature

'iPhone 17 Air' With 'Major' Design Changes and 19-Inch MacBook Detailed in New Report

Sunday December 15, 2024 9:47 am PST by
Apple is planning a series of "major design" and "format changes" for iPhones over the next few years, according to The Wall Street Journal's Aaron Tilley and Yang Jie. The paywalled report published today corroborated the widely-rumored "iPhone 17 Air" with an "ultrathin" design that is thinner than current iPhone models. The report did not mention a specific measurement, but previous...

Top Rated Comments

DEMinSoCAL Avatar
63 months ago
I hope there is more to the new iPad Pro than the triple camera. I literally NEVER use the camera on my current iPad Pro...holding a giant tablet in the air to take a picture, especially when my iPhone 11 Pro Max is always at hand, just seems weird.
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cknibbs Avatar
63 months ago
I just want an iPad Pro mini... and by that all I mean is an iPad mini with a full screen and Face ID. I really wish they would update all of them to full screens across all the lines.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fokmik Avatar
63 months ago
Digitimes last month "ipad pro for late 2020"
Digitimes this month "ipad pro for march 2020"
Digitimes....
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NetMage Avatar
63 months ago

Why there is a need for cameras on an ipad? Other than front camera for calls?
Because it can be used as a document scanner. Ever deposit a check by taking a picture of it? Ever store a receipt by taking a picture of it? You can do that with larger documents and see them well on an ipad.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kulfon Avatar
63 months ago
Why there is a need for cameras on an ipad? Other than front camera for calls?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kmoreau48 Avatar
63 months ago

Why there is a need for cameras on an ipad? Other than front camera for calls?
On a construction site, let's say I need to position a crane at a certain position between two buildings and I need to send that information to the engineer. I used to sketch the two buildings with the location of the crane. It is much easier for the engineer to understand if I have my iPad on site, to take a picture of where the crane will be located and then sketch the dimensions directly on that picture.

Another example, if you are renovating your house and want to send the designer a sketch of what you have in mind, you can take a picture with your iPad and annotate directly on it before sending it.

I get that it looks silly to take pictures with an iPad and I would never use the camera on my iPad the way I use the camera on my iPhone, but it definitely has a purpose to be there.

Attachment Image
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)