iPad Pro and iPad mini 4 to Launch at September 9 Event: Report

Apple is expected to launch new iPhone models, and the next generation Apple TV at its event on September 9. But if you were hoping for new iPad models as well, you might be in luck as the long rumoured iPad Pro alongside iPad mini 4 also seem to be on the cards for an unveil at the event. With less than a week left for Apple's mega event, a new report claims that the Apple will utilise the mega event next week to announce new iPad models as well. At the sidelines, more information about the Apple TV has also poured in.

Apple has traditionally hosted a separate event for its iPad launches, usually a month after the launch of its new iPhone models, but this time it may launch both together, reports 9to5Mac. The report further claims that the company will launch the long rumoured iPad Pro, alongside the iPad mini 4.

Starting with the iPad Pro, the 12-inch tablet has been in the news since 2014. Previous reports have suggested that the iPad Pro will come with several OS X features. The new report says that the iPad Pro could come with Force Touch, a hardware capability Apple introduced with Apple Watch which senses the amount of pressure one is putting on the display, and triggers actions accordingly. It was expected that the iPad Pro would offer multitasking features like support for split-screen, but Apple has already introduced such features with iOS 9. The new report said that the device will start shipping in November after opening the pre-orders in October.

The iPad mini 4 is coming as well, as per the same report. The successor to last year's iPad mini 3 is all but confirmed to sport major improvements. The iPad mini 3 offered minimal hardware jump over the iPad mini 2, which disappointed many. The iPad mini 4 is said to be thinner than the iPad mini 3, and come equipped with a faster A-series chip. The new iPad mini is also expected to sport a better pair of camera sensors. The new iPad mini is also likely to support the split-screen, a feature that only works in iPad Air 2 due to hardware limitations.

Multiple reports are also offering more details about the next-generation Apple TV, which is also expected to launch at the event. 9to5Mac reports that the next generation of Apple's forthcoming TV box will lack support for 4K video streaming, and will also not come with any new ports. The report further revealed that the new Apple TV will come in two storage variants: 8GB (much like the current generation's offerings), and 16GB. The former will be priced at $149 (roughly Rs. 9,800), while the latter would slightly break the bank at $199 (roughly Rs. 13,100).

The new Apple TV will come with a separate App Store for deep support for gaming, the report added, and also run iOS 9 Core. It is expected to be powered by the A8 chip, the same processor which Apple used in its last year's iPhone models - iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

The new information is in line with multiple previous reports. Earlier reports had also suggested that the new Apple TV will come with an improved remote that will have motion sensors, and come with a dedicated button for Siri, Apple's digital voice assistant. A report on BuzzFeed confirms the above information, and further reveals that the Apple TV will feature universal search. The feature will allow users to search for a movie or TV show from multiple sources at once. The report reveals that Matcha, a search and recommendation company Apple acquired in 2013, is behind this feature. Previously, the Apple TV was also rumoured to support Bluetooth game controllers.

Apple will hold an event at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco on September 9. The company is also expected to launch the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus at the event.