2018 iPad Pro Now Rumoured to Come With New Apple Pencil, Magnetic Connector, 4K HDR Video Output

After the new iPhone models, Apple is now apparently in plans to unveil the new iPad Pro family. The 2018 iPad Pro models were already expected to come with Face ID support. But now, it is reported that the new models will come with an edge-to-edge display and offer 4K HDR video output over USB Type-C port. The fresh report also claims that the new iPad Pro models will sport a Magnetic Connector for accessories, including the Smart Keyboard and third-party peripherals. Apple is also rumoured to bring a new version of the Apple Pencil that will be accompanied with the 2018 iPad Pro lineup. The new Apple Pencil could be paired with the new iPad models similar to AirPods or HomePod.

Developer Guilherme Rambo in a report on 9to5Mac details the new iPad Pro range, citing people familiar with the development. Rambo states that the 2018 iPad Pro lineup will include two Wi-Fi models and two LTE models in two different size options. While the Wi-Fi only iPad Pro models reportedly in work as the iPad8,1, iPad8,2, iPad8,5, and iPad8,6, the cellular-capable models are said to carry codes iPad8,3, iPad8,4, iPad 8,7, and iPad 8,8. All these models are reported to come with an edge-to-edge display that won't be accompanied by a Touch ID-supported Home button. Instead, there could be Face ID - similar to the latest iPhone models. The bezels around the display of the new iPad models are also said to be thinner than what was featured on the previous iPad Pro. However, there will certainly be enough space to accommodate the TrueDepth camera system that enables Face ID. This means you can't imagine a weird notch on the new iPad models.

Rambo claims that the 2018 iPad Pro will have the Face ID technology alongside the same image signal processor that arrived on the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR. Also, the facial recognition support on the new models is said to work in both portrait and landscape orientations, though you won't be able to unlock upside down. You also need to accomplish the setup process for Face ID in portrait orientation only, Rambo explains.

Apart from Face ID, Rambo reveals that using the built-in USB Type-C port instead of Apple's proprietary Lightning port, the 2018 iPad Pro will be able to deliver 4K HDR video to external displays. It is said that there will be a dedicated option in the Settings menu to control resolution, HDR, brightness and other settings when connected with an external display.

Rambo also highlights the arrival of a new Apple Pencil alongside the 2018 iPad Pro models. Citing people familiar with the matter, the developer tips that the new Apple Pencil will be paired with the iPad Pro by proximity. This sounds similar to AirPods and HomePod that both gets automatically connected to an iPhone when near each other. Further, it is reported that users will be able to switch between devices without connecting the Apple Pencil to the charging port. It is, however, unclear whether the current generation Apple Pencil will work with the new iPad. A new Magnetic Connector is also said to debut that will be available at the back of the new iPad models. It could give an easier connectivity experience with the Smart Keyboard and other third-party accessories than before.

If we believe an earlier report by TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple could unveil an all-new 11-inch iPad Pro variant that will sit alongside the new 12.9-inch iPad Pro as well as the new 7.9- and 9.7-inch iPad models.

The launch date of the new iPad Pro family is still a mystery as Apple hasn't revealed any formal details. Having said that, the new iPad models could debut alongside some new Mac machines sometime in the coming future.