10.5-inch iPad Pro Mass Production Reportedly Begins for WWDC Launch

Apple’s WWDC event is inching near, and what to expect rumours are already brimming. Apart from the scheduled iOS 11 update, Apple is also expected to make some hardware announcements in its keynote. One of the big announcements is expected to be the arrival of a 10.5-inch iPad Pro. Adding more weight to this rumour, a fresh report claims that the production is already underway, with it being ramped up further in July.

DigiTimes reports that the 10.5-inch iPad is already being mass manufactured since March-April, and shipment for now is at 500,000 units this month. The shipment will increase to 600,000 in July, and the annual shipment is pegged to be at 5 million, the report indicates. This ramp up in production implies that Apple is indeed scheduled to unveil the new iPad at WWDC in California.

"As for Apple's recently launched inexpensive 9.7-inch iPad, demand for the tablet is expected to pick up strongly starting the end of the second quarter and will reach the peak in the third quarter, increasing the device's monthly shipments to over four million units in June and July, the market watchers noted," the report states.

The report also claims that the 12.9-inch iPad Pro is also in the offing, but has no clarity on its mass production timeline. Furthermore, the report also reiterates Apple’s plans to discontinue to iPad mini series. It says, "Sources from the upstream supply chain noted that Apple's inexpensive 9.7-inch iPad is expected to accelerate Apple's pace on phasing out the iPad mini 4 from the market."

This corroborates well with what analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted in January.

The 10.5-inch iPad Pro is expected to launch at WWDC next month, alongside new software update announcement, a refreshed MacBook lineup, and possibly a new Siri speaker to take on Google Home and Amazon Echo.