With sales of the iPad declining for five straight quarters, Apple will be looking to make a statement with the next generation of its flagship tablet. Though the iPad remains the standard-bearer for the category, a gaggle of rivals -- from Samsung to a collection of mostly lower-end competitors -- have continued to cut into Apple's market share since the iPad Air 2 and Mini 3 debuted in October 2014.
That noted, Apple has introduced an array of interesting new features and products over the past few months including Force Touch, which brought pressure-sensitivity to the new MacBook trackpads; the Apple Watch; and its Apple Pay service, which continues to gain traction and add retail partners. There is speculation that elements of these technologies could find their way into the next iPad.
Apple could also inject new life -- and further profitability -- into the iPad line by creating a new high-end model with a larger screen.
Of course, Apple remains characteristically tight-lipped about all of this. Into this vacuum of fact-based evidence, the Internet is awash in rumor, theory, and hearsay about speeds, feeds, designs and features. Even the product name is a subject of conjecture, with "iPad Pro" and "iPad Plus" emerging as the most credible contenders.
With the important caveat that this is merely a rumored product -- and one which may never even see the light of day -- we present the top predictions that have bubbled to the surface.
Announcement and release dates
Despite speculation that Apple might introduce the iPad Pro at its World Wide Developers Conference on June 8 (see CNET's comprehensive coverage), it was not to be. Apple has debuted new iPads, large and small, in October or November since 2012 (about a month after the iPhone is generally unveiled), and the smart money is on a continuation of that schedule.
An autumn release -- alongside, we assume, an iPad Air 3 and Mini 4 -- would also dovetail with the availability of the iOS 9 mobile operating system, which Apple has already released to developers; the public beta will debut in July and we expect the free OS update to drop this fall, presumably when Apple launches the next generation of smartphones and tablets.