iPad Pro (2020)Source: iMore

What you need to know

  • A new iPad Pro was rumored for release later this year.
  • An analyst says it may be delayed until next year.
  • That's because of the device's complex panel design.

An analyst says that Apple's rumored Mini-LED iPad Pro, previously touted for release later this year, may have been delayed due to design issues.

As reported by MacRumors:

The launch of a new high-end 12.9-inch iPad Pro with a Mini-LED may be "delayed" until early 2021 due to the device's "complex panel design," analyst Jeff Pu said today in an investor note with Chinese research firm GF Securities.

Back in December, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple was developing up to six Mini-LED products, including a 12.9-inch iPad Pro with an A14X chip for release in the third quarter of 2020. This was before the global health crisis began, however, so it would be understandable if the timeframe has been pushed back due to supply chain disruptions and Apple engineers being forced to work from home until at least early May.

Man of the moment Jon Prosser and supply chain whisperer Ming-Chi Kuo have both previously reported that Apple plans to release a 5G iPad with a Mini-LED display, and possibly an A14X chip in Q3 of 2020. Jeff Pu's most recent chatter would seem to suggest that date could now be on hold. Apple's most recent iPad, the iPad Pro 2020 is less than a few weeks old, however, 5G is expected to be the next big update in the product's life cycle.

Alongside this update, Pu also reportedly stated that Apple is planning to release four new iPhones in the fall in a staggered launch. Three new iPhones in September, and a fourth in October. This seems highly unorthodox and not in keeping with previous Apple practice.