Analyst Says 12-Inch iPad Pro to Come with Stylus

I love my Surface Pro 3. That said, I rarely ever use the included stylus to do, well, anything, since I mostly enjoy the thing as a laptop replacement rather than a tablet. I like knowing that I can use the stylus, but it usually stays in its little loopy thing. Even still, the stylus is a UI method that’s gathering traction, and is even alleged to be heading for Apple’s as-yet unconfirmed iPad Pro, which seems like Apple’s attempt to hit back at Microsoft’s laptop/tablet hybrid.

The stylus inclusion is the word out of Thailand’s KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, cited by a post on 9to5Mac today. According to the post, Kuo the stylus will be an optional accessory to the iPad Pro, likely coming at a higher cost. So if you’re an artist looking for another tool, the stylus-packed iPad Pro could be a good fit. Likewise, if you don’t care a jot for jotting, you’ll be able to opt for the stylus-free version.

If an iPad Pro is really in the offing, we may see it unveiled at WWDC this summer. More likely, however, would be an autumnally timed unveiling. Apple has taken September and October as the best time to show off new hardware. That’s where we first saw the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, Apple Watch, and the refreshed iPad and iPad Mini models. An iPad Pro (with or without a stylus) would probably be revealed around then.

Of course, this could all be bunk. Let’s remember that back in July, Ming-Chi Kuo said that the larger iPhone 6 would be delayed until 2015. Apple proved him wrong there. On the other hand, he accurately predicted the release of Amazon’s Fire Phone, specifically its six front-facing cameras. Essentially, Kuo and KGI have a good enough track record that we should take this report seriously – but not so good that we should take it as gospel.

[Source: 9to5Mac]