iPad Pro 2 purportedly pops up in leaked images
Assuming the images are what they seem to be, they provide the first look at the next generation of Apple's 12.9-inch tablet.
Newly-leaked images may point to the successor to last year's 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
Apple may be prepping the next edition of its iPad Pro, at least based on a couple of leaked photos.
Blog site AppleInsider received two photos reportedly from an anonymous source working at an Apple Chinese supplier of the new iPad Pro, which is expected to go into production late September. The photos show the tablet's settings screen in Chinese. The model number is not a type assigned to any existing or past iPad models, though it does follow Apple's usual numbering scheme for its 12.9-inch iPad Pro, according to AppleInsider.
Beyond displaying the settings screen, the photos don't reveal anything about the new iPad Pro. The tablet is only equipped with 12 gigabytes of internal storage, suggesting that it's a model just used by Apple internally for testing purposes. The operating system points to the latest beta of iOS 10, according to AppleInsider.
Sales of Apple's iPad and those of tablets in general have declined in recent years, hurt by the popularity of big-screened phones, a lack of innovative new features and the desire among current owners to hang onto their existing tablets. The iPad Pro is Apple's attempt to create a tablet that can entice consumers by acting as a laptop, courtesy of its 12.9-inch screen and detachable keyboard. With its 10 hours of battery life and Apple Pencil, the iPad Pro is also geared toward professional use.
Little in the way of rumors have been leaked about the second generation of the larger iPad Pro. But it's expected to sport a more powerful processor. It may also borrow the True Tone display technology from the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, which launched last March. The True Tone Display feature can adjust the color temperature of the tablet to mimic that of the surrounding area.
As always, keep in mind that rumors are just that -- rumors. But Apple launched its first 12.9-inch iPad Pro in November of 2015, so a successor to the first model is probably a safe bet.
Apple did not immediately respond to CNET's request for comment.