The iPad Pro 2020 is likely going to arrive before you can say "iPadOS touchpad." We've been expecting Apple to announce a new March event, and while we wait for the invitation, more evidence has surfaced that Apple is readying a new version of its best iPad.
The latest evidence is reports of limited iPad Pro availability, which come from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, a veteran Apple-tracker. While his report ties a dotted line to a shortened supply chain due to the coronavirus outbreak, he also posits that "the supply shortages could also be due to incoming models," as Apple may have halted or slowed production on older models and moved its efforts to the 2020 iPad Pro.
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The most prominent model in the drought is the 512GB 12.9-inch iPad Pro and no LTE that's sold out at Apple Stores around Los Angeles. "That model and other versions," Gurman notes "are sold out at many stores in New York City as well."
This new iPad Pro is supposed to have a three-lens rear camera setup plus a Time of Flight sensor, with the first matching the iPhone 11 line and the latter arriving to add Augmented Reality features. There are also rumors of a 5G iPad Pro with a next-gen Apple processor.
The iPad Pro isn't the only Apple product with supply issues. Its popular AirPods Pro have been supply constrained since well before coronavirus hit factories and led to concerns that the iPhone 9 will be significantly delayed.
But even if Apple is compelled to not have a March event — Google I/O just got cancelled due to coronavirus concerns — it could simply launch the new iPad Pro, and any other devices in another way. AirPods Pro, and both the 2019 iPad Air and iPad mini, were all announced with online press releases.
