iPad Pro Stock Dries up Amid Refresh Rumors

Available stocks of current-generation, 12.9-inch Apple iPad Pro devices are dwindling across the board — perhaps hinting that a refresh is imminent.

According to the Check Availability tool on Apple’s website, most high-volume Apple retail outlets are completely sold out of certain 12.9-inch iPad Pro models — though there are a few exceptions (in what probably are lower-volume brick-and-mortar stores). The lower-priced 32-gigabyte Wi-Fi and 128-gigabyte LTE models seem to be most affected by the stock shortage. Interestingly enough, nearly every single store will get new stock on May 16, per Apple’s website.

Similarly, Cupertino’s online store seems to be completely out of all 12.9-inch iPad Pro models — regardless of color, storage or connectivity options. Per the website, new orders are expected to be shipped in 2 to 3 weeks (which still puts those orders in the early- to mid-May range). Of course, this doesn’t automatically point to a device refresh on May 16 — but, combined with other rumors, the stock shortage could shed some light on the timing of Apple’s latest iPad release.

The highly anticipated iPad Pro refresh is certainly looming. Previously, the vast majority of rumors suggested that the new iPad Pro devices would be released alongside the new, entry-level 9.7-inch iPad in March or early April. Of course, that didn’t actually happen leaving much of the Apple news ecosystem confused over the conflicting rumors. Others such as DigiTimes, have reported that the iPads would launch in the second half of 2017 (with a June release being the earliest). That rumor is looking more and more likely as time goes on. Others, like Apple blogger John Gruber, are even predicting a fall launch.

Apple is largely expected to unveil two new iPad Pro devices this year: an updated 12.9-inch model, and a mid-size iPad with minimal bezels in a brand new form factor (reportedly, somewhere in the 10.5- to 10.9- inch range). Both devices are expected to run on Apple’s A10X chipset, and both should feature True Tone displays. While we might have a few good guesses, at this point, it’s totally up in the air exactly when these new iPad Pro devices will be unveiled.

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