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iPad Pro 2 release date, news, specs rumors: 10.5-inch iPad Pro variant to be released in March 2017; 2 other iPad Pro variants coming up

The new Apple iPad Pro is displayed during an Apple media event in San Francisco, California, on Sept. 9, 2015. | Reuters/Beck Diefenbach

According to the latest rumors, Apple will release a new set of iPad Pro models in the early part of 2017, although it has yet to be confirmed if one of these devices will be called officially as the iPad Pro 2.

It has been a year since Apple first unveiled the current iPad Pro model. Many tech enthusiasts believe that the next iteration of the iPad Pro is now overdue, with some expecting the Cupertino-based tech giant to release the latest iPad Pro model in the coming months.

As reported by DigiTimes, it appears that Apple is planning to further expand its collection of iPad Pro. Aside from its present regular iPad Pro size variant, the company is expected to release a new 10.5-inch iPad Pro in the first quarter of 2017.

Many people would see the 10.5-inch model as a great addition to the iPad Pro's size range. Earlier this year, Apple unveiled the smaller 9.7-inch iPad Pro variant. The specs of the sized down iPad Pro is not too different from the regular 12.9-inch iPad Pro model, although some people might prefer their iPad Pro to be handier. However, the inclusion of a 10.5-inch iPad Pro might just be what the users are looking for.

It is rumored that the new iPad Pro variant will be released in March 2017, the same month when Apple released the 9.7-inch iPad Pro and the iPhone SE this year. Aside from the 10.5-inch model, Apple might also unveil two other iPad Pro variants on the same date. According to Pocket-lint, there will be a total of three new iPad Pro tablets to be released early next year, although not much has been known regarding the specifications of the other  upcoming iPad Pro devices.

The new set of iPad Pro tablets next year is expected to boast Apple's latest A10x processor, which will give the new devices a nice boost in performance compared to the previous ones. Aside from the device's performance boost, the new iPad Pro variants are expected to help the iPad Pro sales rise again, following a noticeable dip in sales of the company earlier this year, as per IDC report.