It’s hip to be square: New iPad Pro may take design cues from iPhone 5

By Aaron Mamiit Published October 27, 2018

The new iPad Pro, which is expected to be announced at Apple’s October 30 event, will apparently take design cues from past iOS devices such as the iPhone 5.

“It will include more-squared-off sides like the iPhone 5, 5S, and SE from a few years ago,” said Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in a report that lays out expectations for the upcoming event. The iPhone 5 was released in 2012, followed by the iPhone 5S a year later. The iPhone SE, which launched in 2016, is the most recent device among the three.

Recommended Videos

The report did not dive into details on why Apple moved forward with this redesign decision. Gurman has a reliable track record on revealing unannounced information on Apple’s products though, so perhaps the explanation will come on October 30.

The claim that the iPad Pro 2018 will drop the curved edges of its predecessors in favor of the squared-off look falls in line with a leaked render from last month. The render, which was reportedly based on a CAD design for the new iPad Pro, showed a nearly bezel-less design that ditches the Home button, similar to what Apple did with the iPhone X.

Without the Home button, unlocking the new iPad Pro will move away from the Touch ID fingerprint system and into the Face ID facial-recognition system. Earlier rumors suggested that Face ID will only work in landscape mode, but the most recent rumors are now claiming that the security feature will also work in portrait mode. There are also reports that the iPad Pro 2018 will come with a new Apple Pencil, which will also likely boast additional features.

Apple is also expected to reveal an updated MacBook Air, a refreshed iPad Mini, new iMac Mini and Mac computers, the AirPods 2, and the AirPower charging mat at October event.

The Apple event will take place in the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York and will be held earlier than usual for an Apple event at 7 a.m. PT. Apple fans looking to catch a glimpse of new the iPad Pro and all the other expected devices may watch the event through a live tream on Apple’s website or Twitter account, or through the Apple Events app on the Apple TV.

Former Contributor

Aaron received an NES and a copy of Super Mario Bros. for Christmas when he was four years old, and he has been fascinated…

Topics

Tablets

From lecture notes to design projects, I picked the right iPads that belong in your bag

Stop taking lecture notes on your phone and get one of these iPad and Pencil combos

Apple iPad Pro 2025 on a table

A semester’s worth of notebooks, printouts, and loose assignment sheets can turn your backpack into hefty luggage. This is where the iPad steps in, not by making your reading list shorter, but by making your academics less cluttered. Add an Apple Pencil, and the same tablet can handle handwritten lecture notes.

It's not all work and no play, as the iPad can double as a handheld gaming console or streaming device. But at the end of the day, the real question is, "Which one is right for you?" With the various models under its belt, Apple has an iPad for everyone. It currently sells four very different iPads and two relevant Pencil models, with compatibility changing depending on the tablet.

Tablets

Motorola may have built the iPad alternative Android users have been waiting for

The Moto Pad 70 could be the affordable tablet that finally gets the basics right

Computer, Electronics, Laptop

Motorola has revealed the Moto Pad 70, a new mid-range Android tablet with a large display, stylus support, 5G connectivity, and a sizeable battery.

The tablet will launch in India on August 8 through Flipkart. Its 12.1-inch 2.5K display, included Moto Pen, 10,200mAh battery, and 68W charging give it several features that could appeal to people considering Apple’s base iPad. However, the mid-range Dimensity 6400 processor means it is unlikely to match the iPad in raw performance.

Computing

Qualcomm is set to ratchet up chip prices in September, and your next gadget upgrade could bear the brunt

The price hike could touch every Snapdragon-powered device category.

The new Qualcomm Snadragon 8 Elite Gen 5

I want you to sit with this for a second. Qualcomm, the company whose Snapdragon chips sit inside your Android phone and tablet, your Windows laptop, your Meta smart glasses, your Galaxy Watch, and your wireless earbuds, reportedly sent a letter to every major customer telling them prices are going up by double digits.

The price hike will be in effect from September 1, 2026, a recent Bloomberg report claims. Essentially, all the companies placing their chip orders after that will pay a higher price.