iPad Pro 2018 release date, specs rumors: Apple to unveil a bezel-less premium tablet with iPhone X's Face ID

The 9.7-inch and 12.9-inch iPad ProApple.com

According to the latest reports, Apple is set to unveil a brand new iPad Pro this year, which will borrow some of the features of the iPhone X. It is expected that the 2018 hardware refresh will be very different, with an all-screen display and a notch area similar to the Cupertino-based tech firm's current flagship phone.

Users have been wanting to see something fresh in the next iPad Pro device, and Apple may finally bring the much-awaited changes in the upcoming premium tablet. While the company has been quiet regarding the features of the 2018 iPad Pro, some tech experts have spotted an intriguing phrase from the code of the upcoming iOS 11.3 update. The line of code is said to talk about a "modern iPad," and according to 9To5Mac, this is the same phrase used by Apple to describe the iPhone X before its launch last September.

It is believed that the iPad Pro 2018, being the "modern iPad," will share some features with the iPhone X. One of these new features on the iPad Pro lineup could be the Face ID system, which uses an advanced facial recognition technology inside the flagship device's notch area. It is expected that the upcoming iPad Pro will have the iPhone X-like notch feature on the top of the display screen, wherein the extra imaging sensors required by the Face ID will be placed. 

The iPad Pro 2018 is also said to have an immersive full view display, as the addition of the notch would suggest that the iPad Pro bezels will be further reduced to the point that they are almost non-existent. It is thought that the next iPad Pro will have even slimmer bezels than the current 10.5-inch iPad Pro. To achieve an all-screen appearance, the iPad variant could also lose the Touch ID fingerprint sensor, which is usually located below the screen. Just like the iPhone X, the iPad Pro 2018 would rely solely on the facial recognition scanner to unlock the device and authenticate transactions. 

As for the release date of the iPad Pro 2018, there are at least two keynote events this year that Apple can use to showcase the new hardware. The earliest event will be the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, although it is also possible that the latest iPad Pro will be announced alongside the iPhone X successor during the company's Fall event, according to Tech Radar.