iPad Pro 3 release date, specs rumors: All-new design similar to iPhone X can be expected this 2018

Current generation of the iPad ProApple website

After revolutionizing the iPhone series last year with the iPhone X launch, rumors are rife that Apple will do the same thing in 2018 as the company unveils the third-generation iPad Pro. The Cupertino-based tech firm has yet to reveal its plans for its next premium tablet, although it is expected that the iPad Pro 3 will have striking similarities with the 2017 iPhone flagship.

Based on the latest rumors, the iPad Pro 3 is tipped to use Apple's very own artificial intelligence (AI) and graphics processing unit (GPU) chipsets, making it the first iPad model without any processors supplied by other tech firms such as Qualcomm. While the latest iPad Pro still sports the classic iPad design with a home button and 3.5 mm headphone hack, the iPad Pro 3 could ditch these features as it follows the lead of the previously released iPhone models. 

It also appears that the similarity between the iPad Pro 3 and the iPhone X will not end in the lack of a 3.5 mm earphone socket and a home button. Per 9To5Mac, the upcoming iPad Pro model will be dubbed the "modern iPad," which resembles the phrase that Apple used to introduce the iPhone X. A specific line of code from the recent iOS 11.3 beta update talks about the OS version being suited for the modern iPad, which is most likely the all-new iPad Pro 3.

Apart from the same USB ports and the absence of the home button, the iPad Pro 3 could use the same hardware specs of the iPhone X. Specifically, the next-gen iPad Pro tablet could have the TrueDepth camera technology, a feature required by the iPhone X's Face ID system. With this, the iPad Pro 3 will include a special camera module on the front for 3D facial recognition. The image sensors required by Face ID will be placed in an iPhone X-like notch area on the top display of the iPad Pro, according to Tech Radar. Disregarding the notch area, the iPad Pro 3 is likely to sport an all-screen display with very minimal bezels on the top and bottom portions.

Apple has launched the previous iPad Pro models at the company's conferences. It is likely that the iPad Pro 3 will make an appearance at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2018 this coming June.