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New 2017 iPads may not launch until May & June (though likely still announced in March)

It’s become increasingly likely that Apple will be releasing a new line of iPads this year – with an announcement believed to be planned for next month. However, new reports suggest that though the announcement will probably still go ahead in the next couple of weeks, the devices may not launch until May or June.

Apple are expected to launch three new iPads. A 9.7-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro second generation, plus an all-new 10.5-inch iPad without bezels, and a Home button built into the screen. Recently, it’s even been suggested an iPad Pro 7.9-inch might arrive.

However, a new report on Digitimes claims that only the 9.7-inch iPad Pro will be ready shortly after the announcement, with the 12.9-inch and 10.5-inch models lagging behind in May or June (the report makes no mention of a new, smaller iPad Pro.)

Naturally, Apple hasn’t confirmed or denied the report, but it’s possible this kind of delay between announcement and release will come to pass. Historically, Apple’s new lines would be announced just a couple weeks before they’re released, but now it seems to be just the iPhone that follows this schedule.

The first iPad Pro – the 12.9-inch model, took two months to reach stores after it was first announced in 2015, while the original Apple Watch took six months in between. Furthermore, though AirPods were planned to release shortly after announcement, they ended up delayed by two months, with Beats X headphones even further behind.

It’s also believed that a red edition of the iPhone 7 will be announced at the iPad event.

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