The upcoming 9.7-inch iPad Pro expected to be announced on Monday, will come in 32GB and 128GB capacities similar to its larger sibling, and have a higher price tag to match, 9to5Mac reports. Apple is expected to shift the standard-sized iPad model away from the iPad Air name, giving it both the name and features to match the larger iPad Pro which debuted last fall, including Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard support. Like the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, the 9.7-inch model is expected to be available in both 32GB Wi-Fi only and 128GB Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi+Cellular models, with an entry-level price point of $599 for the base 32GB Wi-Fi version. This puts the new 9.7-inch iPad pricing somewhere in between the $499 16GB iPad Air 2 and the $599 64GB iPad Air 2, with users paying the same price for half the capacity of the previous model, while gaining most of the same capabilities of the iPad Pro. The report also notes, however, that the new 9.7-inch iPad Pro is not expected to replace the current iPad Air 2, which sources say will remain in Apple’s lineup in at least a 16GB $499 model, as Apple has done with previous-generation iPads before.
