The New iPad Pro Could Borrow the iPhone's Worst Feature

After deciding that iPhone owners didn't need a headphone jack a few years ago, Apple may be thinking that pro-level tablet users are at that same stage.

That's a third of the news coming from a report from Japanese supply chain blog Macokatara regarding the iPad Pros that will release this year.

iPad Pro Slimming Down, Dropping Headphone Jack

Let's start with the good news, though. Both iPad Pros will reportedly get slimmer, but the margins are pretty tiny. The 10.5-inch iPad Pro (currently 250.6 x 174.1 x 6.1 millimeters) will be shaved down to 247.5 x 178.7 x 6 millimeters, while the 12.9-inch iPad Pro (which measures 305.7 x 220.6 x 6.9 millimeters) will drop to 280 x 215 x 6.4 millimeters.

And as for the headphone jack's death, the report notes that "the microphone at the top of the head, and the upper part of the back joins together to create stereo microphone specifications with 2 microphones at the top of the head." According to the report, this improved audio setup could eliminate Apple's need to include a traditional audio jack.

MORE: iPad Pro vs iPad mini vs iPad 9.7-inch: Which iPad is Right for You?

The report also mentions that the Smart Connector port will also move from the right edge of the tablet to the bottom edge. This would change how users dock the tablet for use with the Smart Keyboard Cover from a horizontal to a vertical orientation, which would make the iPad look like a piece of paper sticking out of a typewriter.

The report also mentions Face ID coming to the iPad Pro, something we've heard about for a while, including a report from revered Apple prognosticator Ming-Chi Kuo earlier this month.