Apple will release a trackpad for the iPad alongside new Pro models, report claims

Enlarge / The 2018, 12.9-inch iPad Pro with the Smart Keyboard Folio. (credit: Samuel Axon)

Apple has developed a trackpad-equipped keyboard attachment for the iPad Pro and plans to introduce it alongside its new iPad Pro models sometime this year, a report from The Information claims. The report cites one unnamed person familiar with the matter, and it asserts that Apple has been considering this move for several years.

This would make Apple's iPad Pro compete more directly with Microsoft's Surface lineup, 2-in-1 convertible laptops, and various Chrome OS devices. Apple's iPad has sold well in the marketplace, but power users often complain that its interface is not always suitable for heavy duty work.

Apple tried to address many of those complaints with iPadOS, a branch from iOS first released last year that greatly expanded multitasking, file management, and other productivity features of the iPad. We examined several of these changes in our iPadOS review last year and concluded that while many of the changes are successful, it led to a sort of conflicted identity for the platform.

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