There’s no confirmed release date for the iPad 2, although it is considered by many to be in production and possibly announced in October this year.
The new tablet could also be referred to as the iPad 6 or iPad Pro.
Rumors about the iPad Pro say that the device would be used for work tasks that are currently performed on PCs.
“The name change is likely intentional. Everything that Apple articulates it does for a reason,” Will Power, an analyst at RW Baird, told USA Today. “Developing an iPad that is better designed for productivity is something that could very well make sense.”
The current Apple line-up includes a number of devices including the slimmer MacBook Air and more heavy-duty MacBook Pro.
“This would seem to leave room for a ‘Pro’ model at some point if a market for a higher performance tablet exists,” said Gene Munster, an analyst at Piper Jaffray.
Rumors about the upcoming new iPad ramped up when Walmart offered a monthlong, $100 off sale of the iPad 2, reported CNet.
The iPad 2 was first released in 2011.
There are also unsubstantiated rumors that the iPad Air 2, or whatever it’s called, will be waterproof.
