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Apple's next iPad will be more expensive than previous models

ipad pro iPad air and iPad mini
Steve Kovach/Tech Insider

Apple is rumored to release a new smaller version of the iPad Pro with a 9.7-inch display, and the base model is rumored to cost $599, according to 9to5Mac's Mark Gurman.

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That price point is $100 more than the current and latest base model of the iPad Air 2, which costs $499 and also has a 9.7-inch display.

Apple's 12.9-inch iPad Pro starts at $799 for the base model.

Gurman also reports that the base model of the smaller iPad Pro will have 32GB of storage, which is twice as much storage as the base 16GB iPad Air 2. The 64GB iPad Air 2, which is the next model up from 16GB, costs $599.

In an earlier report, Gurman said the smaller iPad Pro would have quad-stereo speakers like the current iPad Pro does, and it'll run on the super-powerful A9X chip that powers the iPad Pro, too. It's so powerful that it beats some of Apple's own laptops in benchmarking tests designed to test performance.

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Also, the smaller iPad Pro is also said to come with a display that will support the Apple Pencil, as well as a Smart Connector that lets you magnetically attach the Smart Keyboard. 

Earlier rumors also claimed the smaller iPad Pro could come with 4K display and 4GB of RAM for better multitasking. That could help explain why the smaller iPad Pro could be more expensive than the iPad Air 2, which has two speakers, a non-4K Retina display, and 2GB of RAM.

Even if the new iPad Pro doesn't have a 4K display or 4GB of RAM — the source of those rumors isn't always reliable — Gurman did note that the smaller iPad Pro would come with a 12-megapixel camera that supports 4K video recording, which does lend some credence to an iPad with a 4K display.

On the other hand, the iPhone 6s Plus can record 4K but doesn't have a 4K screen, so a 4K camera isn't a telltale sign that the smaller iPad Pro will have a 4K screen.

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We're expecting Apple to announce the new smaller iPad Pro, which has no rumored name so far, at its media event next Monday, where Apple's expected to unveil a brand new 4-inch iPhone called the iPhone SE.

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