Apr 07, 2017 09:48 AM EDT By Lucy McClaren, UniversityHerald Reporter

"More than a laptop" iPad Pro 2 requires the A10X chips, which are the first to combine high-power and low-power cores for greater efficiency. The fusion chips are reportedly based on TSMC's 10nm process node, a substantial upgrade that makes the absence of OLED seems a trifle. Moreover, the latest report indicates that the tablet can now be hooked up directly to the Mac Pro like how a Cintiq device is used.

The iPad Pro 2 is expected to deliver a significant upgrade in raw performance with the use of the A10X chips, which are based on the current A10 processor on the iPhone 7. Apple made a breakthrough with the fusion chips that can activate high-power and low-power cores depending on the task at hand. For less intensive tasks, the low-power cores will perform the task thereby saving battery life.

A recent Geekbench benchmark result was leaked online showing the Apple A10X chips scoring 4,236 for single core and 6,588 for multiple cores. The 16nm-based A10 chips only posted 3,490 and 5,580 core scores respectively. The iPad Pro 2 powered by the fusion chips will have a significant boost in performance and reduction in power consumption, Trusted Reviews reported.

The A10X chips are more than capable of matching Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 that is built on Samsung's 10nm FinFET technology. The latter will be featured in the Samsung Galaxy S8 in March. According to reports, Qualcomm can deliver reduced power consumption by 40 percent and performance boost of 27 percent. If these figures are matched or even beaten, it will help the iPad Pro 2 to deliver its claims of PC-like functionalities.

The iPad Pro 2 was expected last March and now this April though there are no official words from Cupertino other than a series of ads to whet consumers' appetite. However, the heavily anticipated OLED screen may not be seen this year as it is reserved for the 2018 lineup. In an OLED display, every pixel can emit its own light and switch it off to achieve a rich black or conserve battery life.

Meanwhile, the latest report on the iPad Pro 2 is the ability of the device to be hooked up directly to a connected Mac Pro, Apple Insider reported. It is like how Qintiq hardware works only this time using a tablet and a desktop. This is in line with Apple's newest philosophy to provide various tools to Pro users instead of just one device knowing that Pro could mean a variety of different professions.

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