The expected new iPad Pro design with a 10.5-inch display will be released early in April, as its production will start this month, according to a report.

The inreoduction of the new device has been predicted by many analysts, including IHS's Rhoda Alexander and KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Digitimes.com reports that Apple has moved ahead the production for its planned new 10.5-inch iPad to March instead of an earlier timetable set for May-June and that the company will unveil the new iPad at a product event to be held in early April to mark the inauguration of Apple's new headquarters in California.

The 10.5-inch iPad will target education and business sectors, and together with an upgrade 12.9-inch iPad Pro, the two models will be Apple's mainstream products for the mid-tier to high-end tablet market in 2017, the publication added citing unnamed industry sources in Taiwan.

Meanwhile, Apple's orders for an upgrade 9.7-inch iPad have been steady since February, with shipment volumes likely to reach 3-4 million units a month in the first quarter and grow significantly starting the second quarter, the sources noted.

However, the production schedule for an upgrade 12.9-inch iPad Pro still remains unclear.