Developer Steven Troughton-Smith did some digging onto iOS 9, and has discovered the new iPad keyboard included in the beta is capable of scaling to a larger size, with rearranged keys. This adds more fuel to rumors that Apple is planning to release a 12.9-inch “iPad Pro” at some future date.
At a larger resolution, the UIKeyboard view automatically adjusts with repositioned keys to fill the extra screen space available. Specifically, the new keyboard has wider keys, a new row of symbols at the top, Caps Lock and Tab keys on the far left and some other moved keys.
The secondary keyboard also sports a new smaller row of symbols, and allows enough room for all of the symbols and Characters on the same page, eliminating the need for a third keyboard view that is usually accessed via the “#+=” button on the keyboard.
Another indication that Apple may be planning to release a larger iPad was the debut of other new features for the iPad in iOS 9, which debuted at Apple’s WWDC 2015 Keynote last week. The Slide Over, Split View, and Picture in Picture features shown last week would be ideal for a larger screen device.
Rumors about the 12.9-inch “iPad Pro” indicate a device with a 12.9-inch screen, built-in NFC, Force Touch, and a USB-C port. Other rumored features include a pressure-sensitive stylus, an A9 processor sporting 2GB of RAM, and Touch ID.
