A leaked picture of what appears to be the highly anticipated iPad Pro did not just excite fans but also fueled a release date rumor hinting that the device might be coming soon.

Weibo, a Chinese social media site is where the leaked iPad Pro photo first appeared after it was posted by a certain user of the site. However, the exact image is not clear enough to determine if it will fit the rumored large size of the next iPad tablet at 12.9 inches.

Even the Apple logo can be seen but in a somewhat blurred state according to Christian Post. But, it was noted by other tech news sites like WallstcheatSheet that the depicted image truly seems to be close to the rumored 12.9-inch size.

Furthermore, it was also noted by Steve Hemmerstoffer of Nowhereelse.fr that the alleged casing seems to be an industrial prototype made to serve as basis for any molding tablet case.

This alleged iPad Pro photo is one of the freshest news to ever come around again about the device in two months, states USwitch. It was last March when reports first emerged that Apple is shelving their iPad Pro plans to focus on the release of their other high end products that consumers will also love.

As for the iPad Pro release date, it has been recently reported by 9to5Mac that Apple won't be releasing the anticipated gadget this year. As supported by analyst Ming-Chuo, the next generation iPad will have its debut by next year and only in limited supply.

The analyst further believes that the Cupertino tech giant will dedicate more of its resources to producing bigger models so as to compensate from the low selling figures of their iPad Mini Retina models.

The iPad Pro is also seen by Evercore Partners analyst Patrick Wang to turn out as a hybrid device that would serve Apple fans not just as a tablet but also as a notebook, reports Know Your Mobile.