The release date of the iPad Pro may come sooner than expected: retailers among the ranks of Best Buy and B&H Photo are offering price drops for the iPad Air, which point to an early release.

B&H Photo is offering $60 off its complete stock of iPad Air 2 models while Best Buy is also offering discounts on the same model, The Inquisitr reports. 

New speculation also suggests that Apple will release the iPad Pro in April to coincide with the release date of other models and that the new version of the product may exclude a stylus pen due to "high selling prices."

"Coupled with its unfavorable cost structure, high selling prices may turn consumers off if the 12.9-inch iPad is always bundled with [the stylus]," wrote analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, according to Know Your Mobile.

"We therefore expect the stylus to be an optional accessory before sufficient user feedback is received."

The iPad Pro is said to have a screen measuring 12.9 inches diagonally. Given that Apple's new product will be able to take on increased tasks, such as sophisticated software normally used on laptops, marketing may specifically target large businesses and institutions that could use the device in workplace functions.

The iPad Pro is also rumored to include an A9 chipset with 4GB of RAM as part of its specs.

Apple has not announced a specific release date.