Rumours have been circling around about Apple’s 7th generation iPad set to be released later this year. The ‘budget’ iPad will reportedly start at $329.
Some Asian suppliers have it that the iPad’s design will be identical to the current 9.7-inch iPad, retaining older technology like a headphone jack and Touch ID biometric authentication. This is most likely in a bid to reduce the cost of production.
The rumoured action suggests that Apple is satisfied with the base model and doesn’t intend to change things up drastically just yet.
The headphone jack was first removed from Apple’s mobile product ecosystem in 2016’s iPhone 7 and 7 Plus models, and the iPad Pro in 2018. In 2018, Apple also swapped out the fingerprint-based authentication for Face ID in its iPad Pro series.
Although the specification is yet to be confirmed, a supplier believes a 10-inch model is on the way. Whether Apple intends to increase the size of iPad’s chassis, or squeeze the larger display into the 9.7-inch version’s enclosure, remains unknown.
In addition, supplier sources claim Apple could release the 7th generation iPad alongside an “iPad mini 5” model also reportedly in development. From certain predictions, an unveiling could occur in the coming weeks.
There are also rumours that Apple intends to rely on Lightning or USB-C for charging and data connectivity, and both the “budget” iPad and “iPad mini 5” would benefit from faster processors.
We anticipate what the tech giant comes up with in the end, so stay tuned for more updates on these reports.