The newest 10.2-inch iPad was announced in September with an updated chipset and the same $329 price. But if rumors are true, the tablet could soon be replaced with an even cheaper option.
The 10.5-inch iPad may offer Touch ID and cost $299
Chinese website CNBeta (via iMore) has reason to believe Apple is developing a new entry-level iPad for release in Spring 2021 with a Touch ID home button and the A13 Bionic chipset, which was used inside the iPhone 11 line.
The existing iPad uses a 10.2-inch form factor, but with the next model Apple is going to adopt a larger 10.5-inch design that’s presumably based on the iPad Air (2019). As a result of these improvements and despite the size increase, customers can expect a thinner and lighter body.
The 2019 10.5-inch iPad Air
In addition to these details, the 9th-gen iPad looks set to retain the Lightning connector. There should also be 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage as standard, up from 32GB on the existing model.
All of this will be available at $299 in the United States, per the report, so slightly cheaper than the existing $329 price point.
Does this rumor line up with previous 2021 iPad leaks?
The upgrades mentioned above definitely line up with what you’d expect from the next entry-level iPad upgrade, but make sure to take everything with a nice pinch of salt.
More reliable sources have claimed in recent months that Apple is working on an all-screen mini-LED iPad for release in 2021, something this report contradicts. Furthermore, it would be an odd move to upgrade the iPad less than 9 months after introducing the current one.
But perhaps Apple has plans for two entry-level iPad models next year rather than one. After all, the all-screen mini-LED display could increase costs, so that iPad may land at a higher price point, hence the development of an even cheaper entry-level tablet.
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