Apple is rumored to release an updated ninth-generation iPad featuring a larger 10.5-inch display and an A13 chip in spring of 2021.
The report speculates that the updated iPad will be largely similar to the current eighth-generation iPad, but feature minor improvements, such as the previously mentioned larger display, A13 Bionic chip, 4GB of RAM, and a lighter, thinner design. The tablet will also reportedly retain the Home button with Touch ID and the Lightning port.
It’s thought that the larger 10.5-inch display and thinner design can be achieved by reusing the chassis and front panel of the third-generation iPad Air. This seems highly plausible because Apple tends to trickle designs down its iPad lineup.
The third-generation iPad Air is currently 0.07 pounds lighter and 1.4mm thinner than the eighth-generation iPad, has a 10.5-inch display, and retains the Lightning port and Home Button, so it clearly meets the remit of what is expected from the ninth-generation iPad. Reusing this design would also allow Apple to keep costs down for the lower price point of the iPad.
The report indicated that the ninth-generation iPad could start at a slightly lower $299 price point with storage configurations starting at 64GB, which would double that of the current generation iPad.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.