The low-cost ninth-generation iPad that Apple is due to launch in 2021 will have a design based on the third-generation iPad Air that Apple launched in 2019, reports Mac Otakara, citing Chinese sources in the supply chain.
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The screen size should remain the same at 10.2 inches, but it will be “significantly thinner” at 6.3 mm. The current 8th generation iPad is 7.5 mm thick, so a 6.3 mm chassis would mark a significant change in design. It is also expected to be lighter, at 460 grams, against the current weight of 490 grams.
Mac Otakara says the device will continue to feature a Touch ID Home button and a Lightning port, with Apple refusing the transition to USB-C. It is expected to have a full-lamination screen, anti-glare coating, wide P3 color support and True Tone.
In addition to the ninth generation iPad, Mac Otakara has some details about the next generation iPad Pro models. Mac Otakara says the next update will not see changes in screen size or housing, but the performance of the A series chip can be “significantly improved”.
Mac Otakara it does not mention the supposed 12.9-inch iPad Pro model that should have a mini-LED screen, suggesting that this will perhaps be a standalone next-generation model sold alongside the updated PiPad Pro models that are receiving a more standard update. Many rumors of the PiPad Pro we’ve heard so far have also focused heavily on the 12.9-inch model and have suggested that this will actually be a more sophisticated version.
In December, a rumor from the Chinese website cnBeta echoed a lot of what Mac Otakara had to say today, but stated that the next generation iPad will have a 10.5-inch screen, an A13 Bionic chip and 4 GB of RAM.
That rumor suggested that the new iPad could be reduced in price, with Apple selling it for $ 299 instead of $ 329. There are rumors about the iPad update for spring 2021, but this may be an optimistic estimate, since the eighth generation iPad was launched in September.