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Apple plans to launch a new 10.8-inch iPad in the second half of 2020, followed by a new 8.5-inch iPad in the first half of 2021, oft-reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said today in a research note obtained by MacRumors.

ipad-rear-video-shot.jpg

Kuo did not specify if the 10.8-inch iPad model will be a new version of the existing 10.2-inch iPad or the 10.5-inch iPad Air, but he has previously said that the 8.5-inch model will be a new iPad mini. Apple last refreshed the iPad mini in March 2019 with an A12 Bionic chip, an upgraded front camera, and support for the original Apple Pencil.

Kuo expects Apple to include a new 20W power adapter in the box with both iPad models, as seen in leaked photos earlier this week.

As for iPhones, Kuo expects the 20W power adapter to be made available as an optional accessory, meaning that iPhone 12 models would not include a charger in the box. EarPods aren't expected in the box either.

Article Link: Kuo: Apple to Launch 10.8-Inch iPad Later This Year, 8.5-Inch iPad Mini in 2021
 
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JPack

macrumors G5
Mar 27, 2017
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It's gotta be the iPad Air. It wouldn't make sense for the cheaper model to have a larger screen than the mid-tier model.

Like the iPhone XR vs. iPhone XS?

This 10.8” model is definitely the low-cost iPad. There is more than just screen size. The Air will still have advantages like a laminated P3 display, more base storage, and a much better front camera.
 

D.T.

macrumors G4
Sep 15, 2011
11,050
12,460
Vilano Beach, FL
I would love an 8.5 iPad Mini.

Yes! That would be a great size, lots of screen real estate, while being very light and portable. Just a matter of implementation details :)

Is oft-reliable good?

I like to apply this test:

"So when I jump out of this plane, this parachute will work, right?"

"Yes, it's oft-reliable ..."

:oops:
 

RowellE

macrumors 6502
Mar 5, 2012
421
772
Can they get rid of the top and bottom bezels and the Touch ID/home button now across the board? Can they all be uniform and have the same design as the larger, more expensive iPads?

If not, when do you think, if ever, Apple will make these changes?
 
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JPack

macrumors G5
Mar 27, 2017
12,423
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Can they get rid of the top and bottom bezels and the Touch ID/home button now across the board? Can they all be uniform and have the same design as the larger, more expensive iPads?

If not, when do you think, if ever, Apple will make these changes?

That’s the plan for the new 11” iPad Air coming next year. But these 10.8” and 8.5” iPads are low-cost so the Home button will probably remain until 2022.
 

CWallace

macrumors G4
Aug 17, 2007
11,937
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Seattle, WA
It's gotta be the iPad Air. It wouldn't make sense for the cheaper model to have a larger screen than the mid-tier model.
This 10.8” model is definitely the low-cost iPad. There is more than just screen size. The Air will still have advantages like a laminated P3 display, more base storage, and a much better front camera.

DigiTimes claimed on 12 June that the iPad Air refresh will be 10.8 inches. The China Times in April also said Apple would release an "11 inch iPad with a MiniLED display" so they are probably referring to the 10.8 inch model. And MiniLED would make sense for the iPad Air since the next iPad Pro refreshes are also rumored to be going to MiniLED per Ming Chi Kuo, though Kuo said the iPad Mini refresh would have a 7.9 inch MiniLED display in May.
 

nfl46

macrumors G3
Oct 5, 2008
8,300
8,523
That sounds like the new iPad Air 4.

Heck, I'll take the 10.2 iPad in its current form with an updated processor. I mean, Apple, will still be supporting it for years (iPhone 6s with an A9 is still getting iOS 14), but the 10.2 iPad with an A12 (get the one from the Air 3) and $329 price tag would be great.
 

MikhailT

macrumors 601
Nov 12, 2007
4,582
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Can they get rid of the top and bottom bezels and the Touch ID/home button now across the board? Can they all be uniform and have the same design as the larger, more expensive iPads?

If not, when do you think, if ever, Apple will make these changes?

They can and they will but not any time soon yet. They need to justify the cost of iPad Pro. Why would you buy iPad Pro at 800$ if iPad Air is 300$ cheaper with almost .2" difference in screen space (yes, half the storage, I suspect they may bump to 128gb on the update).

The reason the prices are lower on the budget lineup is that Apple starts the new expensive features on high-end to justify the R&D cost and then reuse the same components as it get cheaper in time. So, yes, all iPads will follow the iPad Pro design but in time, the cheaper the price, the longer it'll get there.

One thing is that there's a rumored major transition to miniLED display across the lineup (not microLED, the OLED competitor) for the next year, so I suspect if iPad Pros get miniLED, then they have something to justify the 300$ price hike against the existing IPS display for Air.
 
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JPack

macrumors G5
Mar 27, 2017
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DigiTimes claimed on 12 June that the iPad Air refresh will be 10.8 inches. The China Times in April also said Apple would release an "11 inch iPad with a MiniLED display" so they are probably referring to the 10.8 inch model. And MiniLED would make sense for the iPad Air since the next iPad Pro refreshes are also rumored to be going to MiniLED per Ming Chi Kuo, though Kuo said the iPad Mini refresh would have a 7.9 inch MiniLED display in May.

Kuo has already stated before the 10.8” is a low-cost model.

Furthermore, guys with a near perfect record like @L0vetodream have stated only the Air will be 11”.
 

snipr125

macrumors 68000
Oct 17, 2015
1,768
2,795
UK
DigiTimes claimed on 12 June that the iPad Air refresh will be 10.8 inches. The China Times in April also said Apple would release an "11 inch iPad with a MiniLED display" so they are probably referring to the 10.8 inch model. And MiniLED would make sense for the iPad Air since the next iPad Pro refreshes are also rumored to be going to MiniLED per Ming Chi Kuo, though Kuo said the iPad Mini refresh would have a 7.9 inch MiniLED display in May.

The various rumours mostly state that the iPad Air 4 will go straight into the iPad Pro 2018 11” chassis, most likely with A14 chip but with various features downgraded like promotion moved and reduction from 4 to 2 speakers. This is exactly what happened with the iPad Air 3 going into the old iPad Pro 10.5 chassis. This new 10.8 model is likely to be the new entry level iPad.
 
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Zen_Arcade

macrumors 6502
Jun 3, 2019
415
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If Apple makes a show of saying how much the price was reduced, maybe.

But Apple has a long history of taking useful and necessary things away and then charging more for the privilege.
 

x-evil-x

macrumors 603
Jul 13, 2008
5,576
3,234
Make it an iPad mini pro with the new design and screen and it will actually sell again.
nobody wants a 5 year old design with new internals.
still rocking my mini 2. Would buy a mini pro with new form factor and same overall size in a heartbeat.
 
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MacPoulet

macrumors 6502a
Dec 11, 2012
544
368
Canada
Drat. I want a mini pro but can't wait till next year as it's used for work. Going with the base 11" Pro instead as the education promo is pretty good.
 

Cosmosent

macrumors 68020
Apr 20, 2016
2,315
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La Jolla, CA
If memory servers me, in the beginning, AAPL offered two sizes, 9.7" & 7.9", & both with the same 3:4 aspect ratio.

Somewhere along the line, AAPL started offering ALL kinds of different sizes for the NON-mini, but has never once updated the size of the mini.

Last night, because of circumstances, I ended-up watching a movie on my 6.5" 11 Pro Max, the first time I've ever watched any video OR movie longer than a few minutes on it, OR really on any of my iOS devices.

It was the Avengers : Infinity War movie, & I was blown-away by how good the movie was !

And, I watched it from start to finish, a first for me (again, on any iOS device).

However, the 6.5" screen size was just alittle too small for me to enjoy it to its fullest.

It just needed to be alittle bigger.

Based-upon what I experienced just last night, I would absolutely purchase an 8.5" iPad mini if AAPL offered one "with Good / Updated Display Technology," &, very importantly, added support for Screen Mirroring from an iPhone to it !

That last point is key.

Other than this 8.5" iPad mini, the ONLY other AAPL product I am currently considering for purchase this year is the Next-Gen Apple TV, out in a month OR two, OR perhaps alongside whenever AAPL announces their iPhone 12 products.

Also, IMO (i.e., my $0.02), AAPL is in a difficult position with their 2020 5G iphones.

Anyone looking to buy one should definitely consider the options that enable upgrading AFTER one year to an iPhone 13, which will probably be a far more optimized 5G implementation !

Here, look into the AFE (i.e., Analog Front-End) issues.

Post-release, if it's confirmed that the two "Pro" models did in-deed get 6 GB of LPDDR5, that "could" potentially sway me about those two models.

Disclaimer: EE who has worked at Qualcomm on AFE products.
 
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