Apple will ship three new iPads next year, according to well-connected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo — including a low-cost 9.7-inch iPad, upgraded 12.9-inch iPad Pro, and a new 10.5-inch iPad Pro variant as well.
But the really big changes, he claims, are planned for the year after…
That’s the year in which Kuo promises “revolutionary” upgrades, which will include a “radical” change in form factor as well as an AMOLED display.
Given that the iPhone is expected to receive a similarly big upgrade next year — and that Apple tends to introduce many of its technologies on iPhone before rolling them out to iPad — it seems that Apple will look to unify the look-and-feel of both its iOS product lines in 2018 after the forthcoming anniversary refresh of the iPhone.
In the meantime, though, the three new iPads for 2017 are certainly exciting. Interestingly, Kuo thinks that the 10.5-inch iPad Pro could be targeted at the “commercial and educational markets,” which could make sense given that this is one area of Apple’s iPad business where demand is growing, while it shrinks elsewhere.
Kuo thinks both the 10.5 and 12.9-inch iPad Pros will rock Apple’s A10X processor, which will allegedly be made by TSMC. The lower-end 9.7-inch iPad will meanwhile include the A9X processor, which will also be manufactured by TSMC.
Interestingly, there’s no mention made of the 7.9-inch iPad mini, which could conceivably be phased out in order avoid direct competition with Apple’s larger plus-sized iPhone models.
Via: Apple Insider
