Details leaking out about the next iPad indicate that this will be an evolutionary, rather than a revolutionary, device.
So far, it looks like Apple’s 2019 mid-size, budget tablet will have quite a bit in common with the 2018 iteration.
2019 iPad: More of the same
The upcoming model will have a 9.7-inch screen like its predecessor, according to the Macotakara (MacTreasure). And it will retain a Home button and Touch ID, meaning the casing won‘t be getting any smaller.
At least the seventh-generation iPad reportedly won’t lose its headphone jack.
The Japanese website claims this information is coming from companies in Apple’s Asian supply chain, a typical source for early glimpses at future products.
Why a new version?
There have been previous leaks about the 2019 iPad, and so far we haven’t heard about any new features, raising questions about why Apple might be thinking about replacing the current one.
There’s been speculation — but nothing more — that this model will make the switch from the original Apple Pencil to the updated stylus that debuted last fall.
The iPad 7 might also be getting a faster processor. The current version runs on an Apple A10 Fusion chip from 2016.
Three new iOS devices soon
The seventh-generation iPad is expected to debut at the same time as two other iOS devices that aren’t iPhones. Buried in the iOS 12.2 beta are mentions a pair of upcoming iPad models as well as a new iPod touch.
Assuming one of the tablets is the iPad 7, then the other is likely the iPad mini 5 that’s been in multiple rumors in recent weeks.
And there have also been unconfirmed reports that Apple is bringing back another device that hasn’t been updated since 2015: the iPod touch.
