Apple Will Launch 10.8-Inch iPad in 2020, 8.5-Inch iPad Mini in 2021: Analyst

Apple will launch a new 10.8-inch iPad in the second half of 2020, followed by an 8.5-inch iPad model in the first half of 2021, said analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. According to a report citing the analyst, the 8.5-inch iPad is said to be a new version of iPad mini, but it is unclear if the rumoured 10.8-inch iPad will also be a new version of the existing iPad models. Apple unveiled the new iPad Pro models in March this year.

According to Kuo’s research note, which was reported on by MacRumors, the new 10.8-inch and 8.5-inch iPad models will likely include a new 20W power adapter inside the box. Other specifications of the iPad models were not highlighted.

Interestingly, Kuo had recently tipped that the iPhone 12 models won’t include Apple Earpods and power adapter inside the box. The analyst also expects the arrival of third-generation Airpods next year.

Meanwhile, Apple has unveiled the next-generation iPadOS 14 at this year’s WWDC event. The iPadOS 14 introduces a new UI with redesigned widgets. It also includes new upgrades like sidebars and pull-down menus to let users quickly access more apps from a single location, without switching views. Another key feature of the latest iPadOS is the enhanced Scribble functionality.

A previous report has speculated that the future iPad models will be equipped with Apple’s T2 security chip.

Apple launched its new iPad Pro model in March, which comes with a LiDAR scanner along with support for a trackpad in iPadOS for the first time ever. The 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro 2020 model are powered by the company’s A12Z Bionic SoC and feature Liquid Retina display. Prices for the new iPad Pro models start at Rs. 71,900 for the iPad Pro 11-inch Wi-Fi variant and Rs. 89,900 for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro Wi-Fi.

WWDC 2020 had a lot of exciting announcements from Apple, but which are the best iOS 14 features for India? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.