Will the next iPad look like the iPad Air?
The next iPad, that is the 10th-generation model of the entry-level tablet expected later in 2022, is going to see one of the biggest upgrades in its history, if a new report is accurate.
According to the new claim in 9to5Mac, the next version of the entry-level iPad will be very different from its predecessors. Here are the predicted changes.
No more Lightning
The current iPad is the only one with a Lightning socket, since the iPad Air, iPad mini and iPad Pro have all switched to USB-C. This will be the first time the iPad has adopted this, and makes sense now that the rest of the range has made the switch.
That means there’s the capability of faster transfer speeds, not to mention greater compatibility with more chargers and other peripherals.
That’s the first design change, but there may be a more radical design to the look of the iPad itself. Here’s why.
A new display
The report claims that the display on the 10th-generation iPad will be upgraded to, as 9to5Mac puts it, “a Retina display of the same resolution as the iPad Air’s display.” Well, that’s interesting. The original iPad had a 9.7-inch screen, and only changed size with the 7th-gen model released in 2019. So, a change this year is highly possible.
The current iPad Air has a 10.9-inch display. I don’t anticipate that that’s what will come to this new iPad. Apple is big on recycling and likes to re-use previous designs. So, I’d guess that this tablet will sport a 10.5-inch screen, the size of the third-generation iPad Air.
What does that mean about the design?
Good question. Since the 10.5-inch display appeared in an iPad Air design similar to the current iPad, it’s possible Apple could adopt that for the next entry-level model, simply swapping out Lightning for USB-C.
But, given the fact that the iPad now stands out as the only model in an older design, my guess is that this year will see the iPad switch to a new design that mimics the flat-edged styling of the other iPad models, and the iPhone.
What other evidence is there?
Well, the same report claims that the next iPad will have 5G connectivity, a significant update. It’s tricky putting 5G in a hardware configuration it wasn’t designed for, so if the 5G rumor is correct then a design closer to that of the other tablets in the range, which all offer 5G options, seems more likely.
A new processor
This is less of a surprise, given that each update brings a newer chip. The report claims that the A13 Bionic found in the 9th-generation iPad and iPhone 11, will be updated to the A14 Bionic, first seen in the iPhone 12 series.
Release date?
The report mentions that Apple usually times iPad releases for the fall, around the same time as the new iPhone. I’d agree with that, and it looks like the next iPad Pro could be released at the same time. The cadence for iPad Pro releases tends to be 18 months and the current model was released in May 2021, so this would be the time the next Pro could be expected. It’s likely to include a new processor, too, likely the Apple M2.
More details as we have them.
