Mikey Campbell
Rumors from Asian suppliers aired Friday suggest Apple's 7th generation iPad will sport an enclosure design identical to the current 9.7-inch iPad, complete with Touch ID biometric authentication and a headphone jack.
Citing sources who conduct business through Alibaba, Mac Otakara reports Apple has no plans to revamp the design of its 9.7-inch "budget" iPad, a model manufactured with the education market in mind.
At least one supplier believes a 10-inch model is on the way, but that specification has not yet been confirmed. The rumor is in line with predictions from noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who in February said the low-end tablet would hit market with a 10.2-inch screen. Whether Apple intends to increase the size of iPad's chassis, or squeeze the larger display into the 9.7-inch version's enclosure, remains to be seen.
As with last year's refresh, the 2019 iPad will reportedly retain older technology like Touch ID, presumably in a bid to lower build costs. Apple swapped out the fingerprint-based authentication tech for Face ID in its top-of-the-line iPad Pro seres in 2018.
Apple's next-generation iPad will also incorporate a 3.5 millimeter headphone jack, Mac Otakara sources said. The headphone jack is an endangered species in Apple's mobile product ecosystem, first removed in 2016's iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, and most recently seeing deletion from iPad Pro in 2018.
Today's report did not specify whether Apple intends to rely on Lightning or USB-C for charging and data connectivity.
Finally, supplier sources claim Apple could release the 7th generation iPad alongside an "iPad mini 5" model also rumored to be in development. A release date was not provided, though recent government filings hint that an unveiling could occur in the coming weeks.
The rumors suggest Apple's upcoming refresh will include only minor internal component upgrades. Kuo in his note to investors last month predicted as much, saying both the "budget" iPad and "iPad mini 5" would benefit from faster processors.
Marko Zivkovic
Wesley Hilliard
Christine McKee
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53 Comments
Higher performance, touch id,3.5mm jack, quality built at reasonable price. Seems all good. This is exactly what we need GOTO MAC laptops to keep expanding user base.
The iPad v6 has long been the hidden hero of the iPad line, giving what appears to be great value for the money. It sounds like the v7 will continue that trend. My kid is in the market to replace her iPad, it sounds like this is the one to get.
I'm also glad to see the mini 5 will also be coming soon. I'm an iPad mini person, and the only question mark I have is if the mini 5 will have the pencil. Give me that, and I'm *sold*.
I am slightly annoyed at the lack of a headphone jack in the iPad Pro, and wish they kept it. I just bought some soft silicone “sleep” headphones for use in bed with my iPhone and precious iPad Air 2, and will probably keep the latter around for watching stuff in bed for that reason alone. I got a USB-C adapter, but obviously switching adapters for both devices would be a pain and defeats the point of the lightning headphones I just bought. Before you say AirPods, I plan to get v2 but not for falling asleep in, or I’ll be searching for them every morning. :)
This is also one of a few reasons after gettting my iPad Pro following my new MacBook Pro that I want the iPhone to move to USB-C — in addition to one charger to rule them all.
Also at the sale price of $250 the v6 is an outstanding value and probably one of the best deals on a (mostly) current Apple product.
I just don’t see that happening. Apple going back to a regular audio jack? Apple doesn’t do those kinds of reversals.