iPad 9 full details: All about that display
- The ninth-generation iPad is set to be a big update over last year’s model
- It will come with display and design improvements at the same price
Since 2017, Apple has updated the baseline iPad model with improved specs, larger displays and iterations of the same design with Touch ID and Home Button. It plans the biggest update to the cheapest iPad yet with the ninth-generation.
The iPad 9 is expected to be available by October, where Apple will show off the new features in a press release or at a dedicated event. It should be available for $329 and could also come with an upgrade in storage capacity, from 32GB to 64GB.
Performance
The new model should feature the same A12 Bionic chip as in last year’s 10.2-inch iPad. This promises up to 40% faster performance than previous models with older chips. It also has a Neural Engine for improved machine learning and AI capabilities. Contrary to what some rumors are claiming, Apple likely won’t put an A13 Bionic or later inside the new model. During the first year of the cycle, the focus is on design, while the second year will focus on performance.
Design
The design will be “thinner and lighter” than before and will use the same chassis from the iPad Air 3 that was released in 2019. It could get significantly thinner by 1.5mm, down from 7.5mm to 6.3mm, marking a notable decrease in weight and depth. Apple will continue to use Touch ID in the Home Button, and will feature a Lightning port with single camera and no TrueDepth system.
Display
The display will be borrowed from the third-generation iPad Air too and will increase to 10.5-inches, up from the current 10.2-inch model. This brings thinner bezels, but also a higher quality display, with an improvement in resolution and pixel density.
For the first time in the cheapest iPad, the display will be fully laminated, so there will be no gap between the front glass and the panel underneath. The iPad 9 will support the first-generation Apple Pencil, which charges through the Lightning port, but should benefit from improved latency.
Other improvements are expected to be minor, such as changes to the internals to compensate for the thinner design. Unlike the iPad Air 4, which received a full-screen redesign, the baseline iPad isn’t expected to get an overhaul until 2023, based on Apple’s past releases.
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