New entry-level 10.5” iPad to launch in Spring 2021
- Apple is expected to refresh their entry-level iPad early next year.
- It’s rumored to have a 10.5” display. Apple will allegedly achieve this by reducing the bezels around the display while keeping the same form factor.
- It may also get a considerable upgrade to an A13 Bionic and 4GB of RAM.
- Apple also plans to double the base storage to 64GB.
While Apple’s entry-level iPad may not be the most exciting product ever, it’s by far Apple’s most popular tablet - with millions sold every year to students, schools and universities. Many of them don’t care to have the latest features or can’t afford Apple’s higher-end devices.
However, new reports suggest that Apple is expected to refresh their entry level iPad early next year. It’s rumored to have a 10.5” display, which is a minor upgrade from the current 10.2” display. Because of this, it may look very similar to the older 10.5” iPad Pro and iPad Air. It’s expected that Apple will achieve this by reducing the bezels around the display while keeping the same form factor, as they have done in previous years. This means we should be able to use the same cases and covers across the iPad range.
When it comes to silicon, Apple tends to put older processors on their entry-level iPads in order to keep consumer prices low. The current entry-level iPad has an A12 chip with 3GB of RAM, which is more than enough for most people looking at an entry level device that competes with sub $300 laptops, Chromebooks and tablets. However, this new iPad may get a considerable upgrade to an A13 Bionic and 4GB of RAM, which is pretty much iPhone 11 Pro Max performance on a $330 device. This means many years of software support and even better multitasking capabilities.
What about storage? Well, as an iPad 6th gen user myself, I can confidently say that 32GB is enough for most of what you do on an iPad. For things like writing school reports, surfing the web, researching and writing articles, it’s the perfect device. However, if you start downloading games or tons of apps, you will run out of storage in a matter of minutes. Apple plans to fix this by doubling the base storage to 64GB - which is more than enough for most people.
And charging? Well, this is a little disappointing for some people - but it will almost definitely still be rocking the Lightning port. This means it will only support the 1st gen Apple Pencil and its “interesting” charging method. But let’s focus on the bright side of things - I love being able to fast charge my iPhone XS Max, 6th gen iPad and AirPods with the same brick. In fact, it’s the only charger I need - I can use the same dongles, display cables and adapters between my devices. For those of us who still use older devices, sticking to Lighting is actually a good thing.
In conclusion, this seems like a proper iPad upgrade. Some little refinements on an already capable device - while also doubling the storage. Even better, it keeps the current $330 price tag.
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Thank you for visiting Apple Scoop! As a dedicated independent news organization, we strive to deliver the latest updates and in-depth journalism on everything Apple. Have insights or thoughts to share? Drop a comment below—our team actively engages with and responds to our community. Return to the home page.Published to Apple Scoop on 15th December, 2020.
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