Apple’s most affordable iPad model will get a thinner appearance in the next update coming later this year around the same time as an overhauled iPad mini, according to a new report.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS:
- A thinner version of the budget iPad is in the works.
- The device is most likely releasing in September.
- At $329, this is the most affordable iPad from Apple.
Apple is working on a thinner entry-level iPad
Mark Gurman, writing for Bloomberg, has learned from his well-connected sourced that a thinner version of the entry-level iPad geared toward students is coming later this year.
In addition to the next-generation iPad Pro and iPad mini, Apple is also working on a thinner version of its entry-level iPad geared toward students. That product is planned to be released as early as the end of this year, about the same time as the new iPad mini.
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Apple in April 2021 updated the iPad Pro lineup. The new iPad Air was announced in September and arrived in September. In other words, expect the next iPad sometime in September.
Meet Apple’s most affordable iPad
Announced on September 15, 2020, and released on September 18, 2020, the eighth-generation iPad is powered by Apple’s A12 Bionic chip delivering 40 percent faster compute performance via a six-core CPU and two times faster graphics via a four-core GPU.
Although the device has a 10.2-inch display, its 1,668-by-2,388 resolution has remained unchanged from the previous model. Thanks to the integrated Smart Connector, the tablet supports Apple’s Smart Keyboard. The first-generation Apple Pencil is also supported, but not a second-generation one.
This is also the first budget iPad to include Apple’s Neural Engine for machine learning.
Currently, on the eighth generation, the entry-level iPad model with just 32 gigabytes of storage is priced at $329, the lowest price for any iPad model. The model with four times the storage at 128 gigabytes will set you back a $100 extra, or $429.