Apple will host a press event later this month, with its video streaming service expected to be the star of the show. The company may also take advantage of the keynote to introduce new hardware, including a 7th-generation entry-level iPad and a new iPad mini, the brand new AirPods 2 wireless headphones, and the AirPower wireless charger accessory. A leaker with an accurate track record is now out with a new claim about Apple’s product roadmap, saying the company will also unveil a third iPad version this year that would be an entirely new addition to the lineup.
Currently, Apple sells two types of iPads, including the more affordable $329 model that doesn’t come with a brand new design or Face ID support, and the iPad Pro, which starts at $799 and packs all those features. However, Twitter user CoinX claims that Apple will also introduce a brand new 10.5-inch iPad that will not get the “Pro” moniker. He also says the entry-level 7th-generation iPad will get a minor redesign with a slightly bigger 10.2-inch display.
Both iPad 7 (10.2”) and the “new” iPad (10.5”, non-Pro) are coming. But not at the same time.
— CoinX (@coiiiiiiiin) March 13, 2019
Per MacRumors, the leaker has an accurate track record when it comes to unreleased Apple products. CoinX was the first to mention the iPhone names for last year’s models, and the leaker also told us the 2018 iPad Pro would have a 5.9mm profile.
Assuming he’s right about these two 2019 iPads, then the iPad 7 will replace the current $329 model, while the 10.2-inch iPad “non-Pro” device would be priced somewhere between the seventh-gen iPad and the iPad Pro. It’s unclear what Apple would call the new mid-range iPad.
Aside from the screen size, which matches the screen size of one of the current iPad Pro tablets, the leaker didn’t reveal any other details about Apple’s 2019 iPad models. But an iPad with a 10.5-inch screen would probably have a design similar to the 2017 iPad Pros. Those were Apple’s Pro tablets that still had home buttons and Touch ID.
