As iPhone sales continue to impress, iPad sales continue to plummet. During Apple’s most recent earnings report, it was disclosed that year over year, iPad sales fell by 18%. What’s more, revenue from iPad-related sales dropped by 23%.
Nonetheless, Apple remains committed to the tablet space, with Tim Cook stating as recently as April that Apple will continue to invest in the iPad product pipeline. Cook also said that he “strongly predicts” that iPad sales will pick up in the future.
So with fall right around the corner, we’ll likely be seeing an iPad refresh sometime in the next three months or so. To that end, a recent report from the Japanese-language Macotakara blog relays a few tidbits about what we can expect to see when Apple revamps its iPad lineup later this year.
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First up, we have the iPad Mini 4. According to the report, Apple’s next-gen iPad Mini will finally be getting some substantive enhancements, including a more glare-friendly display, an 8 megapixel rear facing camera, and an even thinner 6.1mm design. Now seeing as how the only upgrade Apple bestowed upon the iPad Mini 3 was Touch ID, it’s nice to see Apple finally showing the iPad Mini some love.
As for the iPad Air, well, there’s still a big question mark hovering over Apple’s flagship tablet. While there have been some questionable reports claiming that there won’t be an iPad Air 3 released this fall, Macotakara notes that an A9 powered iPad Air 3 might see the light of day before the holiday shopping season. Indeed, it’s hard to envision a scenario where Apple didn’t upgrade the iPad Air, if only to give it a faster processor.
Of course, the biggest question in Apple’s 2015 iPad lineup rests on the long-rumored 12.9-inch iPad Pro. The latest rumblings from the rumor mill suggest that Apple is planning to release an oversized iPad shortly after mid-November. In turn, there have also been reports suggesting that initial supply of the iPad Pro will be distinctly low.
