Will the next iPad adopt a brand new design?
Apple
Apple is expected to release an update to its iPad range in September – meaning the unveiling could happen less than a month from now, though that’s the most likely date. Now, a new leak has revealed what the next entry-level iPad might look like.
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Venkatesh Gorentia in a report by MySmartPrice has said that the site has received CAD renders of the upcoming tablet. If these are real, they show significant changes over the current iPad in what is arguably the biggest redesign of the entry-level model in its history. Here’s what the presenters show.
Finally a flat-edged design for the iPad?
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flat-edge design, at the end
The entry-level iPad looks different from the rest of the iPad range. The iPad Pro, Air and Mini all have flat edges instead of the curved backs the iPad has had in its entry-level models since 2010. This new tablet, assuming the renders are genuine, will bring the same industrial design language to bear. entire range. Which raises another question…
Compatibility with Apple Pencil 2?
It’s physically possible, given the flat edges, but there’s no magnetic charging panel on the renders, so it seems unlikely. As you must be aware that there are two versions of Apple Pencil. The first has a pop-off top that reveals a Lightning connector so you can charge the Pencil from the iPad’s Lightning port. The second snaps magnetically to the side of the iPad Air, iPad Pro, and iPad mini for pairing and charging. Either the new iPad will have a magnetic connector and first-generation Pencil history, or it will remain compatible only with entry-level tablets, as it is now. In turn, this raises another issue.
Is this the new 2022 iPad?
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Lightning or USB-C?
Here is another riddle. There are rumors that the next iPad, like the rest of the iPad range, will switch from Lightning to USB-C for connectivity. If so, that definitely means it’ll be switching to the Apple Pencil 2 – I just can’t imagine Apple re-fashioning the original Pencil with a USB-C connector.
Alternatively, maybe the USB-C rumors are wrong (Gorentia says this is by no means clear) and there will be no change from the Lightning connector, in which case I think the first-gen Pencil will be released. Preferred to keep.
A bigger screen may be coming soon for the iPad.
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Large display but square corners
All other iPads have displays with gently curved corners, matching the curved edges of the tablet. But the renders reveal that the screen will have right-angle-sharp corners. On the other hand, it looks like the tablet will have a bigger display. Apple has gradually increased the screen size on the iPad from its original 9.7-inch display to its current 10.2-inch size. It seems to me that Apple will increase the size by shrinking the bezel and putting a 10.5-inch screen here, similar to the older version of the iPad Air. Still, one big design element won’t change, it seems.
Touch ID Home Button is here to stay
Unlike the iPad Pro with Face ID or the iPad Air and iPad Mini with Touch ID embedded in the power button, the renders show a Touch ID home button on the front of the next iPad.
Since we know the button can be hidden in the power button, which would make the iPad an all-screen machine like the Air, the only conclusion is that there will remain a home button to keep costs down.
This isn’t a bad thing. After all, the entry-level iPad has an outstanding $329 price tag, and the next model will remain so, even if the sticker price increases to justify the new design, especially if the anticipated A14 Bionic chip is built in.
Quad Speakers?
The render shows a pair of speaker grilles at the top and bottom, which suggests quad speakers. This could be part of Apple bringing spatial audio to more of its devices and is not on the current entry-level model.
A raised camera panel is possible on the next iPad.
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rear camera panel
The rear camera will still remain a single lens, but in a raised panel, the render reveals. This isn’t entirely surprising as the dimensions (248.62 x 179.50 x 6.98 mm) show a slimmer tablet than it is now. Oh, and it looks like it’ll also have Flash for the first time.
Bottom-line
While some people will be disappointed that the next entry-level iPad isn’t an all-screen case, it’s important to remember how good value the iPad is. With better speakers, a classy looking design, and bigger display, it would be an even more remarkable value.
From Forbes and exactly when Apple will release the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 ProBy David Phelan
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