[ UPDATE 18/10/2022 22:00 ] Tim Cook has posted an iPad teaser themed “Take Note” on Twitter.
The possibilities are endless. #TakeNote pic.twitter.com/msmJg865tr
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) October 18, 2022
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After launching its latest iPhone 14 lineup, Apple appears to be launching a new lineup of iPad this week. According to Bloomberg analyst Mark Gurman, a new entry-level iPad and updated iPad Pro could be announced as early as tomorrow (19th October Malaysian time).
Instead of a grand keynote launch, the new iPad models are expected to be introduced through a press announcement. This means we should be able to see the new products on their website as early as tomorrow morning. The timing of the new iPad launch appears to also coincide with the public release of iPadOS 16 which has been delayed for about a month. If the new iPad models are introduced tomorrow, customers could pre-order them in first-wave countries and stocks are expected to arrive at least a week later.
In case it wasn’t obvious with the “days away” wording from Saturday, the launch should be tomorrow. https://t.co/moc5PU8hLk
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) October 17, 2022
Probably the biggest thing to look out for is Apple’s new entry-level iPad which replaces the current 9th gen version. The new 10th gen iPad is expected to ditch the traditional lightning port in favour of USB-C. This comes just in time with the new EU ruling which requires device manufacturers to adopt the single USB-C standard for charging. The current 9th gen iPad is the last in the lineup to use a lightning port and the 1st gen Apple Pencil.
The screen is said to be bigger than the current 10.2″ LCD screen and it could adopt a similar 10.9″ screen size as the current iPad Air. It isn’t clear if Apple will ditch the current home button with Touch ID found on the current iPad but we reckon that it might look very similar to the new iPad Air and iPad Mini which has thinner and symmetrical bezels. Under the hood, the new iPad is expected to get a slight bump from A13 Bionic to A14 Bionic that’s found on the older iPhone 12 series and it would enable 5G connectivity.
For those who need the most powerful iPad, the iPad Pro is expected to be a minor refresh with a chip upgrade from the current M1 to the M2. Don’t expect any drastic changes to the exterior as Apple is likely to retain the same 11″ and 12.9″ screen options. The current iPad Pro 12.9″ Liquid Retina XDR display features a mini-LED-backlit panel which boasts a maximum of 1,600 nits of peak brightness. Meanwhile, the 11″ variant gets a Liquid Retina screen that pushes up to 600 nits of brightness.
With the current RM4.72 to USD 1 exchange rate, do expect a significant price hike in Malaysia as seen on the current iPhone series. The 9th gen iPad is now priced from RM1,499 for the WiFi 64GB version while the current iPad Pro with M1 chip starts from RM3,499 for the 11″ WiFi 128GB model. In case you missed it, you can check out our iPad Air M1 review running on iPadOS 16.1.
Related reading
- iPhone will use USB-C: EU ruling forces Apple to ditch proprietary Lightning port from 2024
- iPad 2021: Apple’s budget iPad gets 4 major upgrades for better online learning
- iPad Air M1 review Malaysia: Has iPadOS 16.1 made Apple’s tablet a better work device?
- Apple is expected to push iPadOS 16 with new Stage Manager feature in two weeks’ time
