Apple is expected to launch three new iPad models this spring, and all of them will be large form factors. This means the 7.9-inch iPad probably won’t be among them despite the fact that the company hasn’t updated it since 2015, according to AppleInsider.
Three new iPads, but no mini from Apple
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in a note released on Sunday (obtained by AppleInsider) that Apple will update the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, offer a 9.7-inch model priced lower than the earlier models and introduce a new design sized 10 to 10.5 inches with a narrow bezel.
When it comes to making predictions about Apple’s future plans, Kuo has been very accurate. He didn’t mention anything regarding an updated iPad mini. Apple last refreshed the smaller tablet in September 2015. Since then, its focus has been on introducing “Pro” models with Apple Pencil support and a magnetic Smart Connector, which are sold at premium prices.
Expectations are that a beefed-up version of the A10 chip which is found in the iPhone 7 and is dubbed the A10X will be featured in the 12.9-inch and 10-plus-inch iPad Pro models. TSMC will reportedly manufacture the so-called A10X, claims Kuo.
The iPhone 6s came with the A9 chip, and Kuo expects a version of this chip to power the budget-friendly 9.7-inch model. According to Kuo, Samsung will manufacture that chip. These new iPad models will debut sometime in the second quarter of 2017, suggesting that customers will be able purchase them sometime between April and June.
Kuo predicts that iPad shipments will drop again, but less than they did last year. He says that the iPad has gotten past the worst and that it will boost Apple’s revenue through better average selling prices and professional-grade models.
Jet White iPhone in pipeline?
There are also rumors that Apple will release an iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in Jet White. Beats, Apple’s own brand, posted a photo that appears to be of a Jet White version of this year’s flagship iPhone. A pair of black Beats Studio wireless headphones can be seen placed beside the white iPhone 7 in the image.
Many suggest that the iPhone 7 in the image is a silver color one that looks washed out and nothing else. Late last year, the Japanese blog Mac Otakara claimed that Apple could release a glossy Jet White variant of the iPhone 7. Such rumors gained ground when Sonny Dickson released a short video in December showing rear casings of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus done up in glossy white.
