We don’t know the iPad 7 release date, but it could be just around the corner if this latest rumor is to be believed.
Economic Daily reports that the next iPad will enter mass production this month, while the new 16-inch MacBook Pro will go into mass production sometime in the fourth quarter. According to Mac Otakara, Radiant Opto-Electronics (referred to as Ruiyi by Economic Daily) will be the sole supplier of backlight modules for the iPad and MacBook Pro.
Although Economic Daily didn’t give any further specifics about the iPad that will supposedly enter production this month, news outlets and blogs which have picked up the story are assuming it will be the 10.2-inch model which has been rumored for some time.
Claims that a new 10.2-inch model — widely dubbed the iPad 7 — came from Bloomberg and reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The model is expected to be less expensive than the other models that are available now. It’s also expected to replace the lower-cost 9.7-inch model, which was released in March 2017 and then updated in March 2018. It’s been over a year since the less expensive iPad model was updated, so it would seem Apple is overdue for a refresh on it. The first part of this year did not bring the iPad 7 release date as was previously rumored.
If production on it really does begin this month, then the iPad 7 release date could be late this summer or in early fall. It’s unclear whether Apple will unveil the device alongside the new iPhones, probably in September, or whether the iPad 7 release date will simply be announced in a press release rather than during a big event.
The 16-inch MacBook Pro mentioned by Economic Daily is rumored to come with an LCD panel with a resolution of 3072 x 1920. Although we’ve heard reports that the MacBook Pro will sport a new design, Kuo reportedly said it may not become available until 2021. If that’s correct — and he does have a good track record with rumors — then the MacBook Pro that will supposedly enter production in the fourth quarter may not be the redesigned device Kuo was talking about, WCCFtech notes.
