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rui no onna

Contributor
Oct 25, 2013
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the 10.5 size with bezels is not realistic IMO... it would almost be going back to iPad one bezels, a step backward even compared to the 2013 air...
Unless they make it smaller, as Max Tech predicts, and make a smaller Magic Keyboard for it, or no Magic Keyboard at all. If they redesign it like the air, price will jump $100, and I wonder if they would leave the iPad 9 in the market to hit the 329 CHF price point or if they give that up completely...

It’s doable if it retains the Home button. Kinda like putting the Air 3/Pro 10.5 with non-laminated display into the Air 4-5/Pro 11 chassis. I’m expecting a price increase but probably not a whole $100. Maybe $399 for base model tops?

iPad Air (5th generation) vs iPad Air (3rd generation) vs iPad (9th generation) - Apple.png
 
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gpat

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the 10.5 size with bezels is not realistic IMO... it would almost be going back to iPad one bezels, a step backward even compared to the 2013 air...
Unless they make it smaller, as Max Tech predicts, and make a smaller Magic Keyboard for it, or no Magic Keyboard at all. If they redesign it like the air, price will jump $100, and I wonder if they would leave the iPad 9 in the market to hit the 329 CHF price point or if they give that up completely...

Not really. It would have about the same bezels and size as the current 9G iPad.
You would only lose the wedge shape of the chassis and gain USB-C, Pencil 2 support and you would be able to attach it to the magic keyboard.
 
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Digitalguy

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Not really. It would have about the same bezels and size as the current 9G iPad.
You would only lose the wedge shape of the chassis and gain USB-C, Pencil 2 support and you would be able to attach it to the magic keyboard.
So it would be a partial redesign, no symmetric bezels, home button, but flat sides and change of shape to match the magic keyboard. It will definitely cost Apple more than reusing the air 4/5 body and just removing one speaker, but it's possible, Apple is definitely capable of spending more money just to make their price tiers as they think they are most effective. Anyway a $100 bump in price in this case is definitely likely...
 

gpat

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Not really. It would have about the same bezels and size as the current 9G iPad.
You would only lose the wedge shape of the chassis and gain USB-C, Pencil 2 support and you would be able to attach it to the magic keyboard.


Looks like the new iPad will be pretty close to my prediction
 

Digitalguy

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Apr 15, 2019
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Looks like the new iPad will be pretty close to my prediction
yeah, if the rumors are correct, it's pretty much it. As I said earlier, it would have been cheaper for Apple to just give it the air 4 design and specs. But I guess it wouldn't be viable from a marketing point of view...
 

rui no onna

Contributor
Oct 25, 2013
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yeah, if the rumors are correct, it's pretty much it. As I said earlier, it would have been cheaper for Apple to just give it the air 4 design and specs. But I guess it wouldn't be viable from a marketing point of view...

I dunno if straight Air 4’s cheaper.

Apple’s probably still gonna go with cheaper, non-laminated display (with square corners) among other things. The power button TouchID might also be more costly compared to the older home button TouchID. Basically, I expect a mix and match of iPad 7th-9th gen and Air 4 so they can lower their costs.
 

Digitalguy

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I dunno if straight Air 4’s cheaper.

Apple’s probably still gonna go with cheaper, non-laminated display (with square corners) among other things. The power button TouchID might also be more costly compared to the older home button TouchID. Basically, I expect a mix and match of iPad 7th-9th gen and Air 4 so they can lower their costs.
No doubt some components would be somewhat cheaper, but I wouldn't be so sure that, overall, it wouldn't have been cheaper for Apple to just reuse the air 4 externally and internally, but again, not a viable solution from a marketing point of view. I guess we'll never know, but again, if they went to the trouble or making the screen 10.9 instead of 11 with the air 4, it's clear that marketing trumps any cost consideration. The really big question is, anyway, what price will this iPad 10 have....
 

JPack

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Mar 27, 2017
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I dunno if straight Air 4’s cheaper.

Apple’s probably still gonna go with cheaper, non-laminated display (with square corners) among other things. The power button TouchID might also be more costly compared to the older home button TouchID. Basically, I expect a mix and match of iPad 7th-9th gen and Air 4 so they can lower their costs.

Completely agree.

First, the $329 iPad is the best selling device in the lineup, so Apple can justify having a different chassis. Plus, there would be no way to use the Air chassis without modifications as the the non-laminated LCD requires a thicker chassis. There are also differences in speaker placement which affects battery volume. Makes much more sense to design a $329 chassis rather than hack up the Air.
 

gpat

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The actual chassis could very well be the same as the Air 4, for scale economy purposes.
They could do that and still mount a different display assembly, with bigger bezels, a smaller panel, non-rounded corners, non-laminated glass and so on.
Doing this would keep compatibility with a lot of covers and accessories designed for the Air 4/5.
 
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Falhófnir

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Aug 19, 2017
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I dunno if straight Air 4’s cheaper.

Apple’s probably still gonna go with cheaper, non-laminated display (with square corners) among other things. The power button TouchID might also be more costly compared to the older home button TouchID. Basically, I expect a mix and match of iPad 7th-9th gen and Air 4 so they can lower their costs.
I guess one big cost saving is streamlining the accessory lineup, they can discontinue the Pencil 1 and the keyboard and cases that only fit the iPad and offer all the same accessories to fit the iPad, iPad Air and iPad Pro 11. The Magic Keyboard is a bit steep on the entry model though!
 

chevyboy60013

macrumors 6502
Sep 18, 2021
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I guess there is no reason to get excited about it then. Be stuck with my 10.5 inch pro with 256gb and an A-series chip, instead of a m1 series with 64gb
 

TigeRick

macrumors regular
Original poster
Oct 20, 2012
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Malaysia
ipad10th.jpg


Should look like above picture, guess Apple still want to maintain front center TouchID, wonder first gen or second gen?
 
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fearless22

macrumors member
Feb 7, 2022
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I think that this iPad might get:

- A13/A14
• It would seem obvious that, as the 8th and 9th gen had an upgrade, this iPad would get A14. But considering that “base” iPhone 14 is stuck with A15, and that Apple still has A13 in new products as the Studio Display, this one is also a possibility.
• If a radical redesign happens, it would be a great excuse for not upgrading the chip.

- 4 GB RAM
• If keeping A13, they would need to upgrade the RAM in the same way the 7th gen (that kept the same A10 as 6th gen) got 3 GB RAM
• If upgrading to A14, I doubt it would work with 3 GB since no iPhone with it had less than 4 and it would be weird to pair a 5nm chip with 3 GB

- Larger Display
• There are no real evidences of this, but just think about it. The current design looks really dated (more than iPhone SE in my opinion), and it was very disappointing that the iPad 9 did anything with this
• 10.5” would be an easy way to recicle the Pro 10.5” / Air 3 front. What’s more uncertain to me is if this iPad will be finally getting the laminated display.

- Improved Wireless Connections (WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.0/5.3)
• Now that iPhone and AirPods Pro got BT 5.3, iPad Pro is getting it for sure. So it's time for the whole iPad lineup to have at least BT 5.0. And I wouldn’t be surprised if 5.3 makes its way to this iPad just as it got Center Stage camera before iPad Air.

- 5G?
This would have to be paired with the A14 upgrade. But even if it gets A14, 5G is not guaranteed as it could use the same connectivity as iPad Air 4 (which had 4G).

- Redesign
Changes in the design could be:
• 10.5” reused design (with laminated display or not)
• 10.5” (approx.) new design: could probably integrate flat edges and landscape speakers
• 10.8” or 10.9”: same chassis as the current Air and Pro of that size, so it’s able to fit the same accessories. If this possibility happens we should expect this as only change in the entire iPad alongside RAM

- USB-C?
Maybe it comes next year to be paired with the iPhone transition. Would absolutely need the flat edges design.
 
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fearless22

macrumors member
Feb 7, 2022
60
36
For me the greatest and still realistic would be:

- 10.2” Liquid Retina
- Top button Touch ID
- 12 MP back camera
- Two landscape speakers
- A14+4GB
- WiFi 6
- Bluetooth 5.0
 

FeliApple

macrumors 68040
Apr 8, 2015
3,684
2,089
For me the greatest and still realistic would be:

- 10.2” Liquid Retina
- Top button Touch ID
- 12 MP back camera
- Two landscape speakers
- A14+4GB
- WiFi 6
- Bluetooth 5.0
I doubt Apple will put the power button Touch ID (as that would imply a full-screen design), when Apple released the iPhone SE3, that was The Moment I Knew they view the overall design as a differentiator, with the “less premium” models keeping the older design pattern, instead of fearlessly going full Pro-like treatment throughout their lineup with full-screen displays.

That said, I agree with the A14 + 4GB, makes no sense to remove the M1 as a differentiator; at least, I don’t see Apple being ready for it for a while. I agree with the rest, too, speakers and the like.
 

Digitalguy

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Apr 15, 2019
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Guys at this point rumors are very clear on the design, it will be flat edges and USB C, that's a given, so compatible with Magic Keyboard and pencil 2. But it will have a home button, so smaller screen that the air (however rumors don't say whether it's 10.2 or 10.5, but definitely not larger).
I wouldn't count on stereo speakers, but A14-4GB and Wifi 6 BT 5 and 5G seem reasonable
 

TigeRick

macrumors regular
Original poster
Oct 20, 2012
144
153
Malaysia
Wow, Apple surprised us by selling iPad 10th gen at $449. At first, I could not figure out the reasons behind until I remember deadline set by EU is end of 2024 to fully embraced USB-C connector.

Below is my estimated release date for Apple to ease the transistion:

March 2023: iPad Air 6th gen with M2 and 128GB

October 2023: iPad 11th gen with M1 and 64GB
iPad 9th might not be getting update

October 2024: iPad 11th gen with M1 getting $100 price cut to $349
iPad 9th with lighting port finally EOL

So I still maintain iPad getting M1 next year just a bit higher price initially
 
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