Gone are the days when Apple's entry-level iPads were always 9.7 inches - after the iPad 10.2 in 2019 kicked off the size increase race, it seems this year's upcoming entry-level iPad might be even bigger still.
This news comes from Ming-Chi Kuo, a noted and rarely-wrong analyst who has speculated on Apple's upcoming tablets in an analyst note (as reported by MacRumors).
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According to Kuo, Apple has a 10.8-inch tablet coming out in the second half of 2020, followed by an 8.5-inch device in the first half of 2021. This latter device is likely to be the new iPad Mini, given that size, but the former device is the really interesting model.
Kuo posits the 10.8-inch device could be a new entry-level iPad or the iPad Air 4, but we've previously heard that the iPad Air 4 will be at least 11 inches, making it seem likely that this 10.8-inch beast will be the 'standard' entry-level iPad.
Bigger = better?
That's quite a size increase for the entry-level iPads, given that the 2019 model was 10.2 inches across and the previous models were 9.7 inches, and some people who just want an affordable and easy-to-use and carry tablet might be put off.
In fact, the tablet would be comparable in size to the iPad Pro 11 or iPad Air 3, though in terms of specs and performance, and other design features, it would likely still be different from those Apple tablets.
The enlarging makes sense in some ways though, as Apple likely wants to differentiate this range from the iPad Mini line, and people who want a smaller screen can either buy that or stick with the older entry-level iPads.
For now, though, we can't even be sure this change is happening, because as with all pre-release information it could end up being wrong, and in addition we could find out that the tablet Kuo was referring to was in fact the next iPad Air all along.
Either way, we should find out later this year, as that's when this anticipated Apple tablet is rumored to launch, but before then stay tuned to TechRadar for all the latest news and rumors.
