10.2-Inch iPad Said to Launch in the Fall as Successor to 9.7-Inch iPad

Apple is widely expected to release a new 10.2-inch iPad later this year as a replacement for its $329 entry-level 9.7-inch ‌iPad‌, and hit-or-miss Taiwanese industry publication DigiTimes has now added its weight to this rumor, claiming that the tablet will be released in the "late third quarter."

9 7 ipad 2019
If accurate, that timeframe means the 10.2-inch ‌iPad‌ would be released by the end of September, suggesting that the device might be unveiled alongside new iPhones at Apple's usual September event.

‌iPad‌ releases in the fall have typically occurred in October, including in 2012 through 2014 and again in 2018. September would not be totally out of the ordinary, however, as Apple unveiled the original iPad Pro and the iPad mini 4 at its September 2015 event without hosting an October event that year.

It's worth noting that DigiTimes has a rather unreliable track record as it relates to the timing of new Apple products. This week alone, for example, the website published one report saying the 16-inch MacBook Pro will be released in September and another saying the notebook will launch in October.

Multiple sources have outlined expectations for a new 10.2-inch ‌iPad‌, including reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and the previously-reliable mystery Twitter account CoinX. Apple has also filed several unreleased iPad models running iPadOS 13 in a Eurasian regulatory database, as legally required.

The 10.2-inch ‌iPad‌ would have a modestly larger display than the 9.7-inch ‌iPad‌, possibly in tandem with narrower bezels.

A reasonable assumption would be that Apple will unveil new iPhones and Apple Watches in September and save the rumored 16-inch MacBook Pro, 10.2-inch ‌iPad‌, and ‌iPad Pro‌ refresh for October, but Apple could always break with tradition.

Related Roundup: iPad
Buyer's Guide: iPad (Don't Buy)
Related Forum: iPad

Top Rated Comments

dannyyankou Avatar
61 months ago
So we’ll have a 10.2 inch iPad, 10.5 inch iPad, 11 inch iPad, and 13 inch iPad. Not confusing at all.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PickUrPoison Avatar
61 months ago
Agreed. And the 10.5 will be dead

On a side note, it must be really expensive to stock and sell cases for all these slightly different form factors. Maybe they need the adjust-o-case for the iPad xxx
What sense does it make to drop the Air? You don’t see any room for something in between a $299 budget model and a spare-no-expense $799 iPad Pro? Interesting.

How is that—in any way whatsoever—a good thing for iPad buyers? If you don’t have 800 bucks to drop your stuck with a bottom of the line iPad with a budget screen?

Yikes, no thanks. Good/better/best at $299/499/799 is a much better lineup. $299/799 would be a disaster.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
smizzle Avatar
61 months ago
I just hope they add support for the newer Apple Pencil so that the whole lineup can use the same one.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Spankey Avatar
61 months ago
Run out of parts for 9.7, exhaust all parts for 10". Rinse, Repeat.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PickUrPoison Avatar
61 months ago
A new size. WOOO! Is that the main innovation factor that Apple has going for it’s products? How long can this last?
It’s a $299 iPad, exactly what kind of “innovation” are you looking for?

If you want “innovation” every year, are you ok with yearly price increases?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nexusrule Avatar
61 months ago
So we’ll have a 10.2 inch iPad, 10.5 inch iPad, 11 inch iPad, and 13 inch iPad. Not confusing at all.
My god, still with this meaningless comment. You have a $300 iPad (10.2) a $500 iPad (10.5) and a $800-1000 professional iPad that comes in two sizes. In the real world people purchases are dictated by budget, not by the inexplicable need to find something to whine about Apple on an Internet forum. Someone in the market for a $300 tablet won’t be confused by the size of a $800 for them unaffordable tablet. And who need a large $1000 tablet won’t give a thought to the size of a low entry 300 one etc.

It’s only confusing for people that have no intention to buy an iPad but just to stare at the website to find something to whine on this forum.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

reset password request iphone

Warning: Apple Users Targeted in Phishing Attack Involving Rapid Password Reset Requests

Tuesday March 26, 2024 4:34 pm PDT by
Phishing attacks taking advantage of Apple's password reset feature have become increasingly common, according to a report from KrebsOnSecurity. Multiple Apple users have been targeted in an attack that bombards them with an endless stream of notifications or multi-factor authentication (MFA) messages in an attempt to cause panic so they'll respond favorably to social engineering. An...
maxresdefault

Apple to Launch New iPad Pro and iPad Air Models in May

Thursday March 28, 2024 11:07 am PDT by
Apple will introduce new iPad Pro and iPad Air models in early May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman previously suggested the new iPads would come out in March, and then April, but the timeline has been pushed back once again. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple is working on updates to both the iPad Pro and iPad Air models. The iPad Pro models will...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple

iOS 18: What to Expect From 'Biggest' Update in iPhone's History

Wednesday March 27, 2024 11:10 am PDT by
At least some Apple software engineers continue to believe that iOS 18 will be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. "The iOS 18 update is expected to be the most ambitious overhaul of the iPhone's software in its history, according to people working on the upgrade," wrote Gurman, in a r...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2024 Event for June 10 to 14

Tuesday March 26, 2024 10:02 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to take place from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14. As with WWDC events since 2020, WWDC 2024 will be an online event that is open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. WWDC 2024 will include online sessions and labs so that developers can learn about new...
apple maps 3d feature

Apple Maps May Gain Custom Routes With iOS 18

Tuesday March 26, 2024 3:10 pm PDT by
Apple may be planning to add support for "custom routes" in Apple Maps in iOS 18, according to code reviewed by MacRumors. Apple Maps does not currently offer a way to input self-selected routes, with Maps users limited to Apple's pre-selected options, but that may change in iOS 18. Apple has pushed an iOS 18 file to its maps backend labeled "CustomRouteCreation." While not much is revealed...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

Apple Releases Revised Versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 With Updated Build Number

Wednesday March 27, 2024 5:59 am PDT by
Apple on late Tuesday released revised versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 with an updated build number of 21E237, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The updates previously had a build number of 21E236. The revised updates are available for all iPhone and iPad models that are compatible with iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, but they can only be installed via the Finder app on macOS...
applephilschiller

Apple's Phil Schiller Works 80 Hours a Week Overseeing App Store

Wednesday March 27, 2024 2:03 pm PDT by
With the App Store and app ecosystem undergoing major changes in the European Union, The Wall Street Journal today shared a profile on App Store chief Phil Schiller, who is responsible for the App Store. Though Schiller transitioned from marketing chief to "Apple Fellow" in 2020 to take a step back from Apple and spend more time on personal projects and friends, he is reportedly working...