Apple's eighth-generation iPad will arrive this year and feature an A12 chip, according to an anonymous Twitter account with a thus-far proven track record for forthcoming Apple product leaks.
Apple's seventh-generation iPad, introduced in September 2019, was an iterative update to the sixth-generation low-cost iPad, with a larger 10.2-inch display and support for new accessories. However, it used the same A10 Fusion chip as the sixth-generation iPad.
On Thursday, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple is working on two new iPad models, which include a 10.8-inch iPad and an 8.5 to 9-inch iPad mini. These new iPads are expected to launch in the second half of 2020 and the first half of 2021, respectively.
Kuo said that he believes the two new iPad models will follow the iPhone SE's product strategy, which means affordable price points. The existing low-cost iPad is 10.2 inches, so it's not clear if Apple plans to introduce larger-sized tablets or increase the available display size through bezel reduction.
in my dream iPad 2020 A12 — 有没有搞措 (@L0vetodream) May 15, 2020
Rumors aside, it would be reasonable to expect a new entry-level iPad this year, as the device has been updated annually for the past three generations. Also, the A10 chip was first used in the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, so there's a good case for arguing that it's about time Apple took the processing power up a notch in its most affordable iPad. The A12 chip first appeared in the iPhone XS, XS Max, XR and the 2019 versions of the iPad Air and iPad Mini.
In recent weeks, the anonymously-run Twitter account "L0vetodream" has noted that some products and components have been delayed, including the new iMac models and the A14 chip. It has also hinted at a 2021 release for a rumored 14-inch MacBook Pro.
The Twitter account accurately revealed several details about the new iPhone SE before any other leakers that we know of, including that the device would launch in the second week of April and come in three storage capacities. Likewise, the account accurately claimed that new iPad Pro models would launch in the third week of March.
