Apple rumoured to launch the iPad 9 in early 2021 with an A13 Bionic chipset and a 10.5-inch display from US$329

According to cnBeta, Apple is planning to release a ninth-generation version of the iPad next year. The company is reputedly sticking with the outdated design of the eighth-generation model, including a home button with Touch ID built-in. The iPad 9 will not necessarily look like its predecessor though, as cnBeta claims that Apple has reduced the weight and thickness of its budget tablet.

Additionally, the screen size has grown from 10.2-inches to 10.5-inches, which suggests that the iPad 9 will have slimmer bezels than the iPad 8, too. It is unclear what Apple has sacrificed to make the iPad slimmer and lighter, but it could well be its battery capacity. The iPad 8 offers up to 10 hours of battery from its 32.4 Wh battery, for reference.

Moreover, Apple is said to have upgraded the iPad to an A13 Bionic chipset - up from the A12 Bionic that it uses in the iPad 8. 64 GB of storage will become the entry-level configuration too, while 4 GB of RAM will be offered across all SKUs. The iPad 8 has 3 GB of RAM, so an additional 1 GB and a newer SoC should provide the iPad 9 with a handy performance upgrade.

Sadly, the Lightning port will remain, with Apple reserving USB Type-C connectivity for its more expensive iPads. Apparently, the price of the entry-level iPad will remain at US$329 though, which is a good thing. cnBeta states that Apple has scheduled the release of the iPad 9 for spring 2021, which is also when it will announce the next iPad Pro.

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