Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile
  3. News

3 new iPads are slated for release sometime in spring 2017

By

apple ipad pro 2017 dtdeals 9 7
Image used with permission by copyright holder
If you’re thinking about getting a new iPad, 2017 may be the year to do it. According to a new report from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple will be launching three new iPads in the spring — there will allegedly be a 9.7-inch model, a new design with a narrow bezel that comes in somewhere between 10 and 10.5 inches, and an update to the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. With an anticipated launch date somewhere in the second quarter of this year, Kuo expects customers to be able to get their new tablets between April and June.

Surprisingly, Kuo did not mention any updates to the iPad mini, the smaller version of the popular device that actually hasn’t seen any changes since September 2015. Rather, in the last year and a half, Apple has been more interested in its Pro models, which are not only larger, but more expensive as well.

Recommended Videos

The closest thing to the iPad mini would be the budget-priced 9.7-inch model, which is said to feature a variant of the A9 chip in the iPhone 6s. This chip is expected to be manufactured by Samsung. Given the lower price of this tablet, Kuo anticipates that the 9.7-inch model will be the most popular of the new lineup, with sales accounting for 50 to 60 percent of iPad totals.

As for the 12.9-inch and 10-plus-inch iPad Pro models, both will apparently feature a more advanced version of the iPhone 7’s A10 chip, which will be called the “A10X.” This chip will be manufactured by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.

Overall, Kuo predicts that while iPad shipments will not be particularly high, they won’t drop off as much as they did last year. “The worst has passed” for the Apple tablet, he concluded.

So get excited, tablet lovers. The iPad just may give you something to talk about this year.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Lulu Chang
Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
5 tablets you should buy instead of the iPad Air (2024)
Two iPad Air models showing the screens.

Apple finally released some new iPads this year after going over a year without any updates. The iPad Air got a big refresh, now with an M2 chip inside and a new size -- 13 inches -- to go along with the regular 11-inch size from before.

The new iPad Air starts at $599 for the 11-inch Wi-Fi base model and increases depending on the size and configuration you choose. If you want the new 13-inch model, be prepared to spend at least $799.

Read more
One missing feature has almost ruined the new iPad Air for me
A person holding the iPad Air M2.

I’m a few days into using the new 11-inch iPad Air (2024), and one single feature decision has annoyed me to the point where I’m questioning why it exists at all.

In Apple’s current iPad range, the iPad Pro (2024) is definitely the professional’s choice, while the regular iPad is the one for the bargain hunter. The iPad Air sits awkwardly in between them. While it seems to offer all the power and ability you could want without paying the iPad Pro’s high price, it doesn’t have the ProMotion 120Hz refresh rate screen — and that’s a serious drawback.

Read more
The one thing stopping me from buying a new iPad
Three 2021 iPads are stacked on a table.

Want an iPad? Apple wants you to be paying attention to the new iPad Pro -- and for good reason. It's the thinnest product Apple has ever created, which is impressive considering it packs in a laptop-level M4 processor, a gorgeous display, and a number of new software tricks. But the announcement concealed something far more important: the dustbinning of the 9th-gen iPad. The last of the "retro" iPad designs, the 9th-gen is now finally retired from the stage, and for me, it means this is my last chance to grab a quick and reasonable upgrade for my 7th-gen iPad.

I figured I could grab the 9th-gen for a decent discount now that it's on the way out -- and to Apple's credit, I absolutely could. But a realization began to sink in as I shopped, and I came away without making that final purchase.

Read more