Further delays are in the offing for Apple’s iPad lineup. If reports are to be believed, Apple’s brand new iPads will not ship until the second half of this year.
It’s long been rumoured that Apple will introduce three new iPads this year. These include an updated iPad Air with a 9.7-inch screen, a brand new iPad with a 10.5-inch screen but the same form-factor as the 9.7-inch version and a new 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
It’s expected that the 10.5-inch iPad and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro will ship with Apple’s latest A10X chip. Historically, the X-version of Apple’s iPhone SoCs run faster and host either an extra or a more powerful graphics core. This is needed to drive the higher resolution iPad displays.
These devices were expected early this year. However, DigiTimes reports that these devices could be delayed to later this year. Citing “sources from the related upstream supply chain”, DigiTimes believes that the devices won’t even be announced until the second half of the year.
It’s worth noting that the sources suggest that the 9.7-inch iPad will become an “entry-level device” for the education sector. It’s display unit will apparently be provided by Seoul Semiconductor, replacing the current supplier of the 9.7-inch iPad display.