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| © Provided by Penske Media Corporation Apple Showcase, New York, USA – 30 Oct 2018 |
By Jacob Siegal, BGR
Following up on a flurry of reports late last year, DigiTimes is citing industry sources
this week who claim that Apple is preparing to launch “two entry-level
tablets in the first half of 2019, including a fifth-generation iPad
mini and another entry-level iPad model.” This would mark the first new
tablet in the iPad mini line since 2015’s iPad mini 4, while the second
entry-level iPad would presumably follow up last year’s $329
6th-generation iPad.
DigiTimes wasn’t able to share any additional details about
the upcoming tablets, such as specs or release dates, but did note that
Taiwan-based display makers General Interface Solution (GIS) and TPK
Holding will be able to maintain stable shipments through the first half
of the year due to orders from Apple for new iPad models.
But as
we alluded to at the top of this article, this isn’t the first time
we’ve heard about Apple prepping new iPads. Back in October, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that Apple would refresh the iPad mini line in late 2018 or early 2019. Then, in December, a China Times report suggested
that Apple would debut two (relatively) low-priced iPad models in 2019
(though the report also mentioned a 10-inch model rather than the
standard 9.7-inch model we expect to see). And just days later, an iPad mini 5 case appeared to leak online, adding even more fuel to the fire.
Considering
that the 6th-generation iPad launched at the end of March last year,
and all signs point to at least two new iPad models being unveiled in
the first half of 2019, it seems likely that Apple will launch its first
new devices of the year at the end of March or the beginning of April.
In other words, we won’t be waiting long.
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