Apple is planning to launch a new 10.8-inch iPad and a new iPad mini with a screen that could be as large as 9 inches, according to a new investor note from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo obtained by MacRumors. The note also mentions a potential 2022 release date for Apple’s rumored augmented reality glasses.
The new 10.8-inch iPad will launch in the second half of this year, while the new iPad mini, which will have a screen size that’s anywhere between 8.5 and 9 inches, will launch in the first half of 2021, according to Kuo. Both will have affordable price points, says Kuo.
It’s unclear exactly how these new iPads might slot into Apple’s current iPad lineup or if they would be replacing existing models. The $329 iPad, Apple’s cheapest, has a 10.2-inch screen, while the $499 iPad Air has a 10.5-inch display, meaning that a 10.8-inch iPad would have a larger screen than both of those models. And an iPad mini with an up to 9-inch display would be a big jump from the current iPad mini’s 7.9-inch screen.
In addition to the new iPads, Kuo also reported that Apple’s augmented reality glasses could launch in 2022 at the earliest. There have been many rumors about some kind of AR headset from Apple, and The Information reported in November that Apple is actually working two separate devices — an AR headset for release in 2022 and a pair of AR glasses to be released a year later. It’s unclear exactly which of these devices Kuo may have been referring to, if either of them.
Apple just today confirmed that it acquired virtual reality company NextVR, signaling that the company continues to invest in technology that could potentially be used in some kind of AR or VR device.