The Next iPad and iPad Pro Could Bring Plenty of Upgrades

From CNET: Apple recently upgraded its back-to-school targeted MacBook Air with a new M2 chip and a better camera and display. Apple's iPad lineup, however, is still due for a 2022 upgrade. The midrange iPad Air got an M1 chip back in the spring, but the entry-level iPad and the iPad Pro are in a holding pattern until the fall.

Apple is expected to have product launch events in September and October, similar to previous years. The iPhone 14 and Apple Watch 8 could be unveiled in September, while the iPads might be saved for October, alongside an update to iPadOS 16.

If you've been waiting for new iPad models, here's what to expect.

The entry-level iPad could get a significant upgrade, based on the latest reports from Mark Gurman and 9to5Mac. The current entry-level ninth-gen iPad still has a Lightning port and an original circular Touch ID home button, but the design might finally change to match the iPad Mini, iPad Air and iPad Pro models. That could mean flatter edges, a curved-corner display, USB-C charging and maybe a side-placed Touch ID button, almost like a budget version of the iPad Air.

The base iPad could get the A14 chip that was in the last-gen iPad Air, which would be an upgrade from the A13 that's in the current iPad, but short of the M1 that's on the Air and Pro models. If that's true, it could also mean the basic iPad won't be able to use the extra Stage Manager multitasking modes in iPadOS 16.

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