10.2-Inch iPad Said to Launch in the Fall as Successor to 9.7-Inch iPad

Apple is widely expected to release a new 10.2-inch iPad later this year as a replacement for its $329 entry-level 9.7-inch ‌iPad‌, and hit-or-miss Taiwanese industry publication DigiTimes has now added its weight to this rumor, claiming that the tablet will be released in the "late third quarter."

9 7 ipad 2019
If accurate, that timeframe means the 10.2-inch ‌iPad‌ would be released by the end of September, suggesting that the device might be unveiled alongside new iPhones at Apple's usual September event.

‌iPad‌ releases in the fall have typically occurred in October, including in 2012 through 2014 and again in 2018. September would not be totally out of the ordinary, however, as Apple unveiled the original iPad Pro and the iPad mini 4 at its September 2015 event without hosting an October event that year.

It's worth noting that DigiTimes has a rather unreliable track record as it relates to the timing of new Apple products. This week alone, for example, the website published one report saying the 16-inch MacBook Pro will be released in September and another saying the notebook will launch in October.

Multiple sources have outlined expectations for a new 10.2-inch ‌iPad‌, including reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and the previously-reliable mystery Twitter account CoinX. Apple has also filed several unreleased iPad models running iPadOS 13 in a Eurasian regulatory database, as legally required.

The 10.2-inch ‌iPad‌ would have a modestly larger display than the 9.7-inch ‌iPad‌, possibly in tandem with narrower bezels.

A reasonable assumption would be that Apple will unveil new iPhones and Apple Watches in September and save the rumored 16-inch MacBook Pro, 10.2-inch ‌iPad‌, and ‌iPad Pro‌ refresh for October, but Apple could always break with tradition.

Related Roundup: iPad
Buyer's Guide: iPad (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iPad

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
maxresdefault

Apple Releases iOS 18.4 With Priority Notifications, Ambient Music, New Emoji and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:03 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, the fourth major updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating system updates that came out last year. iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 come two months after Apple released iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to...
top stories 2025 03 29

Top Stories: WWDC 2025 Announced, iPhone 17 Pro and iOS 19 Rumors, and More

Saturday March 29, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's big developer event is a little over two months away, and rumors about what we can expect to see in Apple's next major operating system updates are becoming increasingly frequent. A public release of iOS 18.4 is also imminent with a number of updates and improvements, although we won't be getting the major Apple Intelligence Siri upgrades that had reportedly been planned for this...
Magic Mouse Green

What to Expect From the Magic Mouse 3

Saturday March 29, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Apple is reportedly working on a new Magic Mouse. Below, we recap what to expect. The two key rumors for the Magic Mouse 3 so far include a relocated charging port, along with a more ergonomic design. It was briefly rumored that the Magic Mouse 3 would also feature voice control, but that was misinterpreted information. Relocated Charging Port While the Magic Mouse switched from...
iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Expected Next Week - Here Are the Release Notes

Friday March 28, 2025 2:01 pm PDT by
With the second release candidate of iOS 18.4 that Apple seeded out today, the company finally provided us with release notes that give a full rundown on what to expect. There's an Apple Vision Pro app, new Apple Intelligence features for notifications and additional language support, plus an Apple News Food feature for Apple News+ subscribers, and several updates that should improve the...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Six Things to Know About Apple's Upcoming Foldable iPhone

Friday March 28, 2025 3:54 pm PDT by
We've been hearing rumors about a foldable iPhone for almost a decade now, but it looks like we might finally see the device come to fruition in 2026. We're going to be waiting many more months for the foldable iPhone, but so far we're hearing good things. Apple wants to make it creaseless. It's taken Apple multiple years to design a foldable iPhone that it's satisfied with because Apple ...
iOS 19 visionOS UI Elements

Apple Codename Provides Clue About iOS 19's Rumored New Design

Sunday March 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
Multiple sources have claimed that iOS 19 will introduce a new design with more translucent buttons, menus, notification banners, and more, and there is now another clue that points towards this glass-like appearance. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said the new design project is codenamed "Solarium" internally. A solarium is a room with glass walls that allow in plenty of sunlight, so this...
macOS Sequoia Feature

Apple Releases macOS Sequoia 15.4 With Mail Categorization and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:04 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.4, the fourth major update to the macOS Sequoia operating system that launched in September. macOS Sequoia 15.4 comes two months after the launch of macOS Sequoia 15.3. Mac users can download the ‌‌macOS Sequoia‌‌ update through the Software Update section of System Settings. It is available for free on all Macs able to run macOS 15. With...

Top Rated Comments

dannyyankou Avatar
74 months ago
So we’ll have a 10.2 inch iPad, 10.5 inch iPad, 11 inch iPad, and 13 inch iPad. Not confusing at all.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PickUrPoison Avatar
74 months ago
Agreed. And the 10.5 will be dead

On a side note, it must be really expensive to stock and sell cases for all these slightly different form factors. Maybe they need the adjust-o-case for the iPad xxx
What sense does it make to drop the Air? You don’t see any room for something in between a $299 budget model and a spare-no-expense $799 iPad Pro? Interesting.

How is that—in any way whatsoever—a good thing for iPad buyers? If you don’t have 800 bucks to drop your stuck with a bottom of the line iPad with a budget screen?

Yikes, no thanks. Good/better/best at $299/499/799 is a much better lineup. $299/799 would be a disaster.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
smizzle Avatar
74 months ago
I just hope they add support for the newer Apple Pencil so that the whole lineup can use the same one.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Spankey Avatar
74 months ago
Run out of parts for 9.7, exhaust all parts for 10". Rinse, Repeat.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PickUrPoison Avatar
74 months ago
A new size. WOOO! Is that the main innovation factor that Apple has going for it’s products? How long can this last?
It’s a $299 iPad, exactly what kind of “innovation” are you looking for?

If you want “innovation” every year, are you ok with yearly price increases?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nexusrule Avatar
74 months ago
So we’ll have a 10.2 inch iPad, 10.5 inch iPad, 11 inch iPad, and 13 inch iPad. Not confusing at all.
My god, still with this meaningless comment. You have a $300 iPad (10.2) a $500 iPad (10.5) and a $800-1000 professional iPad that comes in two sizes. In the real world people purchases are dictated by budget, not by the inexplicable need to find something to whine about Apple on an Internet forum. Someone in the market for a $300 tablet won’t be confused by the size of a $800 for them unaffordable tablet. And who need a large $1000 tablet won’t give a thought to the size of a low entry 300 one etc.

It’s only confusing for people that have no intention to buy an iPad but just to stare at the website to find something to whine on this forum.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)