If there's one Apple product that's beginning to look a little (read: very) long in the tooth, it's the entry-level iPad. Apple's basic tablet is sporting a frankly prehistoric design, complete with home button and chonky bezels. But that could soon be about to change.
We've heard tell for a while that the basic iPad will soon adopt a similar design to the current iPad Air and iPad Pro, and it makes sense – it's about time the cheapest model gained Apple Pencil 2 support and an all-screen design. And it might have just been confirmed by a stray Amazon listing. (Don't fancy waiting? Check out the best iPad Air deals available now.)
An image of the so-called 'iPad 10th generation' (Image credit: ESR)
As spotted by MacOtakara, a listing has appeared on Amazon Japan for an ESR case designed for a "10th generation iPad" – something that doesn't yet exist. And judging by the images, it looks rather a lot like the iPad Air 5.
The flat edges are all present and correct, as is a USB-C port (take note, iPhone 15). And the case features a cutout on the right side, presumably to accommodate the 2nd generation Apple pencil. And while a third party listing wouldn't usually attract much attention, this is a case from ESR, one of the more prolific Apple case makers. Just like Logitech last month, it looks like the brand has let the cat out of the bag early – it's sure starting to sound like an upgraded entry-level iPad is on the way soon.
An image from the product listing (Image credit: ESR)
So what are we expecting from the new iPad? Rumour has it we're in for an A14 Bionic chip, offering an upgrade over the current A13 – but not quite reaching the heady heights of the M1, currently found in the iPad Air and iPad Pro. Other than that, time will tell how Apple plans to differentiate the iPad from the iPad Air.
The entry-level iPad is due a design update (Image credit: Apple)
Whatever's on the way, we have a feeling the iPad will have its moment to shine before 2022 is out – quite literally, in the case of the rumoured new iPad Pro display. If you're feeling impatient, take a look at today's best iPad deals below.
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Daniel John is Design Editor at Creative Bloq. He reports on the worlds of design, branding and lifestyle tech, and has covered several industry events including Milan Design Week, OFFF Barcelona and Adobe Max in Los Angeles.
