One disappointing way the iPad 2022 will be just like the original iPad
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Rumor has it that the next iPad will be launched at an event in October, and we were hoping for a major redesign. One of the most significant changes was the anticipated removal of the home button, bringing the base-model iPad in line with the iPad Air, iPad Pro, and just about every fancy iPhone Apple sells besides the cheap iPhone SE.
New rumors suggest the iPad 2022 model, the tenth generation iPad tablet, gets a new look but keeps the familiar old button. This leak is from a Twitter leaker newsletter LeaksApplePro (opens in new tab), only available by subscription. Presumably this means that the bezel around the screen won’t shrink too much. We’ve also heard that the sides of the device will be flattened, making it more like the iPad Air in profile.
Our leaker also expects that the next iPad, like the more powerful iPad Pro, will use USB-C. This is from the same leak that suggested the following iPhone 15 family could use USB-C for any model. It’s entirely possible that we’re at the beginning of the end of Apple Lighting on mobile.
The next iPad may also get support for Apple’s fanciest writing implements, the Apple pencil 2. Currently, the Pencil 2 only works with the iPad mini, iPad Air and iPad Pro, but not the regular old iPad. The next iPad could change that. We recently saw a misstep from the Apple Crayon maker Logitech with support for future iPad Pro models, but nothing indicates support for the base model iPad. The Logitech Crayon Digital Pencil uses the same technology as Apple’s own Pencil stylus.
Finally, after some delay, we will see the launch of iPad OS 16. The phone version of Apple’s mobile operating system, iOS 16, arrived a few days after the iPhone 14 family was announced. We’ve been monitoring beta progress for iPad OS 16, but haven’t heard any official news about when it would be available to the mainstream. Now it looks like iPad day is going to be the big day for both software and hardware. If you want to get to know the whole iPad family before the big launch, check out our best iPad to round up.
Analysis: An older-looking iPad should have an older-looking price tag
We won’t be in a rush to dismiss this iPad just because it retains a feature that Apple has been slowly killing on every other device it makes. Obviously the home button doesn’t have a long-term future with Apple, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be a great tablet to buy. After all, the iPhone SE represents a powerful bargain in the iPhone family lineup, and the aged exterior belies strong technology inside. We consider it one of the best iPhones you can buy.
At the very least, this could mean we won’t see a massive price hike for the new iPad 2022. A major redesign that completely changes the look of the device provides more justification for Apple to push prices up. If the new iPad looks like an evolutionary upgrade from the latest model, but not a whole new beast, it can start at the same price. In this year of a massive crisis in the cost of living, that can be considered the most welcome trait.