Apple is rumoured to be working on a new iPad, which last week was reported to be a 10.9-inch slate with similar internals to a soon-to-be upgraded 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
And now it seems the as yet unconfirmed new iPad will give us a look at how next year’s iPhone will look, according to a new report from Makotakara (via 9to5Mac).
The report, citing an ‘informed’ supply-chain source in Taiwan, claims the new tablet will come with reduced bezels and without a physical home button.
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By reducing the bezel size and doing away with the home button, Apple is said to have managed to fit the larger screen on a case the same size as the current 9.7-inch iPad.
What’s more, Apple has long-been rumoured to be considering ditching the home button on the upcoming iPhone 8, in favour of extending the screen to make the phone an almost ‘edgeless’ handset.
The company could then integrate home button functionality under the display itself, including the Touch ID fingerprint sensor – as some patents have already hinted at.
Rumours of a full-face screen on the iPhone 8 have been doing the rounds for some time, but this is the first we’ve heard of iPads with a similar design.
The latest report follows the news earlier today that Apple could be planning to integrate an OLED screen with a better resolution than Samsung’s current smartphone offerings, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Whether the OLED tech will make it into the rumoured new iPads remains unclear at this point, but it seems unlikely.
DigiTimes, which last week reported the rumoured iPad 10.9-inch, stated that ‘Taiwan-based supply chain makers’ claimed Apple will begin production on the new iPad in December, ahead of a 2017 launch.
Alongside this new iPad size, the company is said to be planning to launch a lower-price variant of the 9.7-inch iPad to compete with Android rivals, and an enhanced version of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
None of the news has yet been confirmed by Apple, so all of it remains speculation at this point. But it does look like all the rumours are pointing towards the demise of the home button.
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Let us know what you make of the report in the comments.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
