Second Source Claims Apple Will Launch 10.5-inch iPad in 2017

A report from the Taiwanese supply chain emerged overnight claiming Apple will release a 10.5-inch "education and enterprise" tablet as part of its iPad line-up next year (via DigiTimes). The 10.5-inch iPad is said to be equipped with Apple's A10X processor, also expected in next year's refreshed line-up, with production slated to begin next month.

ipad_lineup_2016_sides

Apple is launching the 10.5-inch iPad mainly because 10-inch and larger tablets have been popular among enterprises and the education sector in the US, the sources said. Its existing 9.7-inch iPad may be too small and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro too expensive for such procurement, the sources indicated.

A number of claims have emerged recently suggesting Apple plans to extend its iPad line-up with a new tablet dimension in the 10-inch range. Earlier this month, Barclays analysts claimed Apple will release a bezel-free 10.9-inch model alongside refreshed 9.7-inch and 12.9-inch iPads, citing its own supply chain sources, while in October Japanese website Mac Otakara said a new 10.1-inch iPad Pro would launch in early 2017.

However, today's report marks the second independent source to suggest Apple plans to introduce a 10.5-inch mid-tier iPad. In August, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the same thing and earmarked the same A10X processor for the tablet, suggesting there may be more substance to this particular rumor.

In addition, Kuo claimed Apple will also launch lower-price versions of the 9.7-inch iPad. Today's sources corroborate that claim also, citing Apple's apparent intention "to compete with Android models".

Shipments of the rumored 10.5-inch iPad are expected to reach two million units in the first quarter of 2017 and may reach 5 to 6 million units in the year, DigiTimes sources said.

More "revolutionary" changes to iPads, including a switch to OLED displays, are expected in 2018, according to Kuo's earlier report.

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

Popular Stories

iOS 26

6 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.1

Wednesday October 29, 2025 4:22 am PDT by
Apple is about to drop iOS 26.1, the first major point release since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least six notable changes and improvements to look forward to. We've rounded them up below. Apple has already provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of iOS 26.1, which means Apple will likely roll out the update to all compatible...
ios 26 1 slide to stop

iOS 26.1 Brings Back 2007 Feature in New Way

Friday October 31, 2025 1:40 pm PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a small but helpful change for iPhones, and it could prevent you from running late to something important. Specifically, when an alarm goes off in the Clock app, there is a new "slide to stop" control on the screen for turning off the alarm. On previous iOS 26 versions, there is simply a large "stop" button, which could be accidentally tapped. The new ...
iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Coming Soon: New Features for Your iPhone and Release Date

Monday October 27, 2025 7:55 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones, including a toggle for changing the appearance of the Liquid Glass design, "slide to stop" for alarms in the Clock app, and more. Below, we outline key details about iOS 26.1. Release Date Given that Apple has yet to seed an iOS 26.1 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, the...
M5 MacBook Pro

Waiting for New Macs? Apple Just Shared Bad News

Friday October 31, 2025 7:32 am PDT by
Apple has just given a strong indication that it will not be releasing any additional new Macs for the remainder of the year. Apple's CFO Kevan Parekh dropped the hint during the company's earnings call on Thursday:On Mac, keep in mind, we expect to face a very difficult compare against the M4 MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac launches in the year-ago quarter.Parekh essentially gave a heads up ...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

8 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Thursday October 30, 2025 4:42 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
maxresdefault

Apple TV 4K Could Still Launch Before 2025 Ends: All the Rumored Features

Monday October 27, 2025 4:51 pm PDT by
Apple is designing an updated version of the Apple TV 4K, and rumors suggest that it could come out sometime in the next couple of months. We're not expecting a major overhaul with design changes, but even a simple chip upgrade will bring major improvements to Apple's set-top box. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. We've rounded up all the latest Apple TV rumors. ...
ipad mini 7 feature blue

OLED iPad Mini: Release Date, Pricing, and What to Expect

Wednesday October 29, 2025 7:13 am PDT by
Rumors are stoking excitement for the next-generation iPad mini that Apple is reportedly close to launching. So what should we expect from the successor to the iPad mini 7 that Apple released over a year ago? Read on to find out. Processor and Performance Apple is working on a next-generation version of the iPad mini (codename J510/J511) that features the A19 Pro chip, according to...
Coffee Burgundy and Purple iPhone 18 Pro Mock 1

Leaker Outlines Potential New Colors for iPhone 18 Pro

Friday October 31, 2025 8:28 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro models could be available in new rich and warm color option, according to a known leaker. The Weibo user known as "Instant Digital" today suggested that next-year's iPhone 18 Pro models will be available in at least one of the following color options: Coffee, purple, and burgundy. The iPhone XR, iPhone 11, iPhone 12, iPhone 14, and iPhone 14 Pro were all available in ...
apple tv hd

Apple Launched Its Big New Vision for TV 10 Years Ago Today

Thursday October 30, 2025 8:58 am PDT by
Apple launched the Apple TV HD, the Siri Remote, tvOS, and their accompanying App Store a decade ago today, marking a major overhaul of the device. The new vision for the Apple TV was unveiled on September 9, 2015 during Apple's "Hey Siri" event in San Francisco, where CEO Tim Cook introduced the device with the statement, "The future of TV is apps." The announcement represented a major...

Top Rated Comments

Chicane-UK Avatar
117 months ago
EXCELLENT. We just don't have enough iPads available already. Well worth sidelining the Mac Pro and other desktop Macs for this. Good work, Apple.

That's sarcasm by the way.
Score: 58 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mikkis Avatar
117 months ago
As long as the OS is what it is the new hardware is quite irrelevant.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
canny Avatar
117 months ago
Tim Cook needs to go.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
melendezest Avatar
117 months ago
The problem with the iPad is not its size, weight, or horsepower.

The problem is Apple's lack of vision for the device.

As others have already stated, it begins with the OS.

Apple made a decision way back to lock that sucker down, and they effectively crippled the device's ability to truly redefine computing.

If Apple truly intends the iPad to be the future they need to allow filesystem access, eliminate the proprietary lightning horses***t, provide mouse/trackpad support, and open up more customization options like Android does.

Until that happens, the iPad will remain a toy that can do some minor pro stuff instead of a full-blown Pro tool you can play with.

But Apple's doubling-down on the consumer-side. It's abandoning the pro segment little by little: "The iMac is powerful enough." "An iPad is all you need." A soldered-down, (effectively) port-less Mac is "Pro".

One look at Apple's current product line makes it obvious: Apple is in chaos.

They are letting the competition catch up and fill in the gaps, instead of expanding their portfolio and taking at least some eggs out of the iPhone basket.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tapaul Avatar
117 months ago
Yaaaawn. Its astonishing that a company with the resources Apple has, seems no longer able to innovate. Ipad is seriously boring. Incrementally micro-updating it is boring. Macbook's are now boring. iMacs are old. Where has all the excitement gone? If they could just update the mac pro, again, and stun me, like they could back then. These days, its all phones, ipads and macbooks for the lowest common denominator.. If they want some more of my cash, they are going to have to get to work.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
redheeler Avatar
117 months ago
Yet another move that would make Apple's current lineup more reminiscent of the 90's than ever. My suggestion is replace the 9.7" with a 10.5" + slimmed bezels, make it a lower price, and stop the crazy fragmentation.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)