Last Updated on June 15, 2022 by srinivas
The rumor mill has spent much of this year talking about whether, and when, Apple will switch its iPhone line from Lightning to USB-C, a divisive move expected to happen in 2023. But while this was underway, it appears the company has been working quietly to complete the same transition for the iPad.
The iPad Pro got USB-C back in 2018; the iPad Air followed in 2020; and the iPad mini swapped in 2021. Now Apple is poised to update the 10.2-inch iPad and drop Lightning entirely from its tablet lineup, according to 9to5Mac sources.
As the cheapest tablet Apple sells, the 10.2-inch model is usually the last to get desirable features. In addition to a USB-C port in place of the current Lightning port, the 10th-generation iPad (which 9to5Mac says is codenamed J272) will also complete Apple’s transition to 5G.
It may be the last to do this, but the default iPad making these changes is very important. It’s Apple’s most popular iPad and will drag much of the tablet-using population to the USB-C and 5G standards.
One transition that won’t do, however, is the move to Apple silicon. The report says that the 10th-generation iPad will have an A14 Bionic processor instead of the M1 chip in the current iPad Pro and Air models. The entry-level iPad will likely have to wait for the iPad mini to get an M-class chip; the 6th generation mini has an A15.
As for the rest of the specs, 9to5Mac sources say the screen size will likely increase from the current 10.2 inches to 10.5 or even 10.9 inches, and it will have the same resolution as the current iPad Air. But they’re not sure if this will involve a major redesign to remove the Home button and move the Touch ID sensor to the top power button.
We expect the new iPad to be announced in the fall of this year along with the iPhone 14: for the latest rumors check out our 2022 iPad 10.2 superguide. If you can’t wait that long, grab a bargain on the current range with our guide to the best iPad deals.