Apple to launch new iPad Pro, iPad mini, 10.2-inch iPad and ceramic Apple Watch in 2019
Industry renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has published a research note claiming Apple plans to release two new iPad Pro models “with upgraded processors” in 2019, alongside a similarly enhanced iPad mini and new ceramic casing design for the Apple Watch Series 5.
The report suggests Apple will give the iPad mini its first upgrade since 2015, with the 9.7-inch “budget” iPad — first introduced in 2017 — expected to grow to 10.2 inches, putting it close to the size of the base 2017 iPad Pro. It doesn’t appear that Face ID will arrive on either new iPad model, with the updates widely believed to be internal upgrades with the exception of the large display on the entry-level iPad.
Kuo’s research note hints Apple will re-introduce a ceramic casing design for the Apple Watch, with ECG support expected to arrive into more countries later in the year, possibly with the release of watchOS 6.
Very few details are known about what could arrive with the updated iPad mini, dubbed the iPad mini 5. Apple added Apple Pencil support to the 9.7-inch “budget” iPad in 2017, so the company may possibly bring this capability across to the new 7.9-inch device.