Apple might be about to kill the 9.7-inch iPad screen size that it's offered for nearly a decade
- Apple may get rid of the 9.7-inch iPad size option this year, according to a Bloomberg report.
- The $330 iPad is the only one in Apple's lineup that comes with a 9.7-inch screen. But the next generation may have a 10.2-inch display.
- It would mark the first time Apple has cut the 9.7-inch size from its lineup since the iPad's 2010 debut.
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Apple has always offered the iPad in a 9.7-inch size option, but it looks like that might soon change. The company is planning to launch a new version of its entry-level iPad with a 10.2-inch screen this year, according to Bloomberg.
Apple has changed the iPad's form factor a lot since the tablet's launch in 2010, but it's always offered some version of it with a 9.7-inch screen. Now, the $330 iPad is the only tablet in Apple's current lineup that has a 9.7-inch display. That means if Apple changes the screen size of that tablet to 10.2 inches, it may soon cut the 9.7-inch size option entirely.
Apple did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.
That doesn't necessarily mean the cheapest iPad model will be physically larger than the current version. Rather, it likely means that Apple will decrease the size of the bezels that frame the iPad's display to make more space for the screen. Apple has done this for the iPad Air and iPad Pro in recent years, enabling the company to expand the screen sizes of these tablets without making them more cumbersome.
Read more: Apple is expected to launch 3 new iPhones this year - here's everything we know so far
Apple is also expected to refresh both models of the iPad Pro with faster processors and better cameras this year, as Bloomberg also reported. The launches would come after Apple launched new iPad Air and iPad mini tablets earlier this year.
While the iPhone remains Apple's biggest moneymaker by far when it comes to revenue, iPad sales have been growing. Revenue from the iPad increased from $4.6 billion in the quarter that concluded on June 30, 2018 to $5 billion in the same quarter this year. However, it still trails behind all of Apple's other product segments, including services, Mac, and its wearables, home, and accessories unit.