5 Reasons to Wait for the 10.2-inch iPad & 5 Reasons Not To

Apple is reportedly working on a new 10.2-inch iPad and it looks like it could arrive in 2019. There are some great reasons to think about waiting for the 10.2-inch iPad’s release and there are also some reasons why you might want to skip it and go with another device.

If you’re searching for a new tablet this month, you’ve got a lot of options to wade through. If you’re interested in buying an iPad, you’ll want to take a look at Apple’s iPad Pro, the iPad mini 5, the iPad Air 3, and the 9.7-inch iPad.

If you aren’t married to the iPad, you might want to look at alternatives like the new Samsung Galaxy Tab S6, Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e, Galaxy Tab S4, Galaxy Tab A 10.5, Microsoft Surface Go, or Microsoft Surface Pro 6.

There are some excellent options on the market right now, but there are also some new tablets on the way in 2019 and 2020 and you should look into these before you buy your next slate.

Apple supposedly is working on new iPad Pro models for release sometime in late 2019 or 2020.

The company is also rumored to have a new 10.2-inch iPad up its sleeve for 2019 and rumors are starting to pickup as we close in on the company’s fall launch window.

10.2-inch iPad Rumors

Nothing is set in stone, but reliable sources suggest that the 10.2-inch model is currently in production ahead of a release later this year.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and Debby Wu report that a 10.2-inch model is on the way and that it will replace the company’s 9.7-inch line. The company will “likely” discontinue the 9.7-inch line after selling it for nearly 10 years.

CoinX, another source that has been accurate in the past, claims that a 10.2-inch iPad model is coming as well.

Both iPad 7 (10.2”) and the “new” iPad (10.5”, non-Pro) are coming. But not at the same time.

— CoinX (@coiiiiiiiin) March 13, 2019

We’ve also seen Apple register unreleased iPad models, running iPadOS 13, at the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC), a sign that a launch could be coming soon. The devices were registered as A2068, A2197, A2198, A2228, A2230.

More recently, the company filed two more unreleased iPad models, A2200 and A2232, into the EEC database. Like the others, these models will run iPadOS 13.

With Apple’s fall launch window in sight, odds are good the company announces new iPads ahead of Black Friday and the holiday shopping season.

We don’t know a whole lot about the 10.2-inch model yet, but it looks like it could be the replacement for Apple’s budget 9.7-inch iPad. And that makes it an intriguing device for those that want a big screen and access to iPadOS without having to spend top dollar.

Now that rumors are picking up we want to take you through some reasons to consider waiting for Apple’s rumored 10.2-inch iPad and some reasons why you might want to skip it.

Wait If You Aren't In a Hurry to Buy

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The 10.2-inch iPad is reportedly in production and it will probably arrive sometime this fall.  At this stage we don't know when Apple will launch the device. The company could choose to announce it on stage on September 10th alongside the 2019 iPhones, iOS 13, and iPadOS 13.  It could choose to launch the device in October after the hoopla from the iPhone has died down a bit. Apple's held October events in the past and a rumor from Japanese blog Mac Otakara claims the device will indeed hit shelves sometime in October.  The company could also simply choose to launch the device via a press release sometime this summer or sometime in the fall.  A report from hit-or-miss publication Digitimes claims the tablet will launch sometime in late Q3. It doesn't provide an exact date or month.  In any event, all signs point to a launch sometime in 2019 with the most likely candidate being a date in September or October.  If you want to buy a new iPad, it might be a good idea to hang around until the device launches so that you can compare it to the current lineup.  That said, if you can't wait a few more weeks due to budget concerns or another reason, you might need to start looking elsewhere.

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