MacRumors had a video sometime back (I want to say like five-ish months ago) where they challenged themselves to streamline Apple's product line. I think I have a stab at it and I think it's probably not too far off from what Apple is going to do.
A 12.9-inch iPad Air is being rumored heavily enough that I think that it's probably a safe bet. If the iPad Air is to have a 10.9-inch version and a 12.9-inch version, while the iPad Pro has an 11-inch and 13-inch sizes, then you've basically mimicked what is going on in MacBook-land with there being 13.6-inch and 15.3-inch MacBook Air sizes and 14.2-inch and 16.2-inch MacBook Pro sizes.
So, my prediction is this:
Apple is finally going to streamline the iPad line.
Three sizes of iPad Air and Pro, mostly similar sizes (with the Pros being slightly larger). You'll have something sized around the ballpark of the current iPad mini, something in the 10.9/11 inch range and something in the 12.9/13 inch range. Three sizes of iPad for Air and Pro. The iPad mini will basically exist in two versions, drop the "mini" moniker and be either "Pro" or "Air" (sort of sensible seeing as the smallest iPad meets the original marketing goal Apple had with "Air" in 2008 in that it is so small and light that it just disappears).
If the standard iPad continues to exist after this, it'll either relegate to an education/business/education-and-business only model or drop further in price to finally replace the price point still held by the 9th Generation iPad (which, at this point, has been around long enough to serve anyone still needing lightning as the primary data connection interface). My guess is that Apple is needing products to keep increasing in price to maintain revenue (as has been the trend among non-Pro iPhones as well as most iPad models for a while now). But, it'd definitely result in a much cleaner lineup and also provide (artificial) justification for 2023 being the first year since the iPad first launched without any iPad launch.
A 12.9-inch iPad Air is being rumored heavily enough that I think that it's probably a safe bet. If the iPad Air is to have a 10.9-inch version and a 12.9-inch version, while the iPad Pro has an 11-inch and 13-inch sizes, then you've basically mimicked what is going on in MacBook-land with there being 13.6-inch and 15.3-inch MacBook Air sizes and 14.2-inch and 16.2-inch MacBook Pro sizes.
So, my prediction is this:
Apple is finally going to streamline the iPad line.
Three sizes of iPad Air and Pro, mostly similar sizes (with the Pros being slightly larger). You'll have something sized around the ballpark of the current iPad mini, something in the 10.9/11 inch range and something in the 12.9/13 inch range. Three sizes of iPad for Air and Pro. The iPad mini will basically exist in two versions, drop the "mini" moniker and be either "Pro" or "Air" (sort of sensible seeing as the smallest iPad meets the original marketing goal Apple had with "Air" in 2008 in that it is so small and light that it just disappears).
If the standard iPad continues to exist after this, it'll either relegate to an education/business/education-and-business only model or drop further in price to finally replace the price point still held by the 9th Generation iPad (which, at this point, has been around long enough to serve anyone still needing lightning as the primary data connection interface). My guess is that Apple is needing products to keep increasing in price to maintain revenue (as has been the trend among non-Pro iPhones as well as most iPad models for a while now). But, it'd definitely result in a much cleaner lineup and also provide (artificial) justification for 2023 being the first year since the iPad first launched without any iPad launch.
