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Technology giant Apple is reportedly preparing to roll out a new range of high-end iPads, possibly as soon as April.
According to a Bloomberg report on Wednesday, the company is aiming to spruce up its current iPad Pro models, with better cameras and faster processors. Citing sources, the report said Apple
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will debut two models of the tablet, with 11-inch and 12.9-inch screens.
A spokesperson from Apple couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
Newer features may include a Mini-LED screen, the report said. The iPads are also expected to boast processors comparable to the M1 chip that powers the newest MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and Mac minis.
The company launched that new line of Macs last November, marking the first batch of computers powered by the Apple-designed M1 chips. Critics raved that the new MacBooks have outperformed pricier Macs powered by Intel
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chips.
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Newer iPads are a play into the work/school-from-home trends that have emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic and have proven lucrative for the company. Apple posted its first $100-billion quarter in sales in January, boosted by its newest lines of iPhones. The company raked in revenue of $8.44 billion from iPads, versus $5.98 billion a year earlier, and beating the company’s forecast of $7.38 billion. Its China revenue also surged in the period due to sales of iPads, MacBooks and wearables.
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Shares of Apple have struggled alongside tech stocks this year, down around 6% as investors have favored more value-focused play, directly tied to an economic recovery. Apple shares gained 80% both last year and in 2019. That is even amid talk that the company could at some point make an Apple Car, which analysts at Citi group believe will push it from a $2 trillion market cap to $3 trillion.
