iPad 9 reportedly due next month, along with iPhone 13

Apple's next iPad could be here next month, around the same time as the iPhone 13. That's according to DigiTimes (via 9to5Mac), a site with a slightly spotty track record when it comes to Apple predictions.

However, a launch next month would see the iPad 9 launch exactly a year on from the eighth-generation model. Which lends the rumour some credence.

So what can we expect? According to the report, the tablet will look very similar to its predecessor, with no "significant design changes". 9to5Mac previously reported that the device will boast a new A13 chip, up from the A12 Bionic on the eighth-gen model. This was backed up by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who added that the tablet will be slimmer than its predecessor.

The device could help push Apple's total tablet shipments over 60 million units this year, according to DigiTimes.

Looking further ahead, Apple is rumoured to be investigating using Titanium for the iPad chassis, but the economics aren't right to start using it just yet. And according to reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPad Air will get an OLED screen soon, while the iPad Pro – and possibly other tablets – will get microLED screens. The most recent 12.9-inch iPad Pro is the first Apple device with a mini LED display – the 11-inch Pro is rumoured to follow suit next year.

Next month is looking like a busy one for Apple. As well as the iPhone 13 family and new iPad, it's rumoured to be cooking up a new iPad Mini, and possibly new AirPods wireless earbuds too. Phew.

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