The table will have a price tag of only $259 USD

Dec 1, 2017 23:50 GMT  ·  By

A new report coming from DigiTimes claims that Apple is planning to release an inexpensive 9.7-inch iPad tablet in late 2018 with a price tag of only $259 USD.

According to DigiTimes's sources, Apple is working on a new 9.7-inch iPad model that the company plans to release later next year as their most affordable iPad ever. It will come as an update to their current low-cost 9.7-inch iPad, but with a starting price of $259 USD.

Apple is not known to release cheaper products, but the report says the Cupertino-based company wants to at least maintain its existing 10 million-unit tablet shipments a quarter if not surpass it, so they'll have to attract more customers.

Apple's Q4 2017 fiscal year wasn't all that great for iPad sales, so it is believed that the company plans new marketing strategies to increase their iPad sales. iPad unit sales in Q4 2017 were up 11%, and revenue was up 14% compared to same quarter last year.

What’s a computer?

The cheaper 9.7-inch iPad 2018 model that Apple could launch in the second quarter of next year might offer some lower technical specifications than the current 9.7-inch iPad 2017 model, but most probably it will ship with iOS 12, which Apple will unveil during WWDC 2018 in June. The report claims the device would be manufactured by Compal Electronics.

Apple recently shared a new iPad Pro ad to challenge the definition of a computer. The company believes that its iPad Pro, in combination with the latest iOS 11 mobile operating system, can act as a drop-in replacement for a laptop. Check out the ad below and let us know if you think a tabet can fully replace a computer in 2018.