Rumor: Apple to retain Touch ID, 3.5 millimeter audio jack in some 7th-gen iPad units

There’s a chance that the technologies you’ve come to love will remain in Apple’s 7th-gen iPad.

A series of recent rumors from Asian suppliers has suggested that the 7th-generation iPad will sport an enclosure design identical to the current 9.7-inch iPad, complete with Touch ID biometric authentication and a headphone jack.  

Citing sources who conduct business through Alibaba, Mac Otakara reports Apple has no plans to revamp the design of its 9.7-inch “budget” iPad, a model manufactured with the education market in mind. 

At least one supplier has stated that a 10-inch iPad model is on the way, which dovetails with predictions from noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who stated last month that Apple would introduce a low-end table with a 10.2-inch screen.

The 2019 iPad is thought to retain older technology such as Touch ID, even though Apple swapped out the fingerprint-based authentication tech for Face ID in its top-of-the-line iPad Pro seres in 2018. 

It’s also thought that Apple might retain the 3.5 millimeter headphone jack, which was removed in the 2016 iPhone 7 and 7 Plus as well as the 2018 iPad Pro.

Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

Via AppleInsider and Mac Otakara