Apple, in addition to existing 7.9-inch iPad mini, 9.7-inch iPad and 12.9-inch iPad Pro, will launch 10.5-inch iPad in 2017, with production to begin in December, DigiTimes said citing Taiwan-based supply chain makers.

Apple is launching the 10.5-inch iPad mainly because 10-inch and larger tablets have been popular among enterprises and the education sector in the US, the sources said. Its existing 9.7-inch iPad may be too small and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro too expensive for such procurement, the sources indicated.

The 10.5-inch iPad will be equipped with Apple-developed CPU A10X which is also used in 12.9-inch iPad Pro, the sources noted.

Shipments of 10.5-inch iPad will reach two million units in first-quarter 2017 and may reach 5-6 million units in the year, the sources said.

Apple will also launch lower-price versions of the 9.7-inch iPad to compete with Android models, the sources noted.