Apple may release a 9.7-inch iPad for $250 in 2018 making it the cheapest in its category

A report coming out of the Apple rumour mill shows that the Cupertino-based giant is planning to unveil the cheapest 9.7-inch iPad in 2018. Apple had earlier launched a **9.7-inch iPad** this year with prices starting at $329, but it did not get a good reception. [caption id=“attachment_4238169” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] A store employee writes on an iPad during a preview event at the new Apple Store. Reuters[/caption] This news, first reported by Digitimes, tells us that the upstream suppliers have said that Apple will launch an iPad in the second quarter of 2018 for a price of $259 (Rs 16,000 approximately). That’s pretty cheap considering it’s Apple we are talking about. The AirPods cost $159 and now you might get an iPad by spending just a 1oo bucks extra (Dollars not Rupees). Big thumbs up to Apple. Considering that the tablet segment has been falling quite dramatically in the past year, this new cheap iPad might revive Apple’s presence in the market. The report claims that Apple is looking to expand this iPad into the industrial and service sectors. The report also claimed that Apple would most likely be outsourcing the manufacturing of this iPad to Compal Electronics. Now if Apple can introduce a $250 iPad, rivals such as Samsung, Huawei and Lenovo will not be far behind introducing their own competitive products. Perhaps the tablet segment can be saved after all.