Apple shows off new iPads; streaming service reveal next?

Tech giant may use upcoming event to announce streaming TV service

Apple got the jump on itself Monday, unveiling two new iPads a week ahead of a company event slated to be held at the Steve Jobs Theater at the company’s headquarters in Cupertino.

Apple took the wraps off a new iPad Air with a 10.5inch screen, and an update to the iPad Mini that comes with at 7.9-inch screen. Both new iPads run on Apple’s A12 Bionic microprocessor, have screens with the company’s Retina display technology and can run for 10 hours on a fully charged battery.

Both iPads come with either 64 gigabytes or 256 gigabytes of storage and are available for ordering immediately. The iPad Mini starts at $399, while the iPad Air has an introductory price of $499.

While Apple’s iPhones have shown signs of declining sales, the iPad continues to grow its share of the tablet market. Apple no longer reports quarterly sales figures of its iPads; during its fiscal first quarter, which ended in December, Apple reported $6.73 billion in iPad revenue, a 17 percent gain over the same period in 2017.

Apple typically revamps its iPad line once a year, and the company had been expected to show off its newest iPad models at its event next week. However, with Monday’s announcement, speculation is set to grow around the likelihood that Apple will use its upcoming event to reveal that it is preparing to launch a subscription-based streaming TV service in an effort to nip at the heels of market leader Netflix.