The physical home button could be removed in the next iPad release to make way for a larger screen.
According to a report from Japanese site Makotakara, the new iPad would also have reduced side bezels to allow the rumoured 10.9-inch device to have roughly the same footprint as Apple’s current 9.7-inch iPad Pro.
Instead of a physical home button, Apple is said to be considering embedding a button in the display, potentially featuring haptic feedback that would simulate the familiar click. This feature was originally expected to be revealed for the iPhone 8 next year.
The top bezel, containing the front-facing FaceTime camera, is expected to remain mostly unchanged. Apple may also take the unusual step of increasing the thickness of the iPad to fit a battery in the reduced dimensions.
Apple is expected to release a new iPad model early next year.
