【Japan】

In early October,Japan there were rumors that a slew of iPads were on the horizon. This scuttlebutt picked up early this week, with tipsters suggesting that Apple may be planning to debut a little somethin' somethin' on Tuesday — but all we got was a USB-C Apple Pencil.

However, we have some good news and some bad news.

The good news is that Apple did, indeed, release a new iPad. The bad news is that you probably can't buy it — and you wouldn't want to, anyway.

Nestled in the Chinese press release (as spotted by 9to5Mac), Apple announced a new version of the 10th-generation iPad. Before you open up your wallet, though, remember that this is in the Chinesepress release. It's simply an update for the Chinese market — and the only major update is something that isn't all that major at all:

The updated iPad (10th generation) wireless LAN + cellular network model supports eSIM in mainland China for the first time. It will be available for pre-order on October 19th and will be officially released on October 25th. The updated iPad (10th generation) wireless LAN + cellular model will support the eSIM cellular network data plan in mainland China, enabling fast, smooth, and secure cellular data connections without the need for a physical SIM card.

Yes, this "new" iPad supports eSIM in mainland China. That's cool and good for that particular market, but the American version of the 10th-gen iPad already has eSIM. In other words, Apple just gave the Chinese market product parity with the American market.

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The wait for new iPads continues.

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