Apple’s next-gen, low-cost iPad may skip Face ID feature

Apple seems to be paying attention to those hoping to have affordable devices from the iPhone maker. Earlier, it was the iPhone SE, and now, it seems like an upcoming iPad which would be low-cost and obviously, skip a few standard features.

Coder Steve Troughton-Smith uncovered references to four new iPads in the iOS 12.2 beta version. He shared the code references on Twitter saying they are for Wi-Fi and cellular variants of possible iPads which would be without Face ID, indicating the purported models could be low-cost and toned down versions of the main models.

In addition to that, the code also has references to possible the 7th-gen iPod touch without any Touch or Face ID. It isn’t clear as to when the company will officially tease or launch these new products, but going by the tradition, Apple might give us a peek in the first few months of this year.

Earlier this moneth, Apple Inc took the rare step of cutting its quarterly sales forecast, with Chief Executive Tim Cook blaming slowing iPhone sales in China, whose economy has been dragged down by uncertainty around U.S.-China trade relations.

The news, which comes as a spotlight grows on Beijing’s attempts to revive stalling growth, sent Apple shares tumbling in after-hours trade, hammered Asian suppliers and triggered a broader selloff in global markets.

The revenue drop for the just-ended quarter underscores how an economic slowdown in China has been sharper than many expected, catching companies and leaders in Beijing off balance and forcing some to readjust their plans in the market.

“While we anticipated some challenges in key emerging markets, we did not foresee the magnitude of the economic deceleration, particularly in Greater China,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a letter to investors.

Apple finds itself in a tricky position in China, a key market for sales and where it manufactures the bulk of the iconic products it sells worldwide, after the high-profile arrest in Canada of the CFO of domestic rival Huawei Technologies Co Ltd.

Since the arrest last month, at the request of the United States, there have been sporadic reports of Chinese consumers shying away from Apple products. Even before then, local rivals like Huawei had been gaining market share over Apple.

Cook told CNBC that Apple products have not been targeted by the Chinese government, though some consumers may have elected not to buy an iPhone or other Apple devices due to the firm being an American brand.