Apple is expected to launch a new 10.5-inch iPad that will fill the gap between its standard iPad and the larger iPad Pro in 2017.

Speaking to DigiTimes, Taiwan-based supply chain makers close to Apple have claimed the company is targeting enterprise and education with its new tablet, with this size of tablet thought to be popular among those particular sectors.

The standard 9.7 inch iPad would therefore be too small, while the 12.9 inch iPad Pro is too expensive for the market.

Middle ground

The 10.5-inch iPad will contain the A10X processor found in the iPad Pro. It is expected to see shipments of two million units in the first quarter of 2017, and may reach six million units by the end of the year.

Alongside this, Apple is expected to launch a cheaper version of its standard iPad to compete with lower-priced Android tablets of the same size.

Apple is known for releasing new iterations of its devices on a yearly basis, so it's likely these reports have a grain of truth to them. The new iPads could go some way to helping Apple's flagging sales, which recently saw their first decline in 15 years.