You’ll have to wait a while longer for a new base model iPad

By Bryan M. Wolfe Published October 28, 2024

The iPad (2022) in its yellow color. — Joe Maring / Digital Trends

Apple has had a busy year on the iPad front. Just last week, the company announced the iPad mini (2024). In the spring, it launched next-generation versions of the iPad Air (2024) and iPad Pro (2024). The entry-level iPad is the only model that hasn’t been refreshed this year — and it probably won’t be.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple won’t announce a new regular-sized iPad until 2025. As such, we’ll probably see the 11th-generation iPad arrive in the first half of the year alongside the long-rumored iPhone SE 4 and next-generation iPad Air versions.

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The iPad (2025) will likely have a similar design to the current model, which was released late in 2022. It will likely get a speed boost, allowing it to run Apple Intelligence. Apple’s artificial intelligence tools, set to be released for compatible Apple products beginning this week, will be available on any iPad with an A17 Pro chip or later. The current iPad features an A14 Bionic chip.

Apple has marketed Apple Intelligence as a premium and exclusive offering for high-end devices like the iPhone 16 series and iPhone 15 Pro. In an unusual decision, the company reduced the price of its bestselling budget tablet to $349 in May, down from the previous entry point of $449. These aren’t premium prices, which, no doubt, is another reason it won’t support Apple Intelligence.

Though limited information is available about next year’s iPad Air, we can probably expect a significant performance upgrade. The current model features the M2 chipset, which suggests that the next version may include the M3 chipset. This is the chip on the current MacBook Air and entry-level MacBook Pro. Regarding the new iPad Pro, Gurman anticipates its release will not occur until late 2025 or early 2026. This high-end tablet is expected to incorporate Apple’s upcoming M5 chipset, but will primarily feature the same design as the current model.

We anticipate Apple will announce the iPad (2025) in April or May, perhaps even earlier.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Bryan M. Wolfe has over a decade of experience as a technology writer. He writes about mobile.

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Spotted by MacRumors, the Weibo-based leaker says Apple is evaluating an 8-inch OLED panel from Samsung, but they don't know what the refresh rate is yet. The LCD display on the iPad mini 7 is 60Hz but it could make sense to expect something higher this time around. The leaker, along with other sources, expects the iPad mini to launch in 2026.

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It seems tablets are increasingly becoming the unofficial launch testbed for Apple’s next-gen silicon. The 2024 iPad Pro marked the debut of Apple’s M4 chip, ahead of its appearance inside the Mac hardware.
Carrying forward the torch, the next iPad Pro refresh could be “one of the first devices” to get a M5 series processor. According to Bloomberg, the next-gen iPad Pro has progressed into the advanced stages of internal testing. Moreover, it is expected to hit the shelves later this year, likely in the Fall season.
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What to expect from M5 iPad Pro?

Starting with the design , Apple is not expected to make any notable changes, given the company’s history. The iPad Pro got a major design overhaul in 2024, embracing a super-sleek look, one fewer camera, and a new keyboard accessory to go with it.
As far as the silicon goes, the M5 series will reportedly be based on the 3nm process and built atop ARM’s next-gen CPU architecture. In addition to the 2025 iPad Pro, Apple is also expected to launch new MacBook Pro models later this year, armed with an M5-tier processor.

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