Apple updated the iPad mini last week with the A17 Pro chip and support for Apple Intelligence. But that was all there was to the announcement. The base model iPad did not receive a refresh. Although this was expected in advance, it’s still a bit puzzling. The current base iPad is over two years old, so why would Apple keep it so old?
iPad basic history
Apple introduced what is now called the entry-level iPad in 2017. Although the current model is the 10th generation, the product line’s lower price point began with the 5th generation. After the iPad Air was introduced in 2013, the iPad 4 was eventually discontinued, leaving a large gap between “iPad” updates.
With the new iPad (5th generation), Apple has set out to develop a product that will serve the masses, especially the education sector. Skipping the latest chipsets, laminated displays, and Apple Pencil support, we stripped away all the bells and whistles and stuck to the pure essentials. The amount of storage was also limited, at just 32GB. But at $329, it was a great value.
Apple updates this product every year, with the 6th generation adding Apple Pencil support and a new chip, the 7th generation adding a larger display, and the 8th generation adding new chips, faster charging, and more features. Added more storage and faster chips. 9th generation center stage camera.
Another year has passed since then, and the 10th generation has seen the biggest overhaul in the history of the iPad base model. We’ve inherited the latest iPad design language, added some fun colors, and switched to USB-C. However, it kept the older chipset, non-laminated display, and no Apple Pencil 2 support, still sticking to the original formula. Since the Apple Pencil 1 used Lightning, you still had to go through a strange adapter to utilize the Apple Pencil 1. , the iPad 10 used USB-C.
Why skip updates?
The current base iPad is over two years old. It currently has an A14 chip, but it was about two years old when it was released. Apple typically puts a chipset that’s about two years old in the base iPad with each refresh. And I think that might be why there’s no new iPad.
Apple makes Apple Intelligence a key part of all new product marketing, so they probably don’t want to ship new products without it. If history is to be followed, the current iPad 11 refresh will have an A16 chip, which will not be compatible with Apple Intelligence.
Sure, it could have an A16 chip and 8GB of RAM, but I doubt Apple would want to optimize Apple Intelligence for even lower-end hardware, especially if it’s only for one device.
With the iPad’s current price of $349, it’s unlikely that Apple will be able to put a chipset newer than the A16 into the device. Additionally, the iPad mini 7 uses the A17 Pro rather than the A18, so Apple probably doesn’t want to put too much strain on the capacity-limited second-generation 3nm process. It is not practical to include the latest chips in the cheapest products.
All things considered, refreshing the base model iPad with support for Apple Intelligence is probably not likely to happen this year. That’s why Apple held off on updating its most popular iPad for the second year in a row.
iPad 11 release date
Given all this, you may be wondering when the base iPad model will actually be refreshed. It was originally scheduled for this fall, but that didn’t happen in the end. Display expert Ross Young then said panels were starting to ship this month, suggesting a spring release. But Bloomberg’s Mark Garman has a less optimistic timeline:
The iPhone SE will get features in March, and the entry-level iPad will likely get an update later this year.
Therefore, we may be considering a fall 2025 update. At that point, the iPhone 17 will have already been launched, freeing up capacity for Apple’s most popular product to use the iPhone 16’s older A18 chip. This enables Apple Intelligence, but it’s a bit strange that the base iPad has an A18 chip. It has a better chip than the iPad mini, so it will likely be updated next fall.
In any case, the iPad mini uses a leftover A17 Pro chip that was binned during the production of the iPhone 15 Pro, so it’s in limited supply. You’ll probably update your iPad mini soon if you want. Given the fact that the base model iPad has significantly more capacity than the iPad mini, I doubt it will follow the same A17 Pro strategy.
summary
All in all, it seems very likely that Apple skipped a refresh of the base iPad, as the lack of Apple intelligence would probably have a negative impact on the optics. In any case, according to Mark Garman, the refresh won’t happen until late 2025, and when it finally gets updated, Apple will be selling 3-year-old products with 5-year-old chipsets. It turns out.
This is very concerning for long-term support of the software, but it seems to be our reality. Meanwhile, Apple will enjoy additional iPad Air sales from customers interested in the Apple Intelligence feature set but on a budget.
What do you think about Apple seemingly going all-in on Apple Intelligence? Let us know in the comments.
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