iPad 11: What's Next for Apple's Most Affordable Tablet

[MacRumors]

Apple is working on an update for the low-cost iPad, which hasn't been refreshed since 2022. As an entry-level product, the iPad doesn't get a lot of attention and it's not often the focus of rumors, but we've have some details on what's coming in the iPad 11. A refresh is expected sometime in spring 2025, likely around the April timeframe.

Design

Apple overhauled the look of the iPad in 2022, introducing a 10.9-inch all-display design and a Touch ID power button, so we're not expecting any further design changes at this point in time.

Apple will likely stick with the 10.9-inch display and iPad Air-like design, but we could get new colors. Current colors include silver, yellow, pink, and blue. The iPad already has a USB-C port, which will stick around, and it will continue to support the USB-C Apple Pencil.

A-Series Chip

It's not yet clear which chip Apple will use for the iPad 11. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple will use the A17 Pro chip. The A17 Pro is the same chip that's in the iPhone 15 Pro models and the iPad mini 7, and it supports Apple Intelligence.

A leaker who has provided reliable information in the past recently said that the iPad 11 will use a chip that has a T8120 identifier, which corresponds to the A16 chip. If the iPad 11 uses the A16 chip, it won't support Apple Intelligence.

If Apple does opt for the A17 Pro, we can expect 8GB RAM, the minimum RAM required for Apple Intelligence features. If Apple goes with the A16 chip, 8GB RAM won't be necessary.

Apple Modem

The low-cost iPad is expected to include Apple's upcoming custom 5G modem, which will also be introduced in the iPhone SE and iPhone 17 Air in 2025.

Apple's modem chip will be capable of theoretical 5G download speeds of up to 4Gb/s, which is slower than Qualcomm's modems in current phones. The chip will not support the fastest mmWave 5G, and will instead be limited to sub-6GHz 5G.

Other Updates

Apple has been updating most of its products with Wi-Fi 6E or better, so we can expect Wi-Fi 6E support for the low-cost iPad. The current model supports Wi-Fi 6, so it is not compatible with the faster 6GHz band that's available with Wi-Fi 6E routers.

Cost

We haven't heard rumors of any kind of cost increase for the iPad 11, so we're still expecting pricing to start at $349 for 64GB of storage. Apple has been bumping some minimum storage options in recent years, so there's a chance we could see a boost to 128GB of storage without a cost increase, but nothing has been rumored.

Apple only sells the iPad in 64GB and 256GB configurations right now.

Release Date

The entry-level iPad is expected to receive a refresh in spring 2025, likely in March or April.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has said Apple is working on a new Magic Keyboard accessory for the low-cost iPad and/or the iPad Air which is expected to come out by the middle of 2025.

Buying Advice

If you're planning to get a low-cost iPad and you can wait, we recommend holding off for the new model because of the major processor improvements coming. The current version is two years old at this point, and the chip inside is even older. You'll get the most out of your money if you wait for an update. That said, it's still an okay time to buy if you need a low-cost tablet immediately and do not care about Apple Intelligence.

Article Link: iPad 11: What's Next for Apple's Most Affordable Tablet

 

[bradman83]

A-Series Chip

The current 10th-generation iPad has an A14 chip that was first used in the iPhone 12 lineup, and it's getting outdated. The logical choice for the next iPad is the A16 that was used in the iPhone 15 models, but if Apple wants to make Apple Intelligence as accessible as possible, an A17 Pro chip or A18 chip isn't out of the question.

Of course, adding Apple Intelligence support would also necessitate much more memory, and the iPad is currently limited to 4GB, so it might just be too expensive for Apple to give it that functionality while also keeping the price affordable.

The A16 would be perfectly capable of running Apple Intelligence if it had the required RAM, and there's nothing stopping Apple from just upping the amount of RAM strapped to the chip. The A series chips aren't limited to specific memory configurations (Apple shipped A14 and A15 variants with 4 and 6GB of RAM depending on the model; the A12Z in the developer kit came with 16GB despite the iPads it shipped in only having 6GB).

The N3B process used to produce the A17 Pro is expensive. Apple is clearly trying to get off that process node ASAP. It's also worth pointing out that it was on news recently that TSMC's new factory in Arizona is going to start producing A-series chips soon with the rumor being the A16, so clearly those chips are still being made for something.

As for RAM being too expensive, from a component cost the difference between 4, 6, and 8GB is negligible. Apple has a vested interest in getting as many people onboard with Apple Intelligence; doing so means they can roll out new features that are subscription based and rake in more of that sweet, sweet services revenue.

 

[magicschoolbus]

Would love to see an M1 in these.

 

[Tyler O'Bannon]

Maybe we will get a binned A17 Pro chip just called A17. We will get a regular A17 after all!

 

[bodonnell202]

The A16 would be perfectly capable of running Apple Intelligence if it had the required RAM, and there's nothing stopping Apple from just upping the amount of RAM strapped to the chip. The A series chips aren't limited to specific memory configurations (Apple shipped A14 and A15 variants with 4 and 6GB of RAM depending on the model; the A12Z in the developer kit came with 16GB despite the iPads it shipped in only having 6GB).

The N3B process used to produce the A17 Pro is expensive. Apple is clearly trying to get off that process node ASAP. It's also worth pointing out that it was on news recently that TSMC's new factory in Arizona is going to start producing A-series chips soon with the rumor being the A16, so clearly those chips are still being made for something.

As for RAM being too expensive, from a component cost the difference between 4, 6, and 8GB is negligible. Apple has a vested interest in getting as many people onboard with Apple Intelligence; doing so means they can roll out new features that are subscription based and rake in more of that sweet, sweet services revenue.

I tend to agree. With TSMC producing the A16 in Arizona they plan to use it for something other than the iPhone 15. If they want to bring Apple Intelligence to the base iPad (I can still see that going either way) they can just pair the A16 with 8 GB of RAM instead of the 6 GB of RAM that it has been paired with to date.

 

[JosephAW]

The 9th Gen iPad for $199 is hard to beat and has plenty of life left.

 

[longhorn2004]

Ipad 10 will be at $199 soon

 

[bodonnell202]

Maybe we will get a binned A17 Pro chip just called A17. We will get a regular A17 after all!

Nope. N3B is expensive and Apple will be phasing it out as new products are released (M3 uses N3B too and I'm sure most of them will be switched to M4 later this fall). You won't see the A17 again - if they were going to use it for anything it would've shown up in the (non Pro) iPhone 16/16 Plus, but they made a slightly nerfed version of the A18 Pro instead.

 

[Zdigital2015]

M1 is possible, because Apple is going to want to move as many people to Apple Intelligence as quickly as possible. Moving the iPad 11th Gen to M1 will mean that the price goes up into the $449 slot again and the 10th Gen sticks around at the current price point. Mark this post.

 

[bradman83]

M1 is possible, because Apple is going to want to move as many people to Apple Intelligence as quickly as possible. Moving the iPad 11th Gen to M1 will mean that the price goes up into the $449 slot again and the 10th Gen sticks around at the current price point. Mark this post.

Highly unlikely that it will be M1. The M1 is based on the A14 and shares the exact same Neural Engine and same performance. Both are aging from a tech perspective. A newer chip like the A16 with more RAM would be significantly faster with AI tasks than an M1, especially since the Neural Engine received major upgrades for the A15 and A16 generations. (For reference, a big focus of the update to the A15 and related M2 chips is a significantly faster Neural Engine).

 

[Jeeve Stubbs]

The same way there's only MacBook Air and Pro, I think there should only be iPad Air and Pro by now. The iPad Air would be available in three sizes : 13", 11", Mini. And just like with MBA, Apple would keep selling the previous-generation iPad Air 11" for those on a budget. Likewise, I would discontinue the SE products and redirect budget users towards older regular iPhones and Apple Watches. To this effect, I would keep selling the iPhone back to 13 and Apple Watch back to series 7 for the time being.

 

[DavidSchaub]

The same way there's only MacBook Air and Pro, I think there should only be iPad Air and Pro by now. The iPad Air would be available in three sizes : 13", 11", Mini. And just like with MBA, Apple would keep selling the previous-generation iPad Air 11" for those on a budget. Likewise, I would discontinue the SE products and redirect budget users towards older regular iPhones and Apple Watches. To this effect, I would keep selling the iPhone back to 13 and Apple Watch back to series 7 for the time being.

That is fine, IF Apple is willing to sell old Airs or old iPhones at the cheaper price point; which historically, they haven't been. A product being one (or so) generation old just hasn't been sufficient, given Apple's margins, So Apple needs other to use cheaper parts and make a cheaper device.

Why reduce customer choice by having fewer products?

Heck, I think Apple should have more products, at more price point points. Certainly the Mac lineup should.

 

[erihp]

Ipad 10 will be at $199 soon

That would be the real deal!

They really need to pull a Sony and just cost reduce in order to produce new ones with existing housings and shared parts but with optimized/minimized guts for $199.

If they could sell an iPad-like product at that price, they probably wouldn’t be able to make enough of them. iPad SE.

 

[Tyler O'Bannon]

Nope. 3NB is expensive and Apple will be phasing it out as new products are released (M3 uses N3B too and I'm sure most of them will be switched to M4 later this fall). You won't see the A17 again - if they were going to use it for anything it would've shown up in the (non Pro) iPhone 16/16 Plus, but they made a slightly nerfed version of the A18 Pro instead.

Yes my comment was a mixture of sarcasm and joking. There will be no A17. A18 in budget iPad is good for Apple intelligence but seems too big of a jump from A14. So, maybe A16 will live on in this and perhaps land in second gen studio display as well. And perhaps Apple TV but that seems more suitable for A18 as it’s already on A15. Yes, N3B is something Apple will move away from aka no more A17 of any kind. RIP to a regular A17

 

[aforty]

I’ll wait for this. My iPad is just my glorified YouTube screen but the 32GB storage in mine is becoming a problem. Just earlier today I had to completely reset and reinstall from my laptop just to get iPad OS 18 onto it because just the OS basically uses up half the storage available.

 

[Biro]

I’ll wait for this. My iPad is just my glorified YouTube screen but the 32GB storage in mine is becoming a problem. Just earlier today I had to completely reset and reinstall from my laptop just to get iPad OS 18 onto it because just the OS basically uses up half the storage available.

How is iPadOS 18 running on it?

 

[raythompsontn]

My iPad is just my glorified YouTube screen but the 32GB storage in mine is becoming a problem. Just earlier today I had to completely reset and reinstall from my laptop just to get iPad OS 18 onto it because just the OS basically uses up half the storage available.

I am running iPad IOS 18 and according to the iPad the OS is using 11.8 GB of memory. That is about a third, not half of 32 GB. Something else is consuming your storage.

 

[Razorpit]

There’s no way we get a new iPad that doesn’t support Apple Intelligence.

 

[erihp]

There’s no way we get a new iPad that doesn’t support Apple Intelligence.

might be how they differentiate or justify other models/varients

 

[svish]

Expecting no major changes other than a chip upgrade. Hopefully the bright colours are retained.

 

[Isengardtom]

There’s no way we get a new iPad that doesn’t support Apple Intelligence.

Dunno - Buyers in that segment care even less about apple intelligence than higher end buyers in my opinion

M1 is possible, because Apple is going to want to move as many people to Apple Intelligence as quickly as possible. Moving the iPad 11th Gen to M1 will mean that the price goes up into the $449 slot again and the 10th Gen sticks around at the current price point. Mark this post.

It would upgrading to an air pretty useless in my view. I also doubt if Apple can still buy high volumes of M1 chips from TSMC.

 

[ufon68]

Apple is in a pickle here.
If any new device they release does not support apple inteligence, it's a terrible proposition to the customer. "Here is our new device which does not support this killer feature".
If it does and the device has less than 8GB RAM, it's an admission they could release the AI to older devices, and just choose not to.
But giving a low-cost device 8GB is something they don't want to do, because it both raises the cost, and makes the upsell to higher end models harder.

 

[Confused-User]

The A16 would be perfectly capable of running Apple Intelligence if it had the required RAM, and there's nothing stopping Apple from just upping the amount of RAM strapped to the chip. The A series chips aren't limited to specific memory configurations (Apple shipped A14 and A15 variants with 4 and 6GB of RAM depending on the model; the A12Z in the developer kit came with 16GB despite the iPads it shipped in only having 6GB).

The N3B process used to produce the A17 Pro is expensive. Apple is clearly trying to get off that process node ASAP. It's also worth pointing out that it was on news recently that TSMC's new factory in Arizona is going to start producing A-series chips soon with the rumor being the A16, so clearly those chips are still being made for something.

As for RAM being too expensive, from a component cost the difference between 4, 6, and 8GB is negligible. Apple has a vested interest in getting as many people onboard with Apple Intelligence; doing so means they can roll out new features that are subscription based and rake in more of that sweet, sweet services revenue.

Excellent analysis.

However, I do think it's equally possible they'll go with the A18 (non-Pro). Until the last few years, which were significantly affected by the pandemic and various supply-chain disruptions, Apple made a point of pushing their latest chip tech out even at fairly low price points - for example, the iPhone SE.

I wouldn't want to make a bet in either direction.

 

[applefan8254]

Can we get multiple users for iOS? Would be nice to have completely separate user spaces. Thank you.

 

[Funny Apple Man]

Still betting on A16 as the chip for iPad 11 since they never put the latest A series chips on their entry-level iPads.