Every October, Apple usually introduces updated iPad models, and according to both Supercharged and 9to5Mac, we could see updates to all of the iPad models except the iPad Pro this week. This includes the base-model iPad, the iPad mini, and the iPad Air. Earlier this year, both Mark Gurman and Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that we wouldn’t see any new iPad models this year, and if so, this would mean that this would be the first year when Apple did not update any of its iPad models. If this claim proves to be true, you should expect just spec bumps across the entry and mid-range models.
One reason that the latest report could be correct is that every year since 2017, Apple has updated its entry-level iPad with modern specs, including a speed bump with a newer chip, and this trend with the 11th generation iPad will be no exception. What we could see in that model is a performance improvement from the A14 chip to the A15 chip. Do you remember that you have to use the USB-C to Pencil adapter to pair and charge the original Apple Pencil with the iPad 10? Apparently, that model doesn’t have support for the second-generation Pencil, but with some lines of code leaked recently, we could see a USB-C version of the original Apple Pencil.
The iPad mini last saw an update back in September 2021 when it adopted the more modern design that was introduced with the iPad Pro in 2018, so it has been over two years since then. If Apple were to update the mini, we could see that model go from the A15 chip to the A16 chip, the same chip found in the standard iPhone 15 models. The mini could have an improved display (though still 60Hz) to resolve that infamous “jelly-scrolling” issues that some users have noticed and complained.
The iPad Air was last updated back in March 2022, and it featured a more powerful M1 chip, the same chip found in the previous generation iPad Pro from April 2021. Since the iPad Pro was last updated with the M2 chip, we could see the same treatment on the iPad Air as well.
Other spec improvements that we could see in at least some of the upcoming iPads are Bluetooth 5.3 and WiFi 6E. We can also see some new colors for those iPad models as Apple tends to refresh the colors when it introduces new iPad models every year.
For the Apple Pencil, we mentioned that the original Apple Pencil could be updated with a USB-C connector, but Mac Otakara today reports that a third-generation Apple Pencil could launch soon with magnetic tips. This accessory will likely be for the iPad models that are compatible with the current Apple Pencil 2. This includes the mini 6th gen., Air 5th/6th gen., and Pro (2018 and later).
Because Apple usually announces new iPads and Macs at the same time, we could also see an update to the iMac, which hasn’t seen an update since April 2021.
Will you still be interested in buying any of the upcoming iPad models when they come out? Sound off in the comments below and follow us on X at @Appleosophy.
