We had been waiting for a hardware update to Apple’s entry-level iPad for months. However, with this week’s launch of the iPad mini (A17 Pro), it now seems unlikely that we’ll ever see an update to that full-size iPad for the remainder of this year, and Mark Gurman was correct after all. So although the rest of the iPad lineup got refreshed this year, why was the base iPad the only model that didn’t get an update at all this year?
The entry-level iPad was last updated in October 2022 when Apple introduced the 10th generation, which brought a more modern design, fun and vibrant colors, USB-C, and an A14 chip. However, since that model started at $449, it did not immediately replace the 9th-generation iPad, which started at $329. So, Apple wanted to keep that model in the lineup for more budget-conscious users.
It wasn’t until May 2024 that Apple dropped the prices for the iPad 10 by $100, so that model now starts at $349. Therefore, Apple could immediately discontinue the iPad 9, further streamlining the iPad lineup along with the new iPad Air and iPad Pro models that Apple also updated back then.
Fast forward to this week’s announcement, the biggest new feature for the updated iPad mini was support for Apple Intelligence, which is made possible thanks to the A17 Pro chip. As you may know, any Apple Silicon chip with at least 8GB of memory is the minimum requirement to support Apple Intelligence, so the A17 Pro, A18, and A18 Pro are the only SoCs that officially support Apple Intelligence. Therefore, Apple couldn’t put an SoC with that amount of memory in such a more affordable model as the standard iPad at this time, especially when Apple just dropped the price for that model.
Apple could upgrade the iPad to use the A16 chip from the A14 chip instead and call it a day; however, it seems perfectly clear that Apple really wants its next updates for any product to support Apple Intelligence. So it’s now likely that we’ll see an update to the base iPad sometime next year. Apple’s goal with the standard iPad has always been to make it as affordable as possible. We could see the M2 chip coming to that iPad as that chip has been out for a while, hence now cheaper to produce; however, I highly doubt that as Apple has always recycled A-series chips (not X or Pro variants) from its older, previous-generation iPhones to put into those iPads. So maybe we’ll see the iPad 11 having the A18 chip? Who knows? The future for the base iPad is starting to get very interesting as it has been over two years since its last update, which is the longest we’ve ever seen for that model.
Until then, I don’t recommend you buy that iPad directly from Apple anymore, especially when it starts at a measly 64GB at $349, and the 256GB variant is now the same price as the iPad mini 7 (128GB) at $499. Not to mention that it’s just a $100 upgrade to bump the storage to 256GB, so it’s just a $100 delta between the iPad 10 (256GB) and the iPad mini 7 (256GB). You’d be much better off with sales at other resellers, and you may save even more money when buying it second-hand if you really want that base iPad.
For now, the A17 chip upgrade makes the iPad mini the most affordable Apple product to support Apple Intelligence. This year’s updates to the iPads have created the strongest lineup ever, with each updated model featuring Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 6E, Apple Pencil Pro support, and, most prominently, Apple Intelligence.
