After launching the refreshed iPad mini with OLED last week, Apple still has more in the works for the rest of the iPad lineup in the first half of next year. This includes a new iPad Air, a new base iPad, and a new iPad Pro, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.
iPad Air
Following on from the iPad mini refresh, Apple’s upcoming iPad Air refresh will also benefit from OLED. It’ll likely stick with a 60Hz panel and probably won’t move from Touch ID to Face ID – but it will bring a nifty display upgrade to the iPad Air, a product that hasn’t had a major refresh since 2020.
In terms of chipset, although not confirmed, a move from the M4 chip to the M5 chip is rather likely. The price will also likely be higher, probably around $799-$899 for the base 11-inch model.
Basic iPad
Next year, Apple will finally update the base iPad for the first time since early 2025. It will upgrade it to the A19 chip and 8GB of RAM, finally enabling Apple Intelligence support on Apple’s cheapest iPad. It should also benefit from the N1 chip and C1X modem for improved network performance.
There shouldn’t be any screen or design upgrades with this iPad, at least for now – although it could potentially see updated color options.
iPad Pro
With the iPad Pro, Apple will add a vapor chamber to the device, a feat started last year with the iPhone 17 Pro. Otherwise, there probably won’t be any significant changes, except for a new chipset – probably M6 or potentially M7.
Hopefully this device has a few surprises in store. The iPad Pro now starts at $1,199 for an 11-inch model and $1,499 for a 13-inch model. By the time Apple introduces the M6 model, it will have been about 3 years since the last major redesign, and the company should probably do something to make it a more interesting refresh.
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