After debuting the refreshed iPad mini with OLED this past week, Apple still has more in the pipeline for the rest of the iPad lineup in the first half of next year. That includes a new iPad Air, a new base iPad, and a new iPad Pro, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.
To follow up the iPad mini refresh, Apple’s next iPad Air refresh will also gain OLED. It’ll likely stick with a 60Hz panel, and likely won’t make the switch from Touch ID to Face ID – but it’ll bring a nifty display upgrade to the iPad Air, a product that hasn’t had a major refresh since 2020.
In terms of chipset, while not confirmed, a jump from the M4 chip to the M5 chip is rather likely. It’ll also likely come with a higher price, likely around $799-899 for the base 11-inch model.
Base iPad
Next year, Apple will also finally update the base iPad for the first time since early 2025. It’ll upgrade it to the A19 chip and 8GB of RAM, finally enabling Apple Intelligence support on Apple’s cheapest iPad. It should also gain the N1 chip and the C1X modem for improved networking performance.
There shouldn’t be any screen or design upgrades with this iPad, at least as of now – though it could potentially see some refreshed color options.
With the iPad Pro, Apple will be adding a vapor chamber to the device, a feat it started last year with the iPhone 17 Pro. It probably won’t have any meaningful changes otherwise, except for a new chipset – likely M6 or potentially M7.
Hopefully, there’s some surprises in store with this device. The iPad Pro now starts at $1199 for an 11-inch model and $1499 for a 13-inch model. It’ll have been around 3 years since the last major revamp by the time Apple introduces the M6 model, and the company should probably do something to make it a more worthwhile refresh.
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