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Something to look forward to: Despite a slow start, Cupertino has been working hard to equip everything with a screen with Apple Intelligence (which is yet to arrive, of course). The iPhone 16 lineup and the iPhone 15 Pro hardware are good to go. All of its M1 Macs or later installed with Sequoia 15.1 are capable. The iPads are straggling behind but should get caught up by next year.
Last week, Apple unveiled the new iPad mini with an A17 chip and Apple Intelligence. Its big brothers, the M2 iPad Air, launched in May, and the ever-ready iPad Pro were just waiting for the iOS update enabling the new AI feature thanks to a delay. That leaves only the middle child, the standard iPad, as the only one in the family without Apple's new AI capabilities.
So, Apple has recently refreshed the entire iPad family except for the cheaper model, which hasn't gotten any hardware love since 2022. It still runs on the old A14 Bionic, which Apple introduced with the iPhone 12. However, we might not have much longer to wait. Apple has already indicated that it wants all of its products to implement Apple Intelligence by 2026. It's nearly there, lacking only the iPad and the iPhone SE.
This timing lines up for the MacBook Air, which is now scheduled for calendar Q1. January - March. https://t.co/PeiR2WLHDN https://t.co/05qJCCon29
– Mark Gurman (@markgurman) September 19, 2024
Display supply chain consultant Ross Young recently revealed that Apple device screens will start shipping to assembly lines by the end of this month. This claim supports an earlier prediction by noted Apple leaker Mark Gurman, who tweeted that these shipments include screens for the iPhone SE, which he claims will launch in Q1 2025 alongside a new M4 MacBook Air.
While it is possible that a refreshed iPad could be on the horizon for early 2025, Gurman's most recent speculation pegs an iPad refresh closer to the end of next year, after the SE launch.
However, take the information with a grain of salt. A lack of official confirmation and little to no details regarding the refreshed device – leaked or otherwise – it's really just a craps shoot. The only solid bet is that the next iPad will have at least an A17 regardless of when it releases.
Also read: Leaked internal report shows Apple Intelligence is two years behind ChatGPT
Apple has already said that the A16 in the base level iPhone 15 and iPhone 14 lineup is not powerful enough to run Apple Intelligence. Therefore, if Cupertino equips a refreshed iPad with anything less than the A17, it throws a wrench into its timeline of having AI on every Apple device by 2016. On the same note, it could get an M1 chip, but that might put it above the typical $350 price tag that fans expect from the entry-level model.
Image credit: Trusted Reviews