Apple’s iPad lineup may be about to get its biggest refresh in a while. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported in the November 1 edition of a Bloomberg newsletter that Apple plans three new iPad launches early next year, covering the base iPad, the iPad Air and the iPad Pro, according to Engadget and MacRumors. Apple has not confirmed any of this, and the details are a report, not an announcement.
The base iPad. The entry-level model would move to the A19 chip with 8GB of RAM, which would bring Apple Intelligence to the cheapest iPad, according to Engadget. It would also get Apple’s N1 chip and C1X modem, enabling Wi-Fi 7 and sub-6 GHz 5G with faster speeds and lower battery use. Reports say the chip, price and design are not confirmed, and one report says the display and design stay largely unchanged.
The iPad Air. The Air would get an OLED screen matching the one on the new iPad mini, plus the usual chip upgrade. Chip expectations vary between reports: MacRumors and others expect an M5, since the Air typically trails the Pro by a generation. One report notes the display would keep a 60Hz refresh rate and Touch ID.
The iPad Pro. The Pro would get a processor upgrade from the M5, possibly to an M6 or a future M7, depending on the report. Engadget says it would likely add a vapor chamber, a cooling part that helps it keep its speed during demanding work such as AI tasks. Apple was first reported to be considering this last year.
The timing. The reports point to the first half of 2027. Gurman reportedly does not expect major iPad launches in the second half of the year unless a model slips. No dates, model names beyond the categories above, or prices were mentioned in the Engadget article.
The context. Apple launched a new iPad mini with an A20 processor and OLED display the week before, and the iPhone Duo last month, according to Engadget. The same article notes that Apple’s touchscreen MacBook Pro models and the iPhone Duo could compete with iPads, and says Apple sells roughly 60 million iPads a year.
Why it matters. For buyers in the US and UK, the report suggests waiting may pay off if the plan is to buy an Air or the base iPad, since both would gain notable upgrades. An OLED Air would narrow the screen gap with the Pro, and Apple Intelligence on the base model would make the cheapest iPad more capable. Pricing is the open question: UK and US prices are not part of the report.
What to watch. Look for further reports on the chips, an Apple announcement date, and how Apple prices the OLED Air relative to the Pro.
Sources: Engadget and MacRumors, citing Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. This is a report and not an Apple announcement.
Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (file image), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
