Apple iPad 11 Set for Spring Launch with iPadOS 18.3 Pre-Installed

According to a reliable source for leaks about upcoming Apple software updates, the upcoming 11th-generation entry-level iPad looks set to launch in spring 2025 with iPadOS 18.3 pre-installed. This timescale is consistent with prior reports claiming the iPad 11 would launch alongside the iPhone SE 4 and a new iPad Air in the same timeframe.

Apple to Launch iPad 11 in Spring 2025 with iPadOS 18.3; New Features and Hardware Expected

The source also states that Apple intends to launch iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3 in the second half of January or early February, which is sufficient time for the company to send the devices with the latest software by March. But the cheap iPad 11 won’t have Apple’s upcoming custom 5G modem, which will be for the iPhone SE and iPhone 17 Air in 2025. It’ll support sub-6GHz 5G only — no semblance of mmWave here — with theoretical downloads of up to 4Gbps, which is slower than the current crop of Qualcomm modems.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman claims the iPad 11 will come with new hardware, possibly a more recent A-series chip than the iPad 10’s A14 Bionic chip, and at least 8GB of RAM. The iPad 10, released in October 2022, was Apple’s most recent affordable tablet revision. Gurman also noted that a redesigned version of the Magic Keyboard accessory is in the works with a potential launch well into mid-2025, possibly to accompany the iPad 11 or the iPad Air.

Until then, as Apple has only seeded the initial betas of iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3, details on new features are light. However, Apple is continuing to expand its Apple Intelligence capabilities, which were introduced with iOS 18.2 and include Image Playground, Genmoji, and Siri ChatGPT integration.

Upcoming updates to Siri in iOS 18.3 may include enhanced personal context, on-screen awareness, and improved multitasking across apps. As anticipation builds, the combination of updated hardware and enhanced software could make the iPad 11 a compelling option for budget-conscious consumers in Apple’s ecosystem.

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