Upcoming iPad 11: What Upgrades to Expect for Apple’s Budget-Friendly Tablet

Apple is preparing an update for its budget iPad, which has remained unchanged since 2022. As a more affordable option, the ‌iPad‌ usually doesn’t attract much attention and isn’t frequently discussed in rumors. There are, however, some new details about what the ‌iPad‌ 11 might include.

Leaks About the Upcoming Apple iPad 11

Apple overhauled the ‌iPad‌ in 2022 with an all-display design and Touch ID power button, so this update isn’t expected to focus on any major design changes. The design will probably be similar to the ‌iPad‌ Air with a 10.9-inch display, but we may see new colorways for the device. The existing colors include silver, yellow, pink, and blue. The iPad already features a USB-C port, which will continue, to support the USB-C Apple Pencil.

Apple’s existing 10th-generation ‌iPad‌ is powered by an A14 chip, which is now a bit long in the tooth. The most sensible bump would, of course, be to the A16 chipset that will debut with the iPhone 15 models but given Apple wants to introduce its Apple Intelligence feature set across more products then selecting A17 Pro or even A18 chipsets could be under consideration.

Incorporating Apple Intelligence would likely require more memory, which is currently limited to 4GB, potentially making it expensive for Apple to add such functionality while keeping the price low. Still, an A16 chip would still be a substantial performance improvement and lead to increased efficiency, and potentially longer battery life.

Most of Apple’s recent products feature Wi-Fi 6E, so the new budget ‌iPad‌ is expected to include this support, improving upon the current model’s Wi-Fi 6 capabilities. There have been no indications of a price increase for the ‌iPad‌ 11, so it is expected to start at $349 for the 64GB version. While Apple has raised minimum storage options in the past, there haven’t been rumors about increasing storage without a price hike.

Rumors suggest that Apple might hold an event in October to announce new M4 Macs and a new iPad mini 7, making it possible for the ‌iPad‌ to be unveiled then. That being said, these same analysts say that the device’s display won’t begin shipping until October, which could push its launch into 2025. Mark Gurman of Bloomberg has also revealed that Apple is working on a new Magic Keyboard accessory for the cheaper ‌iPad‌ or the latest model of the ‌iPad‌ Air and that it will see the light of day in mid-2025 at the very earliest. Apple might be wise to debut the ‌iPad‌ 11 alongside this accessory.

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