Apple's next entry-level iPad – the eleventh generation of this particular device – hasn't arrived until 2023 yet, but we just found out when the tablet could arrive in 2024.
According to a report from Nikkei Asia (through MacRumors), which details the production processes of Apple's manufacturing partners in Vietnam, we can expect a launch for the 11th generation iPad in the second half of next year.
Sources who spoke to Nikkei Asia say the technical verification, part of the quality control process, is scheduled for mid-February 2024. The task of shifting new product sources to Vietnam is apparently underway.
The report doesn't go into detail about the specs and features we can expect from the 2024 iPad, or how much it could cost. However, we don't expect any huge changes compared to the model you can currently purchase.
Time is everything
For reference, the 10th generation iPad was launched via a press release in October 2022. Before that, the 9th generation iPad was unveiled at an Apple event in September 2021 – it was announced alongside the iPhone 13 series.
Other iPads are sometimes launched alongside the entry-level model, and sometimes not. For example, the 5th generation iPad Air was unveiled in March 2022, along with the iPhone SE 3 and the Mac Studio.
All that means it's hard to be sure which month the 10th generation iPad will arrive – although September or October seem like sensible bets. It's possible that it will be announced at the same event as the iPhone 16.
The current 10th generation iPad has a 10.9-inch IPS LCD display of 2360 x 1640 pixels and is powered by an Apple A14 Bionic chipset paired with 4GB of RAM. At launch, the tablet cost $449 / £499 / AU$749 and up.