Apple completely skipped 2023 when it came to iPad upgrades, but the company is now making up for it. A new leak points to eight upcoming models we can look forward to, including the entry-level 11th-generation iPad and the seventh-generation iPad mini.
These models have been spotted by @aaronp613 on X (via AppleInsider), and while they don’t tell us much about the next-generation iPads we can expect, they do provide a useful guide to which models will be getting an update next.
It’s worth noting that matching iPads to these model numbers, which were discovered in Apple’s database code, requires a bit of guesswork based on the way Apple has historically identified devices.
With that in mind, there’s no guarantee these are the models we’ll see, but they do fit in neatly with other rumors. Back in 2024, Apple has new versions of the iPad Air and iPad Pro coming, powered by M2 and M4 chips respectively.
Those models as a whole
In addition to the 5 iPhone identifiers reported yesterday, the following iPad identifiers were found (and @AppleDBdev’s guesses as to what they might be):iPad13,20 – A14 Wi-Fi base model (scrapped)iPad13,21 – A14 Cellular base model (scrapped)iPad15,3 – M3 11-inch Pro Wi-Fi…July 4, 2024
The iPad lineup actually includes six canceled models that Apple apparently skipped, including the M3-powered iPad Pro tablets. That model, the most expensive in the line, jumped straight from an M2 chip to an M4 chip.
Of the eight models still to come, two are said to point to the standard 11th-generation iPad, with and without cellular connectivity. This iPad is expected to come with the A16 chip that debuted in the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. The upgrade could arrive in late 2024.
The next two could well be referring to the 7th-generation iPad mini, with and without cellular. The consensus is that these tablets will use the A17 chip that first appeared in the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max that Apple launched last September. A launch is expected around the same time as the next entry-level iPad.
Finally, there are four that point to the next iPad Pro refresh, featuring the as-yet-unannounced M5 chip. These could be a long way off, but there are said to be two 11-inch models (with and without cellular connectivity) and two 13-inch models (again with and without cellular connectivity).