iPad 11 will support AI features with A17 Pro upgrade
13 Jan 2025

Apple's next-gen entry-level iPad, the iPad 11, is getting major upgrades to support the Apple Intelligence suite of AI features.

In his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reveals that the upgrades include an A17 Pro chip and 8GB of unified memory.

This will make the new model on par with the latest iPad mini in terms of processing power and memory capacity.

Launch expected in Q1
Release timeline

The iPad 11 is expected to arrive this spring, indicating a possible March or April launch.

Despite these major internal upgrades, Gurman says the new models won't have any major design changes from their predecessor, the iPad 10.

This means Apple's focus with this update is mainly on improving performance capabilities than changing looks.

Pricing and comparison with previous model
Cost speculation

The iPad 10 debuted in October 2022 at a starting price of $449. However, Apple slashed it to $349 in May 2024.

It is still unclear if the iPad 11 will stick to this lower starting price or return to a higher one.

For reference, the iPad 10 models come with an A14 Bionic chip and 4GB of RAM, which means the upcoming iPad 11 is a major upgrade in terms of hardware specs.

Apple Intelligence to be available on iPad 11
AI integration

With the launch of the iPad 11, all current-generation iPads will gain access to Apple Intelligence.

These features require an M1 or newer chip-equipped iPad Pro or iPad Air, an A17 Pro-equipped iPad mini, or soon, an iPad 11 with A17 Pro.

This move highlights Apple's commitment to bringing advanced AI capabilities to all of its current-generation tablets.

Upcoming updates for iPad Air and Magic Keyboards
Product enhancements

Along with the iPad 11, Gurman also expects the 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air models to get a spec bump this spring, probably to the M4 chip.

At the same time, Apple will also be releasing refreshed Magic Keyboards for the new iPad 11 and refreshed iPad Airs.

However, no hardware updates are expected for the iPad Pro until late 2025 or early 2026.