Like the Apple iMac, there is also another lineup within the company that saw a skip for a new release this year, and these are the iPads, but worry not, as a new claim from an analyst expects an update coming next year.
With the arrival of the M3 chip, massive possibilities are in place for next year's iPads, and like the iMac, a refresh with new chips is coming to various models.
iPad Update 2024 is Coming, Apple to Revamp Entire Lineup
Mark Gurman is back at it again in his Power On Newsletter via Bloomberg, announcing a massive update coming to the iPad models come 2024, and this time, the analyst claims a revamp for the entire lineup of the Apple tablets. He regarded that the new iPad and AirPods models are not yet ready for this year's release, with the company not rushing it before 2023 ends.
With Gurman's claims, the massive iPad lineup saw its last update in October 2022, centering on the iPad Pro and iPad Classic which saw a refresh for its processors and features.
According to MacRumors, the last iPad updates for each model include the iPad Pro and the iPad Classic (10th generation) in October 2022, the iPad Air (5th generation with the M1 chip) in March 2022, and the iPad Mini (6th generation with the A15 Bionic chip) in September 2021.
What iPad Models Releasing in 2024 is Getting the M3?
The biggest update to the iPad models released in 2024 is expected to be the iPad Pro, coming in with its 11-inch and 13-inch variants that will feature OLED displays alongside the powerful M3 chipset.
On the other hand, it is expected that Apple will bring the M2 chips for its iPad Air (6th Gen) and finally the A16 Bionic to the iPad Mini (7th gen), but no information about the iPad Classic.
Apple's iPads: The Powerful Tablets with its SoCs
Like the iPhones, Apple's iPads are no stranger to its system of chips (SoCs), centering on its ARM-based Silicons known as the A-series chipsets, but some more high-end versions already got the M-series. However, it saw a significant holdout this 2023, with Ming-Chi Kuo among the earliest to speculate that no iPad models are seeing an update for 2023.
Back in late 2022, the latest iPad model to see an update was its iPad Classic, the standard size of the lineup that has been around for more than a decade already, but it sported the A14 Bionic chip like the iPhone 12 from 2020. This device came alongside the iPad Pro released in last year October which sported the last-gen M2 chip, similar to what the 2022 MacBook Air featured.
For the entire of 2023, Apple seemed to have taken a step back in its iPad development after subsequent years of delivering new updates for its different models, but it is not prolonging the wait further. As per Gurman, 2024 will be a massive year for the iPad models to get a next-gen upgrade, with the iPad Pros expected to get the M3, but others to get older M-series chips or new A-series.
