After the iPad Professional and iPad Air launch earlier this yr, we’re nonetheless anticipating a brand new Eleventh-gen iPad and iPad mini earlier than the tip of 2024. Now a brand new leak sheds some gentle on what they might be packing below the hood.
In keeping with a reference in Apple’s backend code found by Nicolás Álvarez on X (through @aaronp613), the corporate is engaged on a number of new iPads which are prone to launch this fall, together with:
- iPad15,7: Eleventh-gen iPad (Wi-Fi)
- iPad15,8: Eleventh-gen iPad (Wi-Fi + Mobile)
- iPad16,1: iPad mini 7 (Wi-Fi)
- iPad16,2: iPad mini 7 (Wi-Fi + Mobile)
In keeping with the identifiers, the Eleventh-gen iPad will sport an A16 processor—an honest improve from the A14 Bionic within the Tenth-gen mannequin—whereas the mini will get a more moderen A17 chip, additionally a two-generation bump. Apple might choose to place an A17 Professional within the mini if it desires it to run Apple Intelligence. Additionally noticed within the code are references to a number of seemingly scrapped iPads that have been as soon as in improvement however didn’t make it to manufacturing:
- iPad13,20: “Base” A14 iPad (Wi-Fi)
- iPad13,21: “Base” A14 iPad (Wi-Fi + Mobile)
- iPad15,3: 11-inch M3 iPad Professional (Wi-Fi)
- iPad15,4: 11-inch M3 iPad Professional (Wi-Fi + Mobile)
- iPad15,5: 13-inch M3 iPad Professional (Wi-Fi)
- iPad15,6: 13-inch M3 iPad Professional (Wi-Fi + Mobile)
These first two fashions on the listing will not be the Tenth-gen iPad (which additionally options an A14, however has the designators “iPad13,18” and “iPad13,19”). Moderately, these seem to discuss with a deliberate A14 replace to the Ninth-gen iPad, which was retired in Could and was the final iPad with a House button.
Moreover, the leak exhibits that Apple was certainly engaged on an M3 iPad Professional that we anticipated to launch this yr. At its “Let Free” occasion in Could, nevertheless, Apple as a substitute stunned us by leaping from the M2 to a brand-new M4 chip within the new iPad Professional. It wasn’t the primary time a brand new chip made its debut in an iPad—the iPad Air obtained the A14 chip a month earlier than the iPhone 12 attributable to Covid manufacturing points—however it was the primary time Apple selected to launch a brand new M-series chip in a non-Mac machine.
Lastly, there are 4 references to “iPad 17,” which seemingly refers back to the M5 iPad Professional that may seemingly launch someday in 2025 or early 2026.