Apple was rumored to introduce the iPad mini 7 and the new entry-level iPad together in October. On the other hand, Apple decided to release just the iPad mini 7.
At the moment, this is the most reasonably priced option that is compatible with iPadOS 18, which comes with Apple’s Intelligence capabilities. Now, Apple is said to be planning to update its base iPad in the spring of 2025, but it’s not clear if Apple Intelligence will be added.
The Complexity of Apple Intelligence Integration
One notable aspect of iPadOS 18 is Apple Intelligence, although it does come with some hardware requirements. The A17 Pro CPU and 8 GB of RAM, as seen in the iPad mini 7, seem to be Apple’s baseline for these AI features. The entry-level iPad, which has often been Apple’s most affordable offering, faces a challenge due to this specification.
If Apple added the A17 Pro chip and 8 GB of RAM to the base iPad, it would close the gap between it and the iPad mini 7, which could mean that the iPad mini 7 is no longer needed. Using a less powerful technology, such as the A16 series CPU, raises the question of why Apple Intelligence is not available on older smartphones, such as the iPhone 15 and iPhone 14 Pro models, which both use the A16.
Expected Launch Date
Apple is gearing up to launch its entry-level iPad running iPadOS 18.3 in Spring 2025. This release is expected to align with the introduction of the M3 iPad Air and the iPhone SE 4. The updated iPad will not feature Apple’s custom 5G modem, which is planned to debut with the iPhone SE 4 and iPhone 17 Air.
