iPad 11: The Definition of "Mid"
The first AI-first iPad
The rumors surrounding the 11th generation iPad are nothing crazy.
At its core, the 11th generation iPad appears to be designed around AI. This makes sense—the 10th gen iPad was released October 26th, 2022, while ChatGPT was released November 30th, 2022.
Apple Intelligence has been decent at best. For specific use cases, it’s great. But for most people, it’s pretty useless.
Specs
The new iPad is expected to have 8 GB of RAM and either an A18 or A17 Pro chip.
8 GB of RAM is a pretty big jump. The current 10th gen iPad only has 4 GB, but 8 GB is required for Apple Intelligence so this makes sense.
The upgrade to an A18 or A17 Pro is also huge—the current model only has an A14.
Personally, I think these are ambitious targets. That said, this information comes from a reportedly reliable source.
Connectivity
As with every other iPad these days, iPad 11 will come with WiFi and WiFi + Cellular options.
What could be interesting is the release of Apple’s proprietary 5G modem to manage connectivity (5G, WiFi, and Bluetooth).
For context, Apple has been using Qualcomm’s 5G modems for their devices. However, Apple being Apple decided to buy Intel’s modem division for a billion dollars and build their own hardware.
For the everyday user like you and me, this should hopefully mean better battery life. Nothing wrong with that.
Cost
Cost could be interesting.
Right now, the 10th generation iPad starts at $349. That said, it originally released at $449.
My guess is that iPad 11 will start somewhere between $449 and $499. I see a potential price increase because of the bump in specs (4 GB of RAM → 8 GB and A14 → A17 Pro/A18).
That said, the use of proprietary modems might cut some costs that would otherwise go to Qualcomm.
Software
The reason Apple appears to be taking a big jump in specs is to introduce Apple Intelligence to its cheapest iPad.
I used to be excited about Apple Intelligence, especially since my degree is in AI. That said, I rarely see real-world use cases in my day-to-day life. I hope this changes soon, but the quality of what we have right now isn’t good enough.
If I’m being honest, I’d rather see a cheaper iPad with slightly lower specs instead of an effort to grab onto the AI hype. The iPad 10 would be a good option, but frankly its A14 chip (which was in the iPhone 12 series) is a bit old.
Timeline
iPad 10 came out October 26, 2022.
The current gap (roughly 800 days depending on when you read this) is the second-longest gap between base-level iPad releases in history.
In other words, expect iPad 11 in the next few months.
Relevance
The 9th generation iPad is currently around the $230-$270 price range in mainstream US retail stores.
Once iPad 11 comes out, I expect iPad 10 to be around a similar range.
Final Thoughts
This will be an iPad born out of AI hype. I’m not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing.
Thanks for reading!
Adi
PS—Check out Concepts, my favorite note-taking app.