Along with the surprising leaks about the MacBook Pro and Mac Pro this week, we also got confirmation about some expected chip upgrades coming to the iPad and iPad mini. MacRumors reported on both of the iPad leaks, based on references in internal code accidentally published by Apple.
The first is that the iPad mini is going to get an upgrade to an A19 Pro chip. The A19 Pro is the chip that will be reportedly at the heart of the iPhone 17 Pro models expected to be released next month. In recent years, Apple has released standard and Pro versions of its chips, with the Pro version having extra GPU cores and slightly better graphics performance, which is better suited for an iPad. The current iPad mini has an A17 Pro chip.
The second report states that the standard iPad is getting an upgrade to the A18 chip. The standard iPad is Apple’s most affordable tablet, with a starting price of $349. The current model has an A16 chip, and while it’s fast enough for most people who buy an entry-level iPad, it’s an older chip that does not support Apple Intelligence features. The upgrade to the A18, the same chip in the iPhone 16, would presumably bring Apple Intelligence support.
It is not clear when the new iPad and iPad mini will be released. The A16 iPad was only just released this past March, while the A17 Pro iPad mini arrived last October. Both could arrive as small refreshes by the end of the year or next year. Specifically, the iPad mini’s release cycle has been erratic, with Apple waiting three years between the most recent update. Based on this new report, however, Apple appears to be eyeing an sooner-than-later iPad mini update.