Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that the upcoming entry-level iPad will feature the A17 Pro chip. While it was anticipated that the iPad 11 would incorporate Apple’s Intelligence capabilities, the specific chip for this budget-friendly model remained uncertain.
First Generation 3nm Technology
There have been ongoing discussions regarding the challenges Apple faced with the first generation N3B process, utilized in the A17 and M3 chip families. This manufacturing process comes with high costs, yields that are modest at best, and minimal performance enhancements compared to earlier versions.
Consequently, many observers speculated that Apple would seek to transition away from this process. Notably, Apple launched the M4 chip in the iPad Pro in May 2024, a mere six months after debuting the first M3 chips for Mac in November 2023.
Apple has also been known to use older generation chips for entry-level iPhones. This trend began with the iPhone 14 series, featuring the A15 Bionic chip from the iPhone 13 in the base model while the iPhone 14 Pro showcased the newer A16 Bionic chip.
However, the recent iPhone 16 series broke this pattern, equipping all models with the A18 chip. The A17 chip was notably absent from the base iPhone 16 variants, suggesting that Apple had concluded its use of the first-generation 3nm process.
A17 Pro in iPads
In a surprising twist, Apple unveiled the new 7th generation iPad mini, which supports Apple Intelligence features and carries the A17 Pro chip from the iPhone 15 Pro rather than the newer A18 chip. This decision aligns with the iPad mini’s status as a lower volume product.
Nonetheless, Apple plans to proceed with the first generation N3B process for its higher volume entry-level iPads as well. According to Gurman:
The new entry-level iPads — J481 and J482 — will feature enhanced processors and Apple Intelligence capabilities. Current models are powered by the A14 chip and 4GB of RAM. The upcoming versions will incorporate the A17 Pro chip, similar to the iPad mini, along with an upgrade to 8GB of RAM, the minimum requirement for the new AI functionalities.
For the iPad mini 7, Apple is utilizing a binned version equipped with a 5-core GPU, justifying their continued use of the A17 Pro. It’s likely that a similar binned variant of A17 Pro will be implemented in the iPad 11 as well.
As per tradition, Apple is expected to release this new iPad model in the spring, alongside new iPad Airs, a new iPhone SE, and updated Magic Keyboards.
My favorite iPad accessories on Amazon:
Follow StrongChimp: X/Twitter, Bluesky, Instagram
: We use income-earning auto affiliate links. More.
