Apple
We received confirmation of certain anticipated chip enhancements for the iPad and iPad mini this week, in addition to the unexpected disclosures regarding the MacBook Pro and Mac Pro. Based on references in internal code that Apple inadvertently made public, MacRumors reported on both of the iPad leaks.
The first is that an A19 Pro chip will be added to the iPad mini. The iPhone 17 Pro models, which are anticipated to be introduced next month, are said to be powered by the A19 Pro CPU. Apple has introduced both basic and Pro versions of its CPUs in recent years; the Pro version is more suitable for an iPad because it features additional GPU cores and slightly improved graphics performance. The A17 Pro chip powers the current iPad mini.
According to the second source, the A18 chip will be upgraded for the regular iPad. With a starting price of $349, the basic iPad is Apple's least expensive tablet. The A16 chip found in the current model is outdated and does not support Apple Intelligence capabilities, although it is fast enough for the majority of users purchasing an entry-level iPad. Presumably, Apple Intelligence support would be included with the upgrade to the A18, the same chip found in the iPhone 16.
When the next iPad and iPad mini will be available is unknown. While the A17 Pro iPad mini was released last October, the A16 iPad was only released this past March. By the end of the year or the following year, both might be introduced as minor upgrades. In particular, the iPad mini's release schedule has been inconsistent, with Apple delaying the last update by three years. But according to this recent story, Apple seems to be planning an iPad mini update sooner rather than later.
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