Apple iPad, iPad Air, and iPad Mini models with “faster” chipsets expected to launch soon

It seems Apple’s iPad lineup is in for a refresh. Bloomberg’s journalist Mark Gurman, who has been pretty reliable with his reports, claims the Cupertino-based firm is gearing up to launch newer versions of the regular iPad, iPad Air, and iPad Mini. The lineup has been due for an upgrade ever since the iPad Pro with the M5 chipset was announced in October last year. Similar to the latest iPad Pro, the upcoming iPads may also look similar to their predecessors. However, it is said they will get a “faster” chipset.

The standard iPad could get the A18 chipset, which powers the iPhone 16 lineup, while the iPad Air and iPad Mini are likely to rock 2024’s flagship M4 chipset. These may not be the most recent chipsets, but history shows how well Apple’s silicon ages, continuing to deliver smooth, reliable performance years after release. This could be the only noticeable difference between the newer iPad models and the older ones.

Per Gurman, the upcoming iPad models will not ship with any design changes or other significant upgrades. Separately, it was reported that the new iPad Mini model would have an OLED touchscreen. This is expected to be an upgrade from the LED display on its predecessor, which comes with inferior IPS technology.

The move to OLED should significantly improve the viewing experience, delivering deeper blacks, richer contrast, and visuals that could be closer to what we see on the iPad Pro. Beyond image quality, OLED’s higher power efficiency may also translate into better battery life for the new iPad mini compared to the current model.

Moving on, since the new standard iPad is expected to rock an A18 chipset, it may introduce Apple Intelligence (AI) to enhance productivity and creativity. The A18 is capable of handling Apple’s neural processing to help you edit images, generate images, and summarise and rewrite text. Bringing AI to even the base iPad is said to be a part of Apple’s marketing strategy for the tablet.

If you’ve been waiting for these updates, the upcoming iPads may be worth considering. That said, the new iPad Air doesn’t appear compelling enough to justify an upgrade from the previous generation. The iPad mini, however, stands out as the one to watch, especially with its rumoured OLED display and M4 chipset. Meanwhile, the standard iPad, potentially gaining new AI-driven features, could further strengthen Apple’s position in the tablet market. It’s reported that 6 percent market share has already been driven largely by the standard iPad’s popularity, and these upgrades may help Apple push that figure even higher.