While the 2024 iPad Pro promises the “first major update to the product since 2018”, we’re not expecting much more than an iterative update for the entry-level iPad in 2024.
But what could that look like in practice? Read on to find out what we currently know about the 11th-gen iPad, and a wish list of what we’d like to see Apple do (while still keeping the price competitive).
iPad 2024 (11th gen) release date and price
While we expect all four of Apple’s iPads will be refreshed in 2024, the entry-level iPad is reportedly not at the front of the queue. Indeed, the analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has it listed for the second half of the year along with the iPad mini 7, behind both the new Pro model and iPad Air 6.
A supply chain report from Nikkei Asia also backs this up, and while it’s disappointing, we can understand why Apple might be keen to hold it back. As the company’s cheapest iPad, it could well be its best-seller for the 2024 holiday season.
Speaking of price, there have been no leaks as of yet. Given the 10.9-inch 2022 iPad saw a big price bump on its predecessor, we’re hoping Apple maintains the $449 start price, but we wouldn’t be surprised if it hit $500 given the nature of tech price inflation.
iPad 2024 (11th gen) specifications
Last time around, Apple’s entry-level iPad enjoyed a whole new look. Gone were the thick bezels and home button, with Apple embracing a considerably more modern design.
We’re not expecting anything so dramatic this time around — in fact, it’s likely to be an iterative update. “I don’t believe updates of any significance are imminent,” wrote Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman back in October, and there’s little reason to believe anything’s changed given the near-total absence of leaks.
So what would an iterative update look like? It could simply be confined to a faster processor. The current iPad uses the A14 Bionic chipset found in 2020’s iPhone 12. It seems likely we’ll get a boost to the A15 chip from the iPhone 13, but there’s always a slim chance it will inherit the iPhone 14 Pro and basic iPhone 15’s A16.
Either would give it a decent bump in power. The A14 Bionic achieves average scores of around 1,500 for single core and 4,000 for multi core in Geekbench. The A15 takes this to circa 1,700 and 4,500, while a jump to A16 would see it pushing scores of around 1,900 and 5,300.
Other than that, we’re not expecting much. But we do have some suggestions, if Apple is in a listening mood…
What we’d love to see in the iPad 2024 (11th gen)
1. More generous storage
The current iPad comes with two storage configurations: a quite generous 256GB and an incredibly stingy 64GB.
The latter is a bit ridiculous for a tablet with no expandable storage in 2024, so hopefully Apple will start the new tablet at 128GB without raising the prices. If not, we’d at least appreciate a 128GB tier those who don’t need the full full 256GB.
2. Apple Pencil 2 support
Stingy storage aside, the most ludicrous thing about the 2022 iPad was that it only supported the first-generation Lightning Apple Pencil. That would be fine, except Apple also removed the Lightning port, requiring users to awkwardly clip on a USB-C adapter to charge the accessory.
The 2024 iPad will almost certainly only support the USB-C Apple Pencil 3 which removes the need for an adapter, but that also means waving goodbye to pressure sensitivity. In an ideal world, we’d want Apple Pencil 2 support, but that is likely to remain exclusive to the pricier models.
3. A year without a price hike
Granted, this may be incompatible with the above two wishes, but we’d love for Apple to keep the price static at $449 in 2024.
The big changes for the 2022 version resulted in a $120 price increase, which explains why Apple unusually still sells the $329 ninth-generation version through its official channels.
Hopefully Apple can avoid another price hike — this is supposed to be the entry-level tablet, after all, and another increase would see it closing in on the iPad mini 6’s $499 MSRP.
