This week, Apple introduced the iPad Air (2025). However, less attention was given to a new version of the regular iPad, which was also announced. If you missed this additional news, that’s understandable. This latest version wasn’t so much announced as it simply appeared on the Apple online store.
The 11th-generation iPad wasn’t even worthy of a press release, which says a lot. Even the latest iPad mini, another tablet Apple hasn’t shown much love in recent years, received a press release when it was announced in October.
Why is there so much missing love for the regular iPad? Why should would-be buyers care?
What happened?
Before getting started, let’s briefly look at the iPad (2025) and see how it differs from the previous model, which was released in 2022.
The most significant improvement from one version to the next is the introduction of an A16 chip on the new model. This is a jump from the previous version’s A14 Bionic chip, but, and this is key, it is not as big of a leap as you might expect.
The A16 chip is a less advanced version of the A16 Bionic chip found in the iPhone Pro 14 series and the regular iPhone 15 models. It features a 5-core CPU and a 4-core GPU, one fewer core than the A16 Bionic.
On the positive side, the newer iPad features a slightly larger display and increased storage options. Notably, the entry-level version now offers 128GB of storage instead of 64GB, all for the same price of $349. This is particularly impressive considering the original iPad, released in 2010, was priced at $499 for just 16GB of storage, which would be nearly $730 when adjusted for inflation in 2025.
What’s wrong?
My beef with the new iPad has nothing to do with price, and honestly, I’m not inclined to quibble with Apple for including an A16 chipset instead of an A16 Bionic chipset. Apple loses me in the tablet’s lack of design changes and a key feature omission.
Apple was once regarded as one of the leading technology companies in mobile product design innovation. Many people felt excited when devices like the iPhone 4 and iPhone X were released, for example, showcasing significant design changes. Similarly, the first iPad Air was celebrated for its slender body, and no doubt, so will the first iPhone Air when it’s revealed later this year.
What did we get with the iPad (2025)? It features the same design as the model released in 2022. Surprisingly, in 2.5 years, Apple couldn’t even introduce a subtle design tweak to its entry-level tablet or change the color options. While the iPad Air (2025) also looks identical to its predecessor, a point I also find questionable, it’s worth noting that these tablets were launched only 10 months apart, making the lack of change seem a bit less concerning.
And then there’s the lack of Apple Intelligence on the new iPad. Remember Apple Intelligence, the focus of nearly every Apple ad since last summer?
Sure, you can argue that most folks buying an entry-level iPad don’t want or need AI. But, when you’re Apple, and you’ve fallen so far behind others on the AI front (hi, Gemini), doesn’t it make sense to get the heavily advertised feature on as many products as possible? Even the recently released budget iPhone 16e has Apple Intelligence.
This means the iPad (2025) joins the 2023 iPhone 15 as the only two Apple handsets on the market without the company’s most important software product in years.
Including the A16 chip in the new iPad seems illogical. Ideally, the new iPad should have the minimum requirements for Apple Intelligence, which includes an A17 Pro chip and 8GB of RAM. However, it comes with the A16 chip and, although not yet confirmed, likely only 4GB of RAM. Doesn’t that seem inconsistent?
Many folks, including some here at Digital Trends, will say emphatically that Apple’s improvements to the newest iPad (better chip, more storage) make it an excellent entry-level tablet. I’d say Apple could have done better, which seems to be a recurring theme for the company in recent years: weird misses and perhaps even coasting along.
Besides releasing a new tablet that doesn’t support Apple’s new AI features, it released an iPhone 16e with most (but not all) of the features as a 2022 iPhone 14. It also opted not to release a new Apple Watch Ultra, leaving the more affordable Apple Watch Series 10 with a better chip. Should I go on?
The iPad (2025) is now available for pre-order. It arrives on March 12.
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