Mark Gurman from Bloomberg reports that the upcoming entry-level iPad will feature the A17 Pro chip. Although it was anticipated that the iPad 11 would incorporate Apple Intelligence capabilities, there was uncertainty regarding which chip would be included in the budget-friendly device.
First Generation 3nm Technology
It has been widely acknowledged that the first generation N3B process, employed in the A17 and M3 chip series, has faced challenges for Apple. The process was notably expensive, had relatively low yields, and did not provide a significant performance advantage compared to earlier chips.
Due to these issues, many speculated that Apple intended to phase out this process swiftly. Notably, Apple launched the M4 chip for the iPad Pro in May 2024, shortly after debuting the M3 series in the Mac lineup in November 2023.
Additionally, Apple had been following a trend of incorporating older chip generations into lower-end iPhones. This began with the iPhone 14 series, where the base model retained the A15 Bionic chip from the iPhone 13, while the iPhone 14 Pro featured the latest A16 Bionic chip.
However, this trend was disrupted with the iPhone 16 series, as all models included the A18 chip, omitting the A17 in the base iPhone 16 variants. This indicated that Apple was likely done utilizing the first-generation 3nm technology.
A17 Pro in iPads
Unexpectedly, Apple introduced the new iPad mini 7th generation, which includes support for Apple Intelligence but is equipped with the A17 Pro chip from the iPhone 15 Pro, rather than the more recent A18 chip. This decision seems logical given that the iPad mini is a lower-volume product.
Apple is not halting progress here. According to Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, Apple plans to continue deploying the first generation N3B technology in the higher volume entry-level iPad models:
The new entry-level iPads — J481 and J482 — will feature enhanced processors and Apple Intelligence. The current versions are powered by the A14 chip and have 4 gigabytes of memory. Expect the new models to include the A17 Pro chip, similar to the iPad mini, along with an increase to 8 gigabytes of memory. This upgrade is necessary to support the new AI platform.
In the iPad mini 7, Apple utilized a binned version with a 5-core GPU, likely reinforcing its strategy of still using the A17 Pro. It is anticipated that a binned variant of the A17 Pro will also be employed in the iPad 11.
As per tradition, Apple is expected to unveil this new iPad model in the spring, along with new iPad Airs, an updated iPhone SE, and new Magic Keyboards.
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