Apple Unveils 11th-Generation iPad Featuring A16 Chip and Double Storage Capacity, But No Apple Intelligence Support Due to Hardware Constraints

Today, Apple has unveiled its latest 11th-generation iPad, boasting significant internal upgrades while retaining its predecessor’s design. This new entry-level iPad features the powerful A16 Bionic chip, marking it as the only recent Apple device to forgo the company’s AI capabilities. This strategic choice appears sensible, as maintaining a distinction from the iPad mini 7 helps preserve its market segment.

Introducing the Enhanced Entry-Level iPad: A16 Bionic Chip and Expanded Storage

Speculation was rife about a new ‘Air’ product release from Apple this week, with expectations leaning towards a MacBook Air. However, the Cupertino tech giant surprised everyone by launching the improved iPad featuring the A16 chip, which maintains a design consistent with its forerunner. The sleek design, characterized by slimmer bezels, remains intact. It includes a USB-C port and a single-lens camera on the rear. Although the new model runs on iOS 18, it notably lacks Apple’s AI features, an aspect worth exploring further.

Internally, the budget-friendly iPad is powered by the A16 chip, which provides a remarkable 30% performance boost compared to the A14 chip in the previous 10th-generation model. Apple claims that this latest iPad is at least six times faster than its most popular Android competitor, showcasing the prowess of the A16 chip. However, it’s important to note that the new iPad does not meet the criteria set by Apple for incorporating AI features.

The A16 chip provides a jump in performance for everyday tasks and experiences in iPadOS, while still providing all-day battery life. Compared to the previous generation, the updated iPad with A16 is nearly 30 percent faster. In fact, compared to the iPad with A13 Bionic, users will see up to a 50 percent improvement in overall performance, and A16 makes the updated iPad up to 6x faster than the best-selling Android tablet.

In summary, while the 11th-generation iPad is compatible with all the new features of iOS 18, the capabilities of the A16 chip do not support upgrades to Apple Intelligence, meaning it is the only iPad model excluding these advanced features. Despite this, the iPad 11 maintains compatibility with the Apple Pencil via USB-C, enhancing its functionality for artists and note-takers, and is also compatible with the existing Magic Keyboard Folio accessory.

The new device comes with improved storage options, starting at 128GB—up from 64GB—and available upgrades to 256GB and 512GB. Pricing begins at $349 for the Wi-Fi model and $499 for the cellular version, with educational discounts bringing the cost down to $329 and $479, respectively. Pre-orders are open now, with shipping set to commence on March 12. Additionally, don’t miss the announcement of the new M3 iPad Air, which is also generating significant interest.

Source & Images