In March, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said a new entry‑level iPad was "still coming this year," but today he reports the device is slated for release in Q1 2027 at the earliest. The main new feature will be a faster processor rather than major design changes, so it sounds like a spec bump.

While the next iPad mini is expected to have an OLED display, the base iPad will stick with an LCD screen. Gurman previously said the device would be powered by the A18 chip, but Macworld's Filipe Espósito said it would have an A19 chip. In any case, both chips have the minimum 8 GB of RAM required for Apple Intelligence.

Last month, Apple raised the entry‑level iPad’s starting price worldwide; in the U.S. it now starts at $449, up from $349. Apple also plans new 11‑inch and 13‑inch iPad Air models early next year, and new iPad Pro models will launch early next year as well.

Gurman expects a new iPad mini by October this year, followed by updated entry‑level iPad, iPad Air, and iPad Pro models in the first half of next year.