The latest iPad showed Apple retains the capacity to surprise – just not in the way you might expect.
(Ed: To be clear, we’re talking about the 11th-gen iPad, not the M3 iPad Air that launched on the same day).
We got the predictable: a design that remained entirely unchanged (right down to the irritatingly reflective display), a faster chip, and a storage bump that finally dragged the iPad out of the 64GB era. And then we got the unexpected in what Apple deliberately left out.
The problem is the chip. The A16 is no slouch, but it lacks the horsepower of Apple’s more recent efforts in this space. And that means the latest entry-level iPad – Apple’s biggest-selling tablet – does not support Apple Intelligence. Yes, that Apple Intelligence. The one we keep being told will revolutionize how we interact with our Apple devices.
Some people might consider this a plus. Apple Intelligence in its current state is, charitably, a mixed bag. Too many features are plain bad and not that useful. Notification summaries are so poor that Apple has now turned them off for news. The writing tools are merely adequate. And the less said about Image Playground, the better. Worse, the most forward-thinking features – those that combine personal context, on-screen awareness, and in-app actions – are delayed. And given that they’ve not yet been seen in the wild, it’s anyone’s guess as to how much exists beyond the concept stage.
The latest Apple iPad has more raw power than its predecessor – but not enough to run Apple Intelligence.
But that misses the bigger picture. Apple has now essentially created a two-tier ecosystem within its device line-up. Every Mac, iPhone and iPad you can buy – including the new entry-level iPhone – supports Apple Intelligence. Except for Apple’s most popular tablet.
It’s a curious decision. I half wonder whether Apple genuinely believes the allure of Apple Intelligence is enough to drive people to upgrade to an iPad Air. But more likely, it’s a cold calculation. The iPad, already a price-sensitive product, could not absorb the price-hike that would have come from integrating a more powerful chip. But Apple gambled that the iPhone could.
This leaves the latest iPad, its users, and Apple Intelligence itself in a strange place. The chip disparity almost certainly implies the iPad has less RAM than any other currently shipping Apple tablet (or smartphone), thereby reducing its lifespan, lifetime value, and capabilities. And the inconsistent support for Apple Intelligence makes me question whether Apple really does want everyone using it or not.
Perhaps this is just a weird blip. If iPad updates follow Apple’s typical cadence, we may see a new model in as little as a year, almost certainly sporting the A17 chip that featured in the iPhone 15 Pro and that supports Apple Intelligence. For now, the future of Apple Intelligence, while potentially exciting, is being rolled out in a frustratingly uneven and incomplete way. And Apple’s most popular tablet is another clear example of that.