Sneaky launch: Apple is likely to launch new iPads this week with upgraded, faster SoCs

Apple is set to launch a bunch of new iPads sometime this week, which will feature new and faster SoCs, most likely on Tuesday, October 17. This was first reported by the news outlet, Supercharged, which was then corroborated by 9to5mac.

Apple is gearing up for a series of updates to its iPad lineup. Although these changes are not expected to bring significant alterations to the overall design, they promise substantial improvements in terms of specifications and performance.

Scheduled for an October release, the refreshed iPad Air and iPad Mini will see their internals receive a considerable boost. The highlight of these updates will be the integration of the latest Apple Silicon chips, which will undoubtedly enhance the tablets’ capabilities. The official announcement regarding these enhancements is anticipated to be made via a press release.

The current-generation iPad Air, equipped with the powerful M1 chip, made its debut in the spring of the previous year. Reports suggest that this model will soon receive an upgrade, transitioning to the more advanced M2 chip, thus promising even better performance.

On the other hand, the new iPad Mini will embrace the A16 Bionic chip, surpassing its current A15 Bionic chip and delivering a noticeable performance improvement. Moreover, recent reports also hint at a new display controller being introduced to address the jelly scrolling issue that has been observed on current-generation iPad Minis when scrolling through content.

The base model iPad, the most recent addition to the lineup, received an update just a year ago. The tenth-generation model brought with it a sleeker bezel design, new colour options, and the introduction of a Touch ID side button. Presently, it is powered by the A14 Bionic chip. While the exact details of the forthcoming eleventh-generation model remain undisclosed, the introduction of the A16 chip to the iPad Mini suggests that a similar upgrade may be in store for the base iPad model.

Meanwhile, the iPad Pro lineup is expected to remain unchanged for the time being. The latest updates were rolled out in October 2022, and it’s unlikely that the next-generation models will be ready until the following year. When they do arrive, the next-gen iPad Pros are rumoured to feature OLED displays for the first time, adding to their already impressive capabilities.