iPad 11th gen (2024) release predictions, price, specs, and upcoming features
It has been a year and a half since Apple launched the iPad 10.9-inch (iPad 10th generation) — the "base level" iPad, reimagined and redesigned to look more like the iPad Pro, leaving the old home button and thick bezels behind.
A new model has been rumored to release from all the way back in October of 2023, then we heard about a March release date, April release date — over and over, it did not happen. Apparently, Apple is cooking something bigger with the next batch of iPads — or it just couldn't find the best release window.
Right now, we are expecting the iPad (2024) — or iPad 11th gen — to launch on the 7th of May, a rumor backed by Apple watcher Mark Gurman. This is what we know about it so far:
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Latest iPad 11th gen news
iPad 11th gen release date
It's probable that Apple itself is having a hard time of refreshing devices that, currently, work pretty well as they are. The iPads have been selling well in a market that's otherwise stagnant, but there's only so much saturation it can take, right?
We've been on our toes throughout the first quarter of 2024. Last time, we were expecting an iPad Air and iPar Pro with OLED displays in March. That didn't happen. Now, we are getting reassuring reports that we will see a new iPad release "in the week of May 6th".
| Device family | Announcement | Market release |
|---|---|---|
| iPad 9th gen | September 14, 2021 | September 24, 2021 |
| iPad 10th gen | October 18, 2022 | October 26, 2022 |
| iPad 11th gen | May 7th* | May 7th* |
iPad 11th gen price
In 2022, Apple launched the iPad 10th gen at a slightly higher price, and kept the iPad 9th gen around to continue carrying that "cheapest iPad" title. Once the 11th gen launches, we imagine the 9th gen will be discontinued.
Now, we are pretty sure that Apple will not go back in price. Meaning, the iPad 11th gen will most probably start at $449, same as its predecessor. But we wonder — will Apple keep the iPad 10th gen around, at a lower price (maybe $349) after?
| iPad model | 64 GB of storage | 256 GB of storage |
|---|---|---|
| iPad 9th gen | $329 | $479 |
| iPad 10th gen | $449 | $599 |
| iPad 11th gen | $449* | $599* |
* - anticipated prices
iPad 11th gen name
There are few products out there with naming schemes as confusing to the 2nd hand market as the iPads. Apple likes to call them iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air, iPad Pro, and very rarely are there any distinguishing markings on the box that will let you know if its the newest model or not.
We fans, users, and journalists, have picked up the habit of calling them by year or by chip model (if it's a model of some renown), for greater clarity.
So, the iPad 10th gen is very often called iPad (2022), whereas the iPad Pro models may be called "The M1 iPad" or "The M2 iPad", instantly making it clear which the newer model is.
All that said, the next base level iPad from Apple will very probably have the official name of iPad 11th generation, but expect to see monikers like "iPad 10.9-inch (2024)" all over the web.
iPad 11th gen camera
iPad 10th gen for illustration purposed (Image credit - PhoneArena
Tablets are very rarely sought after for their cameras, but having a good snapper on the selfie side is useful for video calls and meetings. Apple's iPads have slowly but steadily moved over to all of them having an ultra-wide lens on the selfie camera. The reason for this is that iPadOS uses face recognition and enables Center Stage — the ability of the iPad to "follow" you around and keep you in frame while in a call. Thus, the ultra-wide lens gives it a wider frame to work with, so you can move around your space more freely and not dissapear from the conversation.
iPad 10th gen for illustration purposed (Image credit - PhoneArena
The iPad 10th generation was the first model to have the selfie camera positioned on the "proper" frame — the one that sits on top when the tablet is turned in horizontal orientation. We assume the iPad 11th gen will repeat that design choice, whereas users of the iPad Air and iPad Pro models are stuck with a selfie camera that gets shuffled off to the side when their tablet is placed on a stand / keyboard. The latter is more awkward, and users have praised the new position of the iPad 10th gen selfie camera.
We don't expect huge upgrades in camera resolutions — that would mean 12 MP selfie and 12 MP (single) main camera for the new iPad.
iPad 11th gen storage
Apple has been quite stingy with the storage space on its base iPad models. In 2024, 64 GB of storage is not nearly enough for someone that intends to use the device a lot. We do hope that an annual refresh of the base iPad will see its minimum storage bumped up to 128 GB, but we haven't heard anything on that topic from analysts or leaksters.
So, for the time being and based on past models, here's what we expect:
iPad 11th gen storage capacity:
- 64 GB
- 256 GB
That upgrade to 256 GB will cost you $150 extra and basically push you in iPad Air price range.
iPad 11th gen design
We've been hearing rumors that Apple is looking to shrink the bezel sizes of its iPads, but we do believe it's safe to assume said reports were regarding the Pro models, maybe the Airs. The base level iPads receive design updates last... and with a huge delay. So, we fully expect the iPad 11th gen to look and feel exactly like the iPad 10th gen. Maybe with a few different color options, but that's it.
The good news is that the entry-level iPads finally have stereo speakers situated in either side of the screen (when in landscape position). They are not quite the quad-speaker powerhouse of the iPad Pros, but two drivers that have good enough punch to allow you to enjoy shows, YouTube videos, music.
iPad 10th gen, one of the grilles is there just for show (Image credit - PhoneAren)
iPad 11th gen display
The base level iPads still use LCD screen technology, still stuck at 60 Hz. The good news is that they do benefit from Apple's excellent color calibration, and they do support the Apple Pencil (gen 1).
So, the iPad 11th gen is expected to have a 10.9-inch screen — the same size as the iPad Air —, an LCD backlit panel without a laminated glass, and a 2360 x 1640 pixel resolution for 264 PPI. No HDR support and no high refresh rate — just the basics for a solid experience without stepping on the toes of the more expensive models.
iPad 11th gen battery
For years now, iPads have aimed for a consistent 10-12 hour battery life. The basic rule of thumb is that an iPad loses about 10% of its charge for 1 hour of mixed usage (split screen, video viewing, gaming), though that can be drained faster if you use more demanding apps and games for longer.
In any case, an iPad holds its charge exceptionally well when the screen is off, and it takes a while to drain those percentages when the screen is on. We do not expect that to be different with the iPad 11th gen.
iPad 11th gen features and software
The next iPad will, obviously, come with iPadOS 17 out of the box. The new software has improvements mainly aimed towards the iPhone side of the Apple experience (iMessage, Apple Music, Contact Posters, Name Drop), but we suspect that upcoming Journal app will be great on the big screen of an iPad, and so would the upcoming News widget.
Those features, however, are yet to launch — we can't even test them on the iPads that we do have.
The base iPads support the Apple Pencil 1st gen and charge it with an awkward USB-C to Lightning adapter. And they have their own Magic Keyboard Folio for laptop-like use.
iPad 11th gen hardware and specs
Apple's silicon is quite powerful and has tons of headroom, so it makes sense that Cupertino would still use it in its lower-priced models. They are like hand-me-downs from the bigger brothers.
With that line of thinking, we do expect the iPad 11th gen to be powered by the hexa-core, 3.23 GHz, 5 nm Apple A15 Bionic that was inside the excellent iPhone 13 series. For RAM — the iPad 10th gen did have 4 GB, but we kind of feel like its high-time that gets upped to at least 6 GB. Of course, our feelings have no effect on Apple's upgrade decisions, so we'll see.
Should I wait for iPad 11th gen?
Since we are supposedly so close to a launch, you might as well wait a week or two, see what happens. Once the iPad 11th gen launches, retailers will be looking to clear stock of the 10th gen. And, with Black Friday and Cyber Monday right around the corner — you just might up scoring a deal on an iPad... even if it's not the 11th gen one.
- You should wait for iPad 11th gen if you are interested in buying a base-level iPad with the design refresh (no home button, all-screen front). Even if the iPad 11th gen doesn't turn out to be super-impressive, the prices for the 10th gen model will drop.
- You should not wait for iPad 11th gen if you are interested in premium features like high refresh rate or if you figure that you need more storage space on an iPad. The base level iPad's cost jumps up quite a bit when you apply the 256 GB storage upgrade, at which point you are basically nudged to look at the iPad Air or even iPad Pro 11".
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