OPINION: With a faster chip, more storage and the same low price the iPad 11 sounds like a good upgrade, but without Apple Intelligence, it’s impossible to recommend long term.
Apple announced the iPad 11th generation on March 4 with a much faster chip, double the base storage and for the same low-ish price.
On the surface, that feels like a good update for the tablet with a lineage dating all the way back to the original 2009 tablet.
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But it was also an afterthought, buried at the bottom of a blog post from Apple about the new iPad Air M3 model and new Magic Keyboard. It gave me the impression the model thats traditionally been Apple’s bread and butter when it comes to tablets, mightn’t be long for this world.
We’ve always thought of the standard iPad as the best iPad for most people. It has enough power, a good enough screen for casual streaming and gaming, decent battery life and the price is absolutely right.
But now there’s an elephant in the room and it’s the most important software initiative when it comes to Apple’s future. The standard iPad and its A16 chip won’t be capable of supporting Apple Intelligence features.
Considering the effort Apple has undertaken to get its Gen AI features in front of as many people as possible, this is a surprise. The previously mid-range iPhone SE series, for example, has been overhauled into the iPhone 16e, with an A18 series processor that opens up all of the Apple Intelligence features available in iOS 18.
That includes the Writing Tools, Image Playground, Genmoji, Visual Intelligence, Priority Notifications (pending), ChatGPT integration, Notifications Summaries with much to come – like the major Siri revamp set for the summer.
I’m not saying Apple should have gone as far as including an M3 chip like the new iPad Air M3, or an M4 series processor like the iPad Pro.
However, even an M1 would have given standard iPad owners an opportunity to access Apple Intelligence. An A17 Pro from the iPhone 15 Pro or an A18 chip from the iPhone 16e would have too.
Whether Apple considered this or not is unclear. It’s possible the company wouldn’t have been able to keep the costs down if it offered the superior chip.
However, the idea that Apple wouldn’t go the extra mile to furnish a key market with Apple Intelligence is a big admission about where it sees the future of this mainstay of the tablet range.
Part of the problem may be the lack of competition. Even this iPad 11 with A16 is “up to 6x faster than the best-selling Android tablet” and 30% faster than the previous generation. At this price-point where else are you going to go? Especially if your old iPad has conked out and you’re in the market to upgrade.
All about the iPad Air M3
It’s clear now that Apple wants its new iPad Air with M3 to be the go-to tablet. This one is actually “built for Apple Intelligence” and has a new Magic Keyboard designed specifically for the product.
The trouble is, that flashier design, better screen, more power, better accessories and support for Apple Pencil Pro, comes at a cost. It starts at $599 for the 11-inch version. $250 more expensive than the iPad 11 before you consider any of the accessories.
Apple has been criticised in recent weeks for abandoning the mid-range in the iPhone market by pricing the iPhone 16e at $599 when the last iPhone SE was $449. And, while the company hasn’t abandoned customers at the lower end of the market with this new iPad but it has very much drawn a line in the sand.
Buying this tablet now, without Apple Intelligence is almost like buying one without annual iOS updates. So many of the OS improvements moving forward are going to be Apple Intelligence based. And, even if you don’t care about Apple Intelligence now, there’s a good chance you will moving forward – especially when that major Siri update arrives later this year.
Put it this way, would you buy this now if you didn’t think you’d get iOS 19 this year or iOS 20 next year? I don’t think you would.
In my view, it makes the iPad 11 impossible to recommend for something that’ll be relevant a year or two years from now. I don’t think it’s the best iPad for most people anymore. Unfortunately, you’re going to have to pay more for that.
I’d be on the lookout for a good deal on the iPad Air M2 with Apple Intelligence features promised for the foreseeable future before considering an iPad 11 purchase.
