What you need to know
- Apple's next iPad refresh will reportedly bring a speed bump thanks to the use of an Apple A13 processor.
- The current iPad uses the A12 Bionic.
Apple's next iPad refresh will bring with it a speed upgrade thanks to the use of an Apple A13 processor, according to a new report. A previous report also suggests that Apple's entry-level iPad will borrow from the iPad Air 3's design, too.
According to a new 9to5Mac report, Apple's next entry-level iPad will see a bump from the current A12 Bionic chip to something altogether more capable — an Apple-designed A13. That should give the tablet a speed bump for playing games and other intensive use cases, for example.
Apple is also planning a new version of the entry-level iPad, codenamed J181, with an A13 chip inside. The current 10.2-inch entry-level iPad is powered by the A12 Bionic chip, so this would represent a notable jump in performance for Apple's most affordable tablet.
Previous rumors from earlier this year suggested that Apple would also borrow heavily from the third-generation iPad Air when designing the new iPad, with the same 10.2-inch display sitting atop a thinner and lighter body.
The report doesn't go into detail as to when we can expect the new iPad to be announced, but rumors of new tablets coming out of Apple continue to swirl as we move into the final few months of the year. The iPad note came as part of a larger report into a much more substantial iPad mini refresh.
The 10.2-inch iPad is perhaps the best iPad for most people right now and that won't change when the refresh arrives.
