Apple’s budget iPad costs just $329, and the next update should boost its value with new features like a faster Apple A13 chip bringing a notable ump in everyday performance.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS:
- Budget iPad is rumored to get Apple A13 Bionic chip
- A13 should bring a significant jump in performance
- By comparison, the current one is equipped with Apple A12Â
Budget iPad predicted to swap A12 Bionic for A13
That’s according to 9to5Mac, which claims that the Cupertino tech giant will swap the A12 Bionic in the current $329 iPad for the company’s notably faster A13 chip.
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.
This isn’t the first time we’re hearing specifics about the next iPad’s CPU.
Back in December 2020, a report out of China said the next budget iPad could gain a bigger 10.5-inch LED display along with A13 Bionic with four gigabytes of RAM for improved multitasking and performance. It’s unclear from the 9to5Mac report whether the next budget iPad will retain Touch ID and the headphone jack, however.
The Apple A13 Bionic chip debuted in the iPhone 11 and iPhone SE devices back in 2019.
It features two high-performance cores that Apple claims are 20 percent faster with 30 percent lower power consumption than the previous-generation A12 chip, found in the 2018 iPad Pro models. In addition, the A13 includes four high-efficiency cores said to be 20 percent faster with 40 percent lower power consumption than the A12’s.
Mark Gurman, writing for Bloomberg in June 2021, said he was convinced that an update to the $329 iPad will bring a thinner appearance, adopting a design similar to the third-generation iPad Air. The entry-level iPad is typically geared toward students.
9to5Mac also reported that Apple is prepping a significant update to the iPad mini line later this year, with the sixth-generation iPad mini models getting upgraded to Apple’s unreleased A15 chip that will debut in the iPhone 13 line later this year.
Apple’s smallest tablet is also expected to gain Smart Connector and USB-C connectivity.