A number of new iPad models have been released over the course of 2024, but there is one upgrade that has conspicuously disappeared from the list. Rumors suggested that the iPad 11 could be on the way, but so far no entry-level model has appeared. Now, new rumors claim that a successor to the iPad 10 in 2022 could appear early in the New Year.

According to a 9to5Mac report citing an anonymous user of X, Apple may launch the iPad 11 at the same time as iPadOS 18.3. Apparently, this would allow Apple to release a tablet with iPadOS 18.3 preinstalled. But don't expect this software to offer many substantial upgrades.

A beta version of iPadOS 18.3 has just been released to developers, but the final version will not be released until sometime next year, given that iPadOS 18.2 and 18.1 have notable upgrades, including several Apple Intelligence features. Given that, it seems unlikely that this will be the case with 18.3. In fact, the most substantial upgrade seems to be HomeKit support for robotic vacuum cleaners.

This may change in future beta versions, but we are not going to hold our breath for it. That said, the iPad 11 launch may add a bit of extra fanfare to a software launch that would otherwise get little attention. As for release dates, iPadOS 18.3 is likely to follow previous versions and appear around late January. However, we won't know for sure until it is actually released, as Apple usually prefers to keep such things under wraps.

We have heard several things about the upcoming iPad 11, including rumors detailing at least one surprising change. It could be one of the first devices to feature Apple's new in-house wireless modem, offering Wi-Fi and 5G connectivity - just as the iPhone SE 4 is rumored to do.

Sadly, there may not be much else to get excited about. Rumor has it that the tablet will be an iterative upgrade and may feature the same A14 Bionic chipset as the iPad 10. However, 9to5Mac's sources say that this A14 model may just be a prototype to test the new modem. Apparently, the final model could have the same A17 Pro chipset as the iPad Mini 7 and be able to run Apple Intelligence.

This is a bit unbelievable to me. I understand that Apple wants to push Apple Intelligence to as many users as possible, but I find it hard to believe that they would put new, expensive hardware on an entry-level iPad. There are only so many features a $349 tablet can have,

but it's hard to believe that Apple would want to push Apple Intelligence to as many users as possible.

But Apple may surprise me and prove that assumption wrong. After all, the iPhone SE 4 is also expected to support Apple Intelligence, and its price should be under $500; we'll just have to wait and see what happens in January.