On the heels of the new iPad Air 2025 announcement, Apple snuck in another tidbit you don’t want to miss: the base iPad now comes with double the starting storage and has been upgraded with the A16 chip. That means a big jump in performance, speed, and battery life; according to Apple, users can expect a performance jump of 30% over the iPad using the A13 Bionic chip.
These upgrades come at a cost, though. Despite the hardware bump, Apple Intelligence isn’t available. Considering how much of Apple’s recent marketing revolves around AI, it’s an odd exclusion, but the explanation is simple: the A16 chip only has 6GB of RAM, when the threshold for Apple Intelligence is 8GB.
The lack of Apple Intelligence feels like a missed opportunity for Apple, especially when the the A16 has a more powerful Neural Engine than even the M2 chip. The A16 could have been repackaged and given a RAM boost to meet that threshold, but Apple Intelligence isn’t necessarily a feature all users need or want.
Perhaps the more curious exclusion for the iPad crowd is that the base iPad still works with only the first-generation Apple Pencil and the Apple Pencil (USB-C).The second-generation Apple Pencil comes with several appealing upgrades, but users will have to stick to the original for now.
Despite lacking these features, the increased speed makes entry-level iPads more enticing than ever. Users seeking productivity will see snappier responses and better performance, while mobile gamers can count on the improved hardware to deliver steady frame rates.
The price remains the same as before. The iPad has become an even better value proposition than before, going toe-to-toe with Android tablets of a similar price. And because of that value, many schools are buying entry-level iPads to give to students. It isn’t the first time Apple has created a product aimed primarily at students; in 2018, the company announced the launch of the 9.7-inch iPad at a school in Chicago.
Whether you’re a student or just someone on the hunt for a budget-friendly tablet, the iPad has become an even better pick than it already was.
