2025 will be remembered as the year when, while we were still waiting for a truly smarter, AI-enabled Siri, Apple introduced the next-generation AirPods Pro, an ultra-thin iPhone, took its iPhone Pros to the next level, and delivered speedy Macs in various designs.
But perhaps the most interesting additions were those of Apple’s iPad line. We have three new models: the basic 11th generation iPad, the iPad Air with M3 chip, and the iPad Pro with M5. There was nothing new design-wise, but, with a nod to Bruce Springsteen, it was fuel injection instead of chrome wheels.
Apple showed more cards than ever with the iPad
It’s clear that Apple has been performing a balancing act with the iPad for many years: many users rely on their tablets for a mix of entertainment and productivity, and they want their iPad to be the one device that rules them all.
Much of what iPadOS 26 delivered was focused on productivity, in the form of a proper menu bar and dock; more flexible, reliable and customizable multitasking; a major update to the Files app; and support for background tasks. It’s more macOS-like than ever, including red, yellow, and green buttons to close, minimize, and expand windows, and even a menu bar that looks straight out of macOS. We got a Mac-like experience in a form factor that offers easier portability, unique experiences and, perhaps most importantly, flexibility in terms of input.
You can operate iPad with your fingers, a trackpad, the Apple Pencil, or even a connected mouse or trackpad. It’s extremely versatile in performance, but given how far Apple had pushed performance (remember the redesigned iPad Pro released in 2024 with the M4 chip, before that piece of silicon came to the Mac), the company needed to offer a more robust software experience. As my colleague Lance Ulanoff learned from senior Apple executives, it was something the company had been working on for quite some time.
iPadOS 26 shipped with most of the promised features in September 2025. I’ve used it on a wide range of iPad models, including the current 11th generation lineup (mini, Air, and Pro) and the base 9th generation iPad; While that model isn’t as capable as the 11th-generation iPads or the iPad Pro, software updates have blurred the lines between the models when it comes to performance.
As I responded shortly after Apple introduced the new software, while it was still in beta, it was an update designed specifically for the iPad, one that catered to the iPad faithful and stayed true to Apple’s ethos. It wasn’t ruining the classic iPad experience, but it did introduce a familiar, easy-to-understand way of managing windows. It also offered some more advanced features that catered to users who were already getting the most out of the iPad experience.
Keep hardware running
I’ve reviewed all the iPads Apple released this year and the common theme is speed upgrades, to the point where the benefits you’ll get by going Pro are less obvious than before. The iPad Air, now in its second generation, comes in two sizes and is truly a stunner, although it’s not as ultra-thin as the iPad Pro.
In an 11 or 13 inch size, with fun colors to choose from, long battery life, support for key accessories like the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil, and with the M3 chip now under the hood, it really feels like the model to choose if you want a larger size without the premium Pro price and don’t need enough power to use it as your main device.
It’s a solid performer and is a device I keep coming back to, even after testing the last-gen iPad Pro with the M5 under the hood. If you don’t need the extra vibrancy or contrast capabilities of the OLED display or Face ID (although I wish this were on more models), it really comes down to budget.
Further complicating your options is the 11th generation iPad (Apple Pencil quirks aside), which is an excellent model and probably the best iPad for most users. The A16 Bionic chip under the hood provides plenty of space for work or play, and while it doesn’t support Apple Intelligence, it doesn’t really matter here. It checks the boxes of what you want from an iPad and at an affordable price.
The iPad mini didn’t receive an update, which means the dream of an OLED display of this size remains that for now. But even that device is compatible with the new iPadOS 26 window, making the argument for a Magic Keyboard even more palpable than in previous years. Please, Apple.
Look
What will come in 2026?
While I can’t predict the future, the ever-moving rumors about Apple give us an idea of what we can expect from Apple in 2026, and it’s also instructive to look at what Apple did this year. I think the next entry-level 12th-generation iPad could arrive sometime next year, but don’t expect a trove of new features.
I think the big update here will be a better Apple A-series chip that is not only more efficient but also adds support for Apple Intelligence. Hopefully any version of iPadOS that follows will also eventually arrive with AI-powered Siri. Similarly, rumors suggest that the iPad Air will keep the same look and feature set, but will get a slightly faster M-series chip, likely the M4.
Basically, this would be a carbon copy of Apple’s approach to iPad updates that we saw this year and last year. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has reported that new updates to the entry-level iPad and iPad Air are likely to arrive sometime in 2026.
The most interesting model we could see next year is an iPad mini with a renewed design, a better chip and an OLED screen. This likely won’t arrive until the second half of the year and it’s also reported that it could have a more water-resistant case.
The smaller iPad will likely be the most interesting change next year, while the iPad Pro could receive a chip upgrade, although nothing major in terms of redesign is planned until 2027, according to recent reports.
Where we could see more interesting developments is in the refinement of the new iPadOS experience and the introduction of new features, perhaps more customization around windows to boot. It’s one of the biggest ways Apple can improve the experience for people who already have an iPad and potentially tempt others to upgrade.
But if Tim Cook is listening, let’s keep the list of supported models long when it comes to future updates. I think that’s one of the main reasons why 2025 was so successful for iPadOS 26 and the iPad as a whole.
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