Apple's new entry-level iPad ups the performance for the same price, but doesn't support Apple Intelligence

(Image credit: Apple)

Apple just upgraded the entry-level iPad, now dubbed the iPad (A16)
The new A16 chip is up to 50% faster than the previous generation, but doesn't support Apple Intelligence
It keeps the same price and doubles the starting storage

Alongside unveiling the next-generation iPad Air with the M3 chip, Apple also upgraded the entry-level iPad – but it might not be the upgrade you’ve been expecting. The good news is that it still comes in a few fun colors and keeps the same starting price. Like the iPad Mini (A17 Pro), it’s now iPad (A16), with the processor name in the title.

In the United States, it starts at $349. Instead of 64GB of storage, it comes with 128GB of internal storage for starters. This means you’ll have more space for apps, photos, and files, among other things.

It’s the first product launched by Apple in recent memory that doesn’t support Apple Intelligence. The new iPad is powered by the A16 chip, which should deliver even better performance for the entry-level model with a 5-core CPU, a 4-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine over the previous A14 Bionic chip. However, that chip is not capable of Apple Intelligence, so it is important to keep that in mind and weigh the importance of those features.

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Apple iPad (A16) webpage — (Image credit: Apple)

Still, iPadOS 18 should run just fine here and be fit for gaming, streaming, editing, browsing the web, and FaceTime calls, among other things. Apple says that compared to the previous generation, it’s up to 50% faster and that the “A16 makes the updated iPad up to 6x faster than the best-selling Android tablet.” We just don’t know what Android tablet Apple is comparing to.

Even without Apple Intelligence, the now eleventh-generation iPad with the A16 chip still keeps a USB-C port for charging, a Touch ID sensor in the power button, and support for two key accessories – the Apple Pencil first-generation, Apple Pencil with USB-C and the Magic Keyboard Folio, which I happen to like the customizability of more than the proper Magic Keyboard.

Interestingly enough, the iPad (A16) appears to have a slightly larger display than the previous generation. It now measures in as an 11-inch Liquid Retina display (2360 x 1640 resolution) with support for True Tone compared to the tenth-generation 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display of the iPad.

Apple does note that the iPad still has rounded corners, so the “actual viewable area is less” on the ‘tech specs’ section of the site, but we’ll need to see once we can go hands-on if the bezels were shrunk.

The iPad still sticks with a 12-megapixel camera on the back and a 12-megapixel camera on the front with support for Center Stage to automatically keep you in the frame for calls. Rounding out the specs are landscape stereo speakers, dual microphones for capturing audio, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.3. If you opt for the cellular model, it will still support 5G Sub-6GHz, but there is no mmWave support, similar to the iPhone 16e.

Like the iPad Air with M3, you can preorder the iPad (A16) right now if you’re already sold and it will formally launch on March 12, 2025.

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Jacob Krol is the US Managing Editor, News for TechRadar. He’s been writing about technology since he was 14 when he started his own tech blog. Since then Jacob has worked for a plethora of publications including CNN Underscored, TheStreet, Parade, Men’s Journal, Mashable, CNET, and CNBC among others.

He specializes in covering companies like Apple, Samsung, and Google and going hands-on with mobile devices, smart home gadgets, TVs, and wearables. In his spare time, you can find Jacob listening to Bruce Springsteen, building a Lego set, or binge-watching the latest from Disney, Marvel, or Star Wars.