An enormous iPad Professional rumor dropped over the weekend that I didn’t see coming. A well known Apple reporter stated the OLED iPad Pro that can launch on Might seventh will characteristic a brand new M4 System-on-Chip (SoC) as a substitute of the anticipated M3 chipset.
As gorgeous because the declare may need been, I spotted it made full sense. The OLED iPad Professional delay, the particular launch occasion, and the brief interval between the iPad occasion and WWDC 2024… the M4 improve explains all of it. Additionally, reporter Mark Gurman stated the M4 improve is all about generative AI coming to Apple’s ecosystem of units. That’s what ties every thing collectively.
Nevertheless, whereas I noticed these puzzle items making sense, we had no actual proof to assist Gurman’s declare. Now, nonetheless, it seems Apple may need offered the lacking items by way of its personal code. Findings in iPadOS 17.5 beta information point out that Apple is certainly skipping a era of M-series chips and transferring straight to the M4 in its upcoming OLED iPad Professional.
A number of weeks in the past, 9to5Mac found show firmware for four unreleased iPad models in iPadOS 17.5 beta information underneath these identifiers: iPad16,3, iPad16,4, iPad16,5, and iPad16,6.
We’re taking a look at 4 fashions, which in all probability account for the Wi-Fi and Mobile variations of the upcoming 11-inch and 13-inch OLED iPad Professional. That’s nothing out of the atypical, however the codenames may trace at an M4 chip improve.
The weblog explains that the iPad Air 5 and 2021 iPad Pro share the same identifier: “iPad13,x.” The “X” half identifies every separate mannequin. The “13” may stand for the M1 chip. That “13” additionally seems in M1 Macs’ identifiers.
Moreover, the M2 units have “14” of their names. The 2022 iPad Execs get “iPad14,x” codes. The 2022 MacBook Air is called Mac14,5 in code. Transfer to the M3 SoC, and also you’ll get the “15” label, which solely applies to Macs in the interim.
You in all probability see the place that is going. The 4 purported OLED iPad Execs present in iPadOS 17.5 code moved to “16.” Subsequently, they nearly actually pack the M4 chip relatively than the M3 SoC.
If that’s not sufficient, 9to5Mac supplies one other piece of proof that appears to substantiate the M4 improve. The weblog mentions an nameless leaker posting the purported roadmap of Apple’s SoCs for tablets on a personal X account. They stated the iPad Air 6 will characteristic the T8112 chip or the M2. However the iPad Professional would get a T8132 chip as a substitute of the anticipated M3 improve, recognized as T8122.
This data dropped just a few weeks in the past, lengthy earlier than Gurman’s M4 declare from the weekend.
It certain looks like the OLED iPad Professional will characteristic Apple’s next-gen M4 chip. However, as I stated earlier than, we’re nonetheless working with unofficial data. Nothing is about in stone till Apple broadcasts it. Fortunately, we don’t have that for much longer to attend since Apple’s OLED iPad Professional occasion will stream on-line subsequent Tuesday.
