Apple's new entry-level iPad doubles the storage and ups the performance, but doesn't raise the price

• 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’s also upgrading 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.

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.