14 DAY TRIAL // A new report making the rounds right now claims that Apple plans to launch the new iPad Pro in early 2018 with the A11X chip, though there are some details that don’t seem to make sense just yet.
While it’s not too hard to guess that the next iPad Pro will debut with a chip called A11X given that the tablet typically launches with an improved version of the processor used on the most recent iPhone generation (the iPhone X comes with an A11 Bionic chip), Chinese site MyDrivers says Apple is targeting a late Q1 or early Q2 launch for the device.
The same source claims the upcoming iPad Pro’s chip could feature a 7nm design, which is highly unlikely given that the existing A11 Bionic chip on the latest-generation iPhones are manufactured with a 10nm process.
If Apple indeed makes the switch to 7nm, expect this to happen with the debut of the 2018 iPhone when the A12 chip is supposed to see daylight.
Octa-core processor on the 2018 iPad Pro
The 7nm design, on the other hand, would allow Apple to boost performance figures of the iPad Pro, and the cited site claims the processor will come with an octa-core configuration that relies on 3 high-performance cores and 5 high-efficiency cores.
The Cupertino-based tech giant has remained completely tight-lipped on its plans for the next-year iPad Pro, but it obviously makes sense to see a new chip and hardware upgrades on the device, especially as compared with the previous generation.
On the other hand, more breaking changes in terms of processor are less likely, so it’s important to take these reports with a pinch of salt, at least until more reliable sources leak information on the next iPad.
The existing iPad Pro generation uses an A10X Fusion chip with 64-bit architecture and embedded M10 coprocessor.