Thinking of an iPad for Christmas? Three New iPads Are Rumoured for Early 2027

If you're thinking about an iPad as a Christmas present this year, there's some news worth knowing before you buy. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that Apple plans to update the standard iPad, the iPad Air and the iPad Pro in the first half of 2027, which means all three would arrive after Christmas but possibly not long after. So is it worth waiting, or should you go ahead now? I'll go through what's confirmed, what's only rumour, and what I'd recommend.

What Apple has announced

The only new iPad Apple has announced recently is the iPad mini with an OLED display, which it revealed last month. OLED is a type of screen where each tiny dot lights itself rather than relying on a light behind it, so you get deeper blacks and richer colour. Alongside that mini, the current iPad, iPad Air and iPad Pro are what's on sale today, and you can see the full range on Apple's UK iPad page.

What's rumoured

Everything in this section comes from reports, not from Apple, so treat it as likely rather than certain. In his Power On newsletter today, reported here by MacRumors and also by AppleInsider, Gurman says three new iPads are planned for the first half of 2027. He has a very strong track record on Apple's plans and is usually right about what's coming, although timings can and do slip now and then.

• iPad Air: Gurman says the next model will get an OLED screen too, like the new mini. MacRumors expects it to move to Apple's M5 chip, though that's their own guess rather than something Gurman said.
• iPad Pro: Gurman expects it to get a vapour chamber, which is a cooling system that spreads heat away from the chip so the iPad can keep running at full speed for longer during heavy work like video editing. MacRumors reckons it will use an M6 chip, again as their own guess.
• Standard iPad: Earlier rumours, rounded up by MacRumors, suggest it will get an A19 chip, which would let it run Apple Intelligence (Apple's set of AI features, like writing tools and a smarter Siri). It's also tipped to get Apple's own N1 chip with Wi-Fi 7, the newest and fastest Wi-Fi standard, and on models with mobile data, Apple's C1X modem, which is the part that connects to the mobile network and is designed to be kind on battery life.

There's no word yet on UK prices or exact dates for any of these, so we'll have to see what Apple announces.

What I think

The iPads on sale right now are all still great, so if you want to give one this Christmas, you don't need to feel you're missing out. You'll find good deals on Amazon, and the Apple Refurbished store is well worth a look too, because its iPads come with the same warranty as new ones. If you'd like to keep an eye on what's in stock there, you can track it at AppleRefurb.com.

The one model I'd steer clear of is the A16 iPad, which is Apple's current entry-level model. It's been out a long time, its price has gone up with Apple's price rises, and at this point it's poor value.

Who should wait, and who's fine buying now

If you had your heart set on the basic iPad, that's where waiting makes the most sense, because it's the model due the biggest refresh. If you can't wait, or it needs to be under the tree this year, see whether you can pick up a refurbished iPad Air or iPad Pro instead, which will serve you far better.

And what about that new mini? It doesn't change my advice unless the smaller size is what you're after, in which case it's the obvious one to go for.

What to do

• Buying an iPad Air or iPad Pro? Go ahead, and check refurbished stock first for a better price.
• After the entry-level iPad? Hold off for next year's model if you can, or go for a refurbished Air or Pro.
• Want something small? The new OLED iPad mini is the one to consider.

If you're not sure which iPad suits you or the person you're buying for, ask iHelp AI at /chat for a quick answer, or book a session and we'll talk it through with you, whether that's remotely anywhere in the UK or in person here in Dorset. We can even help set it up on Christmas morning, or shortly after.

Alex