Apple exec hints next iPad may get a new name
▼ Summary
– Apple is expected to release a new base iPad with an A18 chip soon, but its naming is uncertain after the previous model dropped generation numbers for the simple “iPad (A16)” label.
– Apple avoided naming the MacBook Neo simply “MacBook” to give it a distinct identity, as explained by Greg Joswiak in a Tom’s Guide interview.
– Joswiak stated that “Neo” was chosen for the MacBook to convey newness and reinvention, fitting with the Air and Pro branding.
– The article suggests the next base iPad could be called “iPad Neo,” following Apple’s recent trend of clearer naming seen with the MacBook Neo and iPhone 16e.
– A potential issue with the “iPad Neo” name is that the next model may not be truly new, using the same 2022 design, so Apple might stick with the current naming until a major redesign.
Over a year has passed since Apple introduced its most recent entry-level iPad, a device powered by the A16 chipset. A refresh is widely expected in the coming months, likely featuring an A18 processor, but a more intriguing question lingers: what will Apple actually call it?
For years, Apple labeled its base iPad with a straightforward generation number, all the way up to the 10th generation with an A14 chip. Then came a shift. The next iteration dropped the numeric suffix entirely, simply branding it as the iPad (A16). While this approach clarified the chip inside, it did little to solve the base iPad’s long-standing naming identity crisis.
Apple recently tackled a similar dilemma with the MacBook Neo, choosing a distinctive name rather than reverting to the generic “MacBook” label. Many observers assumed the company would simply call it MacBook, as it had for years. But in a recent interview with Tom’s Guide, Apple executives John Ternus and Greg Joswiak explained their reasoning.
Joswiak noted, “Yeah. I mean, look, you could even make an argument. Did you just call it MacBook? You know, that’s what some people were expecting when we were working on this. And first of all, to do that would have left it without an identity. So, we did want to give it an identity. Um, and we wanted something short and snappy, something that fit in with Air and Pro, but we also wanted something to convey its newness. And Neo literally means new, right? Or reinvention. And as we talked about, this is the reinvention, you know, of a laptop, a low price, high value laptop. So to us, Neo was the perfect name for it.”
These comments strongly suggest Apple is moving away from vague or confusing names for its entry-level products. The MacBook Neo sets a clear precedent, and earlier this year, the iPhone 16e (and expected iPhone 17e) replaced the traditional SE branding. While many users appreciated the SE name, it offered no real clue about where the device fit in Apple’s lineup. That logic points toward the next base iPad being called the iPad Neo.
Still, there’s one significant wrinkle. The next iPad won’t be a radical departure. Its design language debuted in 2022 and is unlikely to change much, if at all, for the A18 model. That could mean Apple holds off on a new name until the base iPad receives a more substantial redesign. For now, the existing naming convention might stick around a little longer.
(Source: 9to5Mac)
