If you're not entirely sure what to expect from Apple on the hardware release front in the next few months following a stream of unclear or outright conflicting reports from generally reliable sources of late, a hot new social media leak might help provide clarity not only on the number of "iDevices" in the pipeline, but their possible marketing labels as well.
Although not completely surprising, the product names revealed by Evan Blass (aka @evleaks) on X (aka Twitter) today differ from what other industry pundits and tipsters have predicted recently, thus keeping a somewhat unusual level of suspense going ahead of a likely spring announcement.
Three iPads are on the horizon, but none of them will pack Apple M4 power
Did you raise an eyebrow when Bloomberg's Mark Gurman declared last week that the fast-approaching new iPad Air generation could come powered by a state-of-the-art Apple M4 processor? You know, the same blazing fast chipset currently found inside the ultra-high-end 11 and 13-inch iPad Pros from last year?
That's apparently not going to happen after all, at least according to the latest information dug up by Evan Blass from an unspecified but presumably trustworthy source. There's visual evidence supporting this new info, mind you, and given that Gurman did not present the M4 theory with a lot of confidence to begin with (not to mention any concrete proof), it's safe to say that the 2025 iPad Air 11 and iPad Air 13 are far more likely now to pack Apple M3 processors.
Nothing's certain until it's certain, but it sure looks like the 2025 iPad Air duo will stick to Apple M3 power. | Image Credit -- Evan Blass
The M3, remember, was released in late 2023 inside a number of MacBook Pro and iMac variants, expanding to the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air lines the next spring. But while the 2022 iPad Pro 11 and 12.9 naturally came packing Apple M2 chips, the 2024 generation skipped over the M3 to embrace a hot new M4 flagship to the surprise of many.
Similarly, some folks evidently expected the 11 and 13-inch iPad Airs to jump straight from Apple M2 to Apple M4 power this year, but if you think about it, that would have made it awfully difficult for 2024 iPad Pros to stand out and continue selling in decent numbers until a new and improved edition inevitably comes out.
That's right, there's no iPad Pro upgrade planned for this spring, but a "standard" iPad (11th Gen) could also see daylight soon. There's no new info to discuss on that particular front, so for the time being, we'll assume the iPad 10's Apple A14 Bionic processor will be bumped up to an A17 Pro on this 2025 model, in line with previous speculation and the raw power of the 8.3-inch iPad mini (2024).
The iPhone SE will probably still be called iPhone SE
Forget about that sketchy (and frankly, weird) iPhone 16E branding rumor and get ready to finally welcome the iPhone SE 4, aka iPhone SE (4th Gen), aka iPhone SE (2024) to both developed and underdeveloped markets with a craving for affordable handsets.
Compared to the iPhone SE (2022), this 2025 model is obviously expected to be a lot faster, as well as prettier and possibly a little costlier too.
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The iPhone SE name is apparently set to live on. | Image Credit -- Evan Blass
Most recent design rumors have been calling for an iPhone 14-inspired aesthetic with a 6.1-inch OLED display and a fairly sizable notch, which is of course not ideal but a lot better than a tiny 4.7-inch LCD panel with massive bezels all around it anyway.
If what we've been hearing lately proves accurate, the iPhone SE (4th Gen) will replace its predecessor's archaic Apple A15 Bionic processor with the same A18 chip found inside the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus while also embracing modern Face ID technology and jumping from a 12MP to a 48MP rear-facing camera.
None of these details are confirmed (or debunked) by Evan Blass today, but odds are that everything about the iPhone SE 4, iPad Air 11 (M3), iPad Air 13 (M3), and iPad (11th Gen) will become official in just a couple of months or so.
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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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