Apple’s next entry-level iPad will likely arrive with an A18 chip in a few months, but the bigger story may not be the processor upgrade. Apple now faces an important naming decision, especially as its broader product lineup shifts toward clearer and more distinctive branding for affordable devices.
For years, Apple used generation numbers for its base iPad, ending with the 10th-generation model powered by the A14 chip. Then Apple dropped that approach entirely with the iPad (A16), choosing a chipset-based name instead. While that made the hardware more obvious, it also left the product without a strong standalone identity, a recurring issue for Apple’s most affordable tablet.
Apple’s Naming Strategy is Clearly Changing
Apple’s recent launch of the MacBook Neo offers a major clue about how the company now views entry-level product branding.
In an interview with Tom’s Guide, Apple marketing chief Greg Joswiak explained why Apple avoided simply calling the new device “MacBook.”
“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.”
— Greg Joswiak, Apple
Joswiak’s emphasis on “identity” and “reinvention” strongly suggests Apple no longer wants lower-cost products to feel vague or disconnected from the rest of its lineup.
iPad Neo Seems Possible
With MacBook Neo and iPhone 16e both moving toward more structured branding, iPad Neo feels like a logical next step. Apple appears focused on making affordable devices easier for customers to understand while giving them a stronger place in the lineup.
However, there is one challenge. The next iPad is expected to keep the same design language introduced in 2022, meaning it may not fully represent the kind of “reinvention” that the Neo branding implies.
That leaves Apple with two likely options. The company can keep the current iPad (A18) naming for now, or it can introduce iPad Neo early as part of a broader long-term branding shift.
Apple’s recent decisions suggest that clearer names matter more than ever, which makes the future of the base iPad’s identity more interesting than its chip upgrade alone.
