Compatibility on various iPads

[benroberts3]

Is anyone else incredibly confused with what iPads are eligible for iOS 27? Almost every news article I’ve read said they are dropping compatibility with a number of iPads, but then checking on the official Apple website it looks like a good majority of them are still available that have been manufactured in the past four years or so.

Not really sure what’s going on here. Anyone else just as confused as I am?

 

[Ludatyk]

Here is the list below....

But AI most powerful features like the Advanced Dictation & Expressive Preview are on M4 and later iPads with 12GB RAM.

 

[mandopicker101]

Interesting that the iPad 9 clings on. I have one from work and it’s not been stellar on iOS26. If my M1 Air will not see so much AI, perhaps performance will be better…

 

[benroberts3]

I have a spare fifth-generation iPad Air that, according to this information, is compatible. However, the tech specs indicate that it’s an M1 iPad, which, also according to this list, is not compatible. Huh?

 

[mandopicker101]

I have a spare fifth-generation iPad Air that, according to this information, is compatible. However, the tech specs indicate that it’s an M1 iPad, which, also according to this list, is not compatible. Huh?

Yeah I just had a momentary freak out. But then I checked if I can access the dev beta for 27 and… I CAN! M1 is in. Said M1 is my daily driver currently so I might wait to jump on the 27 bus…

 

[FeliApple]

I have a spare fifth-generation iPad Air that, according to this information, is compatible. However, the tech specs indicate that it’s an M1 iPad, which, also according to this list, is not compatible. Huh?

I will explain this and give some context:

People have been confused since Apple’s naming went (imo) in an appalling direction with the 3rd-gen iPad Pro.

Since it was the first full screen iPad, Apple pointlessly decided to call it the 11-inch (1st-gen) iPad Pro (with the A12X chipset). They went from there, which brought about massive confusion. Is the M1 iPad Pro the (5th-gen) (M1) or the (11-inch) (3rd-gen)? Apple used the latter.

Since the 12.9-inch iPad did not change screen sizes, they called the 11-inch M1 the 3rd-gen but the 12.9-inch M1 the 5th-gen.

With the Air, they only used chipsets starting with the M2! So, you have the Air (1st, 2nd, 3rd-gen, all with a home button); the 4th-gen (2020, A14 Bionic IIRC), and the 5th-gen (2022, M1).

But… Apple called the 6th-gen iPad Air (with an M2) the iPad Air (M2, NO version number).

Hence the confusion: iPad Air (4th-gen and later) includes both the 4th-gen (2020, A14 Bionic, first Air with a full screen) AND the 5th-gen (2022, M1, the one you and I have) but NOT the 6th-gen iPad Air (M2), which Apple refers to as “iPad Air (M2)” only, with NO version number.

Apple, maintain the generation numbering and add chipset if you like, but don’t do this!

I would’ve said, if you want to highlight M chipsets:
iPad Air (4th-generation)
iPad Air (5th-generation) (M1)
iPad Air (6th-generation) (M2)
iPad Air (7th-generation) (M3)
iPad Air (8th-generation) (M4)

iPadOS 27 compatibility list:

iPad Air (4th-generation) and newer

Like that, it’s extremely clear.

 

[ics55]

I will explain this and give some context:

People have been confused since Apple’s naming went (imo) in an appalling direction with the 3rd-gen iPad Pro.

Since it was the first full screen iPad, Apple pointlessly decided to call it the 11-inch (1st-gen) iPad Pro (with the A12X chipset). They went from there, which brought about massive confusion. Is the M1 iPad Pro the (5th-gen) (M1) or the (11-inch) (3rd-gen)? Apple used the latter.

Since the 12.9-inch iPad did not change screen sizes, they called the 11-inch M1 the 3rd-gen but the 12.9-inch M1 the 5th-gen.

With the Air, they only used chipsets starting with the M2! So, you have the Air (1st, 2nd, 3rd-gen, all with a home button); the 4th-gen (2020, A14 Bionic IIRC), and the 5th-gen (2022, M1).

But… Apple called the 6th-gen iPad Air (with an M2) the iPad Air (M2, NO version number).

Hence the confusion: iPad Air (4th-gen and later) includes both the 4th-gen (2020, A14 Bionic, first Air with a full screen) AND the 5th-gen (2022, M1, the one you and I have) but NOT the 6th-gen iPad Air (M2), which Apple refers to as “iPad Air (M2)” only, with NO version number.

Apple, maintain the generation numbering and add chipset if you like, but don’t do this!

I would’ve said, if you want to highlight M chipsets:
iPad Air (4th-generation)
iPad Air (5th-generation) (M1)
iPad Air (6th-generation) (M2)
iPad Air (7th-generation) (M3)
iPad Air (8th-generation) (M4)

iPadOS 27 compatibility list:

iPad Air (4th-generation) and newer

Like that, it’s extremely clear.

Seems like there is a difference between being able to run

 

[ics55]

Seems like there is a difference between being able to run IpadOs27 and being able to use all the new features. I just download it on an IPadMini6 and it downloaded fine and it runs but all the new SiriAI features are missing. Upon looking closer I need the version with the A17Pro to do that. Even that will be limited without more RAM and an m5 chip.

 

[iPunkB]

There seems to be some confusion even at Apple. The system requirements list only the iPad Pro 12.9" 4th generation, but the Developer Portal says 3rd generation. After downloading it, Finder then rejects the update on the grounds of incompatibility. Oh dear...

 

[kiranmk2]

Here is the list below....
View attachment 2636311

But AI most powerful features like the Advanced Dictation & Expressive Preview are on M4 and later iPads with 12GB RAM.

I wonder if that iPad Pro with M4 will get the hidden 4 GB of memory unlocked with iPadOS 27 if they'll just throw the owners under the bus (iPad Pro with M4 reported 8 GB RAM, but was found to have 12 GB in the teardowns).

I will explain this and give some context:

People have been confused since Apple’s naming went (imo) in an appalling direction with the 3rd-gen iPad Pro.

Since it was the first full screen iPad, Apple pointlessly decided to call it the 11-inch (1st-gen) iPad Pro (with the A12X chipset). They went from there, which brought about massive confusion. Is the M1 iPad Pro the (5th-gen) (M1) or the (11-inch) (3rd-gen)? Apple used the latter.

Since the 12.9-inch iPad did not change screen sizes, they called the 11-inch M1 the 3rd-gen but the 12.9-inch M1 the 5th-gen.

With the Air, they only used chipsets starting with the M2! So, you have the Air (1st, 2nd, 3rd-gen, all with a home button); the 4th-gen (2020, A14 Bionic IIRC), and the 5th-gen (2022, M1).

But… Apple called the 6th-gen iPad Air (with an M2) the iPad Air (M2, NO version number).

Hence the confusion: iPad Air (4th-gen and later) includes both the 4th-gen (2020, A14 Bionic, first Air with a full screen) AND the 5th-gen (2022, M1, the one you and I have) but NOT the 6th-gen iPad Air (M2), which Apple refers to as “iPad Air (M2)” only, with NO version number.

Apple, maintain the generation numbering and add chipset if you like, but don’t do this!

I would’ve said, if you want to highlight M chipsets:
iPad Air (4th-generation)
iPad Air (5th-generation) (M1)
iPad Air (6th-generation) (M2)
iPad Air (7th-generation) (M3)
iPad Air (8th-generation) (M4)

iPadOS 27 compatibility list:

iPad Air (4th-generation) and newer

Like that, it’s extremely clear.

For the last couple of years, Apple have referred to new iPads by the chip, rather than the generation (I think even they realised how confusing it was). They've also decided not to retroactively rename the earlier models, so we are in the ridiculous situation where the currently supported line-ups comprise both "xxth generation" and "Mx" descriptors. It seems like this change happened around the introduction of the A16 iPad, M2 iPad Air and M4 iPad Pro.

There seems to be some confusion even at Apple. The system requirements list only the iPad Pro 12.9" 4th generation, but the Developer Portal says 3rd generation. After downloading it, Finder then rejects the update on the grounds of incompatibility. Oh dear...View attachment 2636518

I wonder if Apple let AI write a lot of the support webpages. We've got the debacle around WatchOS 27 support and now this...

 

[FeliApple]

For the last couple of years, Apple have referred to new iPads by the chip, rather than the generation (I think even they realised how confusing it was). They've also decided not to retroactively rename the earlier models, so we are in the ridiculous situation where the currently supported line-ups comprise both "xxth generation" and "Mx" descriptors. It seems like this change happened around the introduction of the A16 iPad, M2 iPad Air and M4 iPad Pro.

Yes, like I said, the naming problem started earlier. The chipset issue only compounded it. Currently-supported lineups do include both, but there’s no reference to the iPad (11th-gen) (A16) as being the 11th-gen.

Neither is there a reference to the 8th-gen Air being, indeed, 8th-gen.

And the 3rd-gen iPad Pro (that is, the one released in 2018) was also confusing… because like I said, it really wasn’t the 1st-gen 11-inch iPad Pro. It was the 3rd-gen iPad Pro (which the 12.9-inch version correctly shows).

So they screwed up twice, first with the full-screen Pro’s naming, and now, using only the chipset.

Both were wrong. Maintain total and complete uniformity. Like I said, the solution is trivial:

iPad Air (6th-generation) (M2). There, is that so difficult?

Now you have… both? The 5th-generation iPad Air (M1) is supported but people thought it wasn’t because the support page just says “4th-generation and later”, and then “M2 and later”. You have to know that the 5th-gen has an M chip but wasn’t called by that (it’s the only Air in this scenario, with an M chip but only referred to by Apple as generation number 5).

I know it because I follow it closely. I’d argue even most enthusiasts don’t, which is why people get confused even in specialised forums like this one ALL the time.

I even said it at the time: when they introduced the 11-inch, 3rd-gen iPad Pro in 2018 (that is, the first full screen design which they incorrectly called 1st-gen), I said that this will get really confusing for people who didn’t track this (so, everyone), really quickly.

It did, and here we are. Even long-term MacRumors users who follow this have been confused. If the most enthusiastic part of the user base is confused, you’re naming it wrong.