Apple has released its latest entry-level iPad powered by the A16 chip a year ago. The company is likely to launch a new version with the A18 chip in the coming months, but there is a bigger question – what will the name of this new model be?

For a long time, Apple numbered the base model iPad with a generation number – up to the 10th generation iPad with the A14 chip. The next version completely dropped the numbers and was branded simply as iPad (A16). This clearly shows performance to consumers, but still – the base iPad has always faced a naming crisis.

With the MacBook Neo, Apple took a clear stance – and did not shy away from giving it a name. Many thought it would simply be called ‘MacBook’, as the company had done for many years.

In a recent interview with Tom’s Guide, John Ternus and Greg Joswiak discussed why the MacBook Neo was not simply called ‘MacBook’, with Joz making the following comment:

Yes. So, look, you could even make an argument for this. Did you just say MacBook? You know, that’s what some people expected while working on this. And primarily, doing that would have left it without an identity. So we wanted to give it an identity. We wanted something short and catchy, that aligns with Air and Pro, but also conveys its novelty. And the word Neo literally means new, right? Or reinvented. And as we talked about, this is a reinvention of a laptop, a low-cost, high-value laptop. So for us, Neo was the perfect name for that.

New iPad

With these comments, it almost seems certain that Apple has moved away from ambiguous, unclear naming schemes for its entry-level products. The MacBook Neo is a clear signal, and going further back, the iPhone 16 (and 17) – dropping the traditional SE nickname.

Many liked this naming scheme, but ultimately, it did not provide a clear indication of where the product stood in the lineup. Therefore, the next iPad could indeed be called iPad Neo.

Now, there is a key element that contradicts this theory: the new iPad will actually not be truly new. The design language was first introduced in 2022, and there won't be many changes for the A18 model. This could mean we might see a name other than iPad Neo, or the current naming could continue for a short while longer, until the base model iPad receives a major update.