iPadOS 17 Supported Devices: Will Your iPad Get It?

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Apple is expected to drop support for several iPads with the release of iPadOS 17 later this year. Here’s the full list of which iPads make the cut…

It’s just six weeks until Apple’s WWDC23 in which the company is expected to unveil everything from a new 15-inch MacBook Air, to an AR headset, to iOS 17, tvOS 17, macOS 14, and more. But Apple is also expected to show off more at the event.

One of the biggest highlights should be the preview of iPadOS 17, the next version of the operating system that runs on the iPad. There’s little word yet on what new features iPadOS 17 will sport, but chances are they will make the tablet have a more robust and laptop-like experience as that has been the direction iPadOS updates have been moving in for years.

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But we do have one small detail about iPadOS 17 already – which iPads the new operating system is likely to support. Here’s what you need to know…

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iPadOS 16 Supported Devices

Before we get into the supported devices it’s helpful to look at which iPads iPadOS 16 currently supports – and it’s a lot of them. They are:

Long list, right? Well, the bad news is iPadOS 17 is now rumored to be dropping support for quite a few models…

iPadOS 17 Supported Devices (Rumored)

Thanks to the French Mac site iPhoneSoft (via MacRumors), we now have stronger rumors reporting which iPads will support iPadOS 17. Specifically, the rumors say Apple will be dropping support for an iPad model and some iPad Pro models in iPadOS 17.

The iPads rumored to support iPadOS 17 are:

That means if these rumors are true, the first-generation iPad Pro 9.7-inch and first-generation iPad Pro 12.9-inch (1st generation) will not get iPadOS 17 support. Also, the iPad (5th generation) will not get iPadOS 17 support.

Some Supported iPads May Not Get All iPadOS 17 Features

But just because an iPad on the list above makes the iPadOS 17 cut, it doesn’t mean that that iPad will get ALL the new features of iPadOS 17.

Apple seems to support their iOS and iPadOS devices for as long as possible – that is, as long as the device’s chipset can handle the new OS.

However, even when an iPhone or iPad can run the latest iOS, Apple may decide to leave some features from older iPhones or iPads. This is because that while those older iPhones and iPads may have the power to run the new OSes, the device may not have the appropriate power to run ALL the features of the new OSes.

These features are typically AI or machine learning features that require newer chipsets. If Apple sticks to this method, it’s possible all of the iPads listed above will run iPadOS 17, but some of the oldest models may lack the newest, most advanced features of iPadOS 17.

Michael Grothaus

Apple expert and novelist, Michael Grothaus has been covering tech on KnowYourMobile for the best part of 10 years. Prior to this, he worked at Apple. And before that, he was a film journalist. Michael is a published author; his book Epiphany Jones was voted as one of the best novels about Hollywood by Entertainment Weekly. Michael is also a writer at other publications including VICE and Fast Company.