Where in the World is the iPad 12?
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Earlier this month, Apple released a cavalcade of new hardware, yet even in the midst of a new iPhone 17e and M4 iPad Air, one entry was conspicuously absent: a new entry-level iPad.
By all accounts, Apple has been working on a refresh to the standard iPad that was widely expected to launch this month. Although it might not be entirely fair to call the new iPad “overdue” — we had a two-year drought before the current 11th-generation version finally arrived on March 4, 2025 — it does remain the only mainstream Apple product that lacks Apple Intelligence.
As surprising as it was at the time, Apple used an A16 chip in its 2025 iPad. That’s the same chip that was used in the iPhone 15, and like that model, it puts it one notch behind the minimum required to support Apple Intelligence. Since there’s nowhere for the iPad’s successor to go but up, it’s a safe bet that the 12th-generation iPad will sport at least an A18 chip. Apple could go for the A17 Pro (there never was a base “A17” chip), but that’s already used in the iPad mini, and putting a “Pro” chip in a $349 tablet kind of sends the wrong message.
The move to an A16 last year may have been partly about letting the iPad mini stay ahead, although some reports hinted at an M1 chip to put it in line with the rest of the full-sized iPads, which have long since abandoned A-series silicon in favor of the same chips that power Apple’s Macs. Of course, Apple probably didn’t want to keep cranking out those older chips, and the appearance of the A18 Pro-powered MacBook Neo makes the overall strategy all too clear: M-series chips are not for entry-level devices.
Move Over, iPad: The MacBook Neo Is the New Budget Superstar
That affordable new MacBook may be the very reason why the “iPad 12” remains missing in action. Even though it would have made for a nice trifecta of budget devices — the iPhone 17e, the MacBook Neo, and the iPad — a $349 tablet with an A18 chip would have undercut the message Apple was trying to send with its groundbreaking new laptop. Leaving $599 at the “base” of its early March showcase ensured the MacBook Neo shone as the new budget superstar.
Nevertheless, a new iPad is still on track for this spring, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Apple is likely just waiting for the excitement around the MacBook Neo to cool down a bit, at which point it can quietly slip the 12th-generation iPad out via a press release.
While some reports suggest the iPad could go straight to the A19 chip used in this year’s iPhone 17e, Gurman maintains that it will be an A18 chip. That makes sense, as Apple likely wouldn’t want it to overshadow the MacBook Neo. Putting an A19 in an iPhone is one thing, as that’s an entirely different device that’s also offered at the same price. It’s hard to imagine Apple putting a newer and ostensibly better chip in an iPad that’s likely to still be $250 cheaper than its hot new laptop.
Gurman claims that he wasn’t really surprised that the iPad didn’t show up earlier this month, saying he “noted last July that the [M4 iPad] Air was always slated to launch first.” Still, that’s not entirely clear in the July 2025 article he links to, where he predicted they’d both launch “around the same time,” despite the iPad Air being “further ahead in the development process.”
Apple is aiming to launch the replacement for today’s $349, low-end iPad around March or April. The new model will look like the current version but include a faster chip.
The new iPad Air models will be upgraded from the M3 chip to the M4 but otherwise have only limited changes. Though they’re further ahead in the development process, the devices are on track to launch around the same time as the new low-end models.
Mark Gurman, July 10, 2025
While Gurman doesn’t go into specifics, he suggests the delays could be as much logistical as strategic, listing “chip shortages, inventory of the current model not being depleted enough or marketing changes” as reasons. Nevertheless, he maintains that “the hardware is ready to go,” and should be coming during the “iOS 26.4 time frame,” which means before Apple’s June Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC).
That said, we shouldn’t expect any major changes. This will likely be the same sort of spec-bump release as the M4 iPad Air, swapping out the A16 chip for an A18, while likely also embracing Apple’s new N1 Wi-Fi/Bluetooth and C1X modem chip.
[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]
