Apple’s cheapest iPad is getting ready for a meaningful refresh in a few months. This time the changes appear to go deeper than a simple silicon upgrade.
According to a new report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the company has been on track since last year to launch an updated entry-level iPad in the first half of 2026, within the iOS 26.4 release timeframe of May 2026.
The base iPad gets Apple Intelligence support with the A18 chip
The alleged entry-level iPad switches from Apple’s A16 chip to the newer and more powerful A18 chip. This means that not only does the device run faster, but more importantly, it supports Apple Intelligence.
Previously, Apple’s suite of AI-powered features was only available on the more expensive iPad Air, iPad mini and iPad Pro models.
This has kept millions of budget-conscious iPad buyers away from AI features like Writing Tools, Smart Reply, Image Playground, Image Wand, Genmoji, Clean Up and Math Notes. While some of these are not as useful, such as Image Playground and Image Wand, others, such as Writing Tools and Math Notes, could be used on a daily basis.
Why did it take so long?
Although the company planned to launch the new entry-level iPad alongside the M4 iPad Air, this could not happen. Reasons cited in the report include chip shortages, insufficient inventory, or intentional marketing changes.
Despite the delay, Gurman claims that the 12th generation iPad is “ready to go” and will launch this year. With the A18 chip, the iPad would feel faster, support all available Apple Intelligence features (and the new Siri, which may launch later this year), and offer the buyer even better value for money.
Integrating Apple Intelligence onto the base iPad significantly expands the addressable market for Apple’s AI ecosystem.
