Apple unveiled a slew of new products this week, including not only the iPhone 17e and the new MacBook Neo, but also an updated iPad Air with the M4 chip. But as we previously reported, Apple has also been working on a new entry-level iPad, which was widely expected to arrive this week.
It seems to make sense for Apple to update both the iPad and iPad Air at once, as it did in previous years. But perhaps this omission wasn’t due to a delay, but rather a strategy.
What the rumors say about the new entry-level iPad
It’s been exactly a year since Apple last updated its cheapest iPad. The 2025 update wasn’t a significant one, focusing on adding more performance with the A16 chip and doubling the base storage from 64GB to 128GB.
Since this iPad is all about price, it never gets the latest chip or major advances compared to the other models. And while it occasionally gets annual updates, there was a three-year gap between the 10th-gen and the current 11th-gen model.
But this time around, rumors suggest Apple has been working on a more significant upgrade for the more affordable iPad. Macworld reported last year that Apple has been working on a new version of the tablet (codenamed J581 and J582) that has an A19 chip inside, the same chip that powers the latest iPhones today.
Compared to the A16 chip, the A19 is about 50 percent faster. In addition, it has 8GB of RAM, versus 6GB for the A16. This amount of RAM would finally enable Apple Intelligence on the budget iPad, which would be the last iOS device currently to gain AI capabilities. Otherwise, we expect the iPad to have the same design and specs.
An iPad with an A19 chip is an odd comparison next to the just-launched MacBook Neo.
Apple
A question of timing
If this iPad were to arrive this month, it would run the same chip as the current iPhone. That’s an odd move for the budget iPad, which usually has a chip that’s at least a generation behind. So it makes more sense to push this iPad launch until later this year.
If Apple holds off on launching the 12th-generation iPad until this fall, after the launch of the iPhone 18, the A19 chip will no longer be the latest. This would solve two problems for Apple: Marketing and cost.
In October, Apple can say that the budget iPad has a very capable chip without creating an awkward situation where it appears to be as fast as a new iPhone and better than some higher-end devices, including the iPad mini. It would also be an odd look to launch an A19 iPad alongside the just-released A18 Pro MacBook Neo.
Also, by the end of this year, the A19 will certainly be much cheaper to manufacture than it is now. And that’s essential for making a budget iPad.
The fact that Apple skipped the entry-level iPad this week likely means it will arrive much later in the year. By splitting the announcements, Apple also ensures that the budget iPad and iPad Air won’t cannibalize each other’s sales.
The A16 iPad will probably stay on shelves until the fall.
Britta O’Boyle
What about the other iPads?
According to the latest rumors, Apple has also been working on a major update to the iPad mini, which currently has an A17 Pro chip. Apple’s internal code leaked online suggests that it will be powered by the yet-to-be-announced A20 Pro chip. In addition, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has reported that the mini will be the first iPad to feature an OLED display.
As for the next iPad Pro, there won’t be any major changes other than the faster M6 chip and potentially a vapor chamber cooling system similar to the one in the iPhone 17 Pro.
The new iPad mini is likely to arrive this fall along with the new budget iPad, while a new iPad Pro is slated for 2027.
