Apple is working on a 12th generation iPad and plans to update the more affordable iPad tablet in 2027. It won’t be a major update, but if you’re considering a purchase, you may want to wait for the newer model.
Design
There are no rumors of an updated design for the 12th generation iPad, so it will likely have the same 11-inch edge-to-edge display with the Touch ID side button and thick bezels.
Apple last updated the design of the iPad with the 10th generation model, giving the device a more modern look to better match the designs of the iPad Pro and iPad Air models.
The low-cost iPad only comes in one screen size and it is Apple’s thickest tablet at 7mm. It features a Retina LED display with no ProMotion support, no P3 wide color, and no lamination (display technology that allows for enhanced visuals) compared to other Apple tablets.
Apple makes the low-cost iPad in several fun colors, and we might see new shades in 2026. Current colors include blue, pink, silver, and yellow.
No changes are expected to the rear camera, front camera, USB-C port or compatibility with accessories like the Apple Pencil.
A-series processor
Rumors suggest the low-cost iPad will use Apple’s A18 or A19 chip, both built on a 3-nanometer process to deliver speed and efficiency improvements over the current model’s A16 chip.
The A16 chip Apple will use in 2025 does not support Apple Intelligence, unlike the A18 and A19, which will mark a major update for Apple’s affordable tablet. The 2026 model should be able to support Apple Intelligence features that are not available with the 2025 model.
The updated chips also offer hardware-accelerated ray tracing and similar features for improved gameplay. The 11th generation iPad has 6GB of RAM, but Apple will need to increase that to 8GB for Apple Intelligence.
N1 chip
Apple launched its own Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, called N1, in the iPhone 17 models. The N1 was added to the iPad Pro, and it’s possible that Apple plans to add the chip to all future devices coming in 2026 and beyond.
The N1 chip supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread network technology for smart home devices.
The 11th generation iPad is limited to Wi-Fi 6, so if the 12th generation version does indeed get Wi-Fi 7, it will be able to connect to faster 6GHz networks for the first time. Bluetooth 6 would also be an improvement over Bluetooth 5.3. It’s possible that Apple will reserve the N1 chip for its most high-end devices, based on an internal code leak. If so, the iPad will not include the N1 chip.
Apple Modem
Apple designed C1 and C1X modem chips that it used in iPhones and iPads in 2025, and the next-generation version of the iPad could also receive an Apple-designed modem chip for cellular models.
Apple’s modem chips are more energy efficient than Qualcomm chips while providing similar performance.
Prices
With Apple’s price increase in June, the price of the 11th generation iPad starts at $449 for 128GB of storage, which is $100 more than the previous price. Apple has increased prices due to rising RAM costs, and there is no indication that component costs are decreasing before the 12th generation model launches.
It’s likely that it will have the same starting price of $449.
Launch date
Bloomberg initially suggested that Apple would refresh the iPad sometime in 2026, but it now appears that it won’t receive an update until the first quarter of 2027 at the earliest.
