Once the iPad 12 gets a hold of its rumored new internals, Apple’s base tablet may become the budget-friendly, yet powerful device to snag next year.
Apple’s entry-level iPad may get its iPhone 17 moment as soon as next year, if a new leak is accurate. MacWorld found information about some of Apple’s 2026 iPads in an internal pre-release version of iOS 26, indicating that the iPad 12 tablet will feature the A19 chip that currently powers the standard iPhone 17 model.
The iPad 11 released earlier this year comes with an A16 chip inside; the same processor Apple launched with the iPhone 14 series in 2022. Apple has routinely used an older iPhone chip inside the cheapest iPad, which meant the tablet lagged behind the newest iPhones in terms of performance. That’s not necessarily a bad idea for an entry-level tablet that starts at $349, and is often primarily used for content consumption.
The iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro are better alternatives than the base iPad for work and productivity, especially after the iPadOS 26 upgrade that makes the iPad work more like a Mac.
