(Credit: Eric Zeman/PCMag)
Apple is prepping to launch its 12th-generation iPad with support for Apple Intelligence very soon, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
The entry-level iPad received an upgrade in March 2025. At $349, the 11th-gen iPad offers an 11-inch display, the A16 processor, 128GB of storage, and up to 10 hours of battery life. While the model offers a significant performance boost over its 2022 predecessor, one of its few drawbacks, as noted in our review, is the lack of support for Apple Intelligence.
With the upcoming 12th-generation model, Apple is expected to address that shortcoming. The tablet will be equipped with the A18 processor that supports Apple’s suite of AI features, Gurman says. This will be iPad 12’s biggest highlight, while the rest of the features, including the design, remain the same, he added.
The A18 chip debuted on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus in September 2024. Apple Intelligence launched a month later with iOS 18.1, but it's been slow going, and the most notable feature—a revamped Siri with more natural language—was MIA. It's still not here, and Apple recently teamed up with Google to have the company power Apple's AI with Gemini.
Apple will also upgrade the iPad Air soon, Gurman reports. The current 7th-generation model runs on the M3 chip, and its successor is tipped to move to the M4 chip found in last year’s MacBook Air and the 2024 iPad Pro.
Apple is gearing up for a busy 2026, according to Gurman. Apart from the iPads, it is expected to announce M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pros and the iPhone 17e shortly. It may also announce the long-rumored affordable MacBook powered by an iPhone chip. In the fall, Apple is expected to debut its first-ever foldable iPhone alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max.