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Rumors about Apple’s 2026 iPads point to faster chips and potential display improvements across the range, from the iPad Air (updated in March 2026) to the Pro (last updated in October 2025). Yet for most buyers, the most important update may be coming to the most affordable model. The entry-level iPad – Apple’s cheapest tablet and the one aimed at students and families – is reportedly set to receive a performance boost from the A18 or A19 processor in an update that could in late 2026.
Apple hosted a series of ‘Experiences‘ in various locations on March 4. There it launched a new iPad Air with an M4 chip but no new standard entry-level budget iPad.
Apple has four iPad types: entry-level iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air and iPad Pro.
The current iPad was released in March 2025, and while it’s a perfectly good iPad for most people, it’s the only iPad that doesn’t support Apple Intelligence. Apple’s 2026 update should address that shortcoming. Here’s everything you need to know about the new iPad.
2026 iPad release date: When will Apple launch the next entry-level iPad?
- Release by end of May (possible)
Reports had suggested that a new iPad would be released in early 2026 at Apple’s “Special Experiences” events on March 4. While Apple launched a barely changed iPad Air (basically the new model has a faster M4 processor and some more RAM), there was no sign of a new entry-level standard iPad.
While saving the iPad update for later in the year will ensure that it doesn’t cannibalise sales of the iPad Air, a chip upgrade for the iPad has been desired ever since Apple introduced the iPad A16 in March 2025. While it’s a popular option due to its lower price, the current iPad cannot support Apple Intelligence, which seems like one trade-off too far in this era of AI. For this reason Apple is expected to launch the new iPad soon.
In a weekend newsletter at the end of March 2026, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggested that the new iPad is on the road map for a release in the iOS 26.4 time frame, which runs until May.” So it appears we will not have to wait for much longer.
2026 iPad chip: How much faster will the 2026 iPad be?
- A19 chip with 6-core CPU
- 5-core GPU
- N1 chip for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6
The major upgrade to the upcoming iPad will be a new chip. The reports don’t agree on which chip this will be, however.
As we reported in 2025 a code-leak suggested that Apple has been working on a new version of the tablet (codenamed J581 and J582) with an A19 chip inside, the same chip that powers the iPhone 17 series. Other reports refer to the A18 chip being used (as seen in the iPhone 16 generation and the MacBook Neo, Apple’s new budget Mac, which uses an A18 Pro).
Both chips are a significant jump from the A16 in the current iPad, and most crucially, compatible with Apple Intelligence. Apple Intelligence was incomprehensibly omitted from 2025’s A16 iPad.
If Apple does use the A19 chip, which has a 6-core CPU and a 5-core GPU in the iPhone 17, Apple will probably use a so-called “binned” A19 with one fewer CPU or GPU core for the iPad, a technique it has implemented in the iPad mini and iPad Air.
The A19 is about 50 percent faster than the iPad’s current A16. The A19 comes with 8GB of RAM, about 30 percent more than the 6GB in the A16. The increase in RAM makes the upcoming iPad compatible with Apple Intelligence. Regardless of whether you decide to activate Apple Intelligence or not, the extra RAM will help with performance.
The A19 chip offers a 50 percent performance improvement over the A16.
Apple
With the iPhone 17 lineup and the iPhone Air, Apple introduced the N1, a chip used for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Thread wireless connectivity. The N1 will likely make its way into the new iPad, which could give the device a jump to Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 6.3, up from the current Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3. If you opt for one of the 5G models, you’ll probably get Apple’s C1 modem or some variant of it.
2026 iPad display: Sticking with LCD or something more?
- Same LED display as A16 model
- Brightness, resolution are identical
While there are reports that the other iPads (mini, Air and Pro) could get new OLED panels with richer colors and deeper contrast in 2026, the base model is unlikely to evolve from its LCD panel.
We expect the upcoming iPad to have the same 11-inch Liquid Retina display 2360-by-1640 display with 500 nits of brightness that it has had since 2022.
2026 iPad design: Any changes beyond internal upgrades?
- Same dimensions
Apple currently offers the iPad in four colors.
Apple
The A19 iPad is also expected to have the same dimensions: 9.79 x 7.07 x 0.28 inches (248.6 x 179.5 x 7 millimeters) and weigh 1.05 pounds (477 grams).
We haven’t heard anything about new colors, but since Apple hasn’t changed the color palette (blue, pink, yellow, silver) since its original release, it’s possible we get a couple of new options.
2026 iPad cameras: Could Apple update the FaceTime camera?
Britta O’Boyle
- 12MP rear camera
- 12MP Center Stage front camera
The current iPad has two 12MP cameras, with the front ‘FaceTime’ camera having support for Center Stage. Apple isn’t expected to make changes to the camera for the upcoming iPad.
However, the company did change the Centre Stage camera with the arrival of the iPhone 17, and the new ‘square’ 18MP camera could be used on the front of the new iPad.
This front-facing camera has a larger, square sensor that supports automatic subject framing, orientation-agnostic capture, and advanced video features. On the iPad the 18MP camera could translate to improved video quality. However, current iPads already support smart framing during video calls so that aspect of the design may not be necessary.
2026 iPad price: Will Apple keep the entry-level iPad affordable?
After launching at $449 in 2022, Apple cut the price of the entry-level iPad to $349 in May 2024, and doubled the starting storage from 64GB to 128GB with the 11th-gen model. However, there are a few factors that could impact pricing this year: tariffs and the rising cost of RAM. Apple has yet to adjust the price of any of its products to reflect these additional costs, so it’s unclear if the iPad will be affected.
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