iPad 12: rumors suggest Apple AI is finally coming to the cheapest tablet
The iPad 12 might be exactly what a lot of people have been waiting for to finally upgrade the most affordable tablet in Apple‘s lineup.
For years, the base iPad has been the go-to recommendation for students, families, and anyone just getting into the Apple ecosystem. Easy to use, priced way more reasonably than the premium models — and honestly, one of the best tablets on the market. But the most recent versions ended up falling behind in performance and features compared to the rest of Apple’s lineup.
The iPad 11, released in March 2025, did earn some praise for its value, but it also caught flak for one very specific reason: it didn’t support Apple’s artificial intelligence features. That was already questionable at the time, but for a 2026 model it would be pretty much unacceptable. And that’s exactly where the iPad 12 comes in, with internal upgrades that promise to change the game for good. 🚀
Rumors point to a major chip upgrade, more RAM, and full compatibility with iPadOS 27 — the operating system bringing a flood of Apple Intelligence features to the company’s devices. No radical redesign or surprising visual changes, but what’s under the hood could be more than enough reason to consider this upgrade.
Why the iPad 12 is such an important product for Apple
To understand why this new model matters so much, it helps to take a step back and look at what happened with the iPad 11. When Apple launched that generation, a lot of people were excited about the price and design. But the excitement didn’t last long — it quickly became clear that the hardware didn’t have enough RAM to run Apple Intelligence, the company’s suite of artificial intelligence tools that promises to transform the way we use our devices every day. That left the base iPad in a really awkward spot: it was the most affordable model in the lineup, but it was also the only one left out of the most important software features.
Receive the best innovation content in your email.
All the news, tips, trends, and resources you're looking for, delivered to your inbox.
By subscribing to the newsletter, you agree to receive communications from Método Viral. We are committed to always protecting and respecting your privacy.
That exclusion wasn’t random. Apple’s artificial intelligence features require more RAM to work properly, and the iPad 11 simply didn’t deliver that. It was a hardware limitation, not a software one — meaning no update could fix it. Anyone who bought the model expecting to take advantage of AI features ended up seriously disappointed. And that put Apple in a tough position: the best-selling tablet in the lineup was also the only one without access to the features the company was promoting the hardest.
With the iPad 12, the expectation is that this problem goes away for good. Leaks and analysis from industry sources suggest the new generation should finally close that gap. It would stop being the model left on the sidelines and become a real entry point into Apple’s AI ecosystem, without having to shell out for an iPad Air or iPad Pro.
What we know about the iPad 12 hardware
The expected hardware upgrades for the iPad 12 are the heart of this whole story. The most talked-about upgrade is the jump from the current A16 chip to the A18, and possibly even the A19, depending on Apple‘s production timeline. That would be a significant leap, especially when it comes to the Neural Engine, the dedicated processing unit for artificial intelligence tasks inside Apple’s chips. A more powerful Neural Engine is exactly what allows the device to run language models locally, without relying on the cloud for everything.
Beyond the chip, the bump to 8 GB of RAM is pretty much taken as a given at this point. That’s the requirement that opens the door for the tablet to fully take advantage of iPadOS 27 and the entire Apple Intelligence toolkit. We’re talking about features like Write with Siri, a much more capable Image Playground, and the new AI-powered Siri experience. For a tablet that has always been about delivering the basics at the lowest possible price, that’s a pretty big deal.
No redesign in sight
While the iPad 12 promises a real leap on the inside, the outside is a different story. Current rumors suggest Apple will stick with the same form factor as previous generations, including the 11-inch Liquid Retina display, USB-C port, landscape-oriented front camera, and Touch ID built into the power button.
Accessory leaks back this up: the new model is expected to have nearly identical dimensions to the current one. In practice, that means a lot of existing cases and accessories should still fit, making the transition much smoother for anyone who already owns an iPad and is thinking about upgrading. It’s the kind of detail that doesn’t make headlines, but it makes a real difference for your wallet and convenience. 😉
Release date and a higher price tag
The eleventh generation — officially named iPad (A16) — arrived in March 2025, so the replacement model is already a bit overdue. Everything suggests Apple is holding the new tablet until the AI features are ready to justify the launch.
The good news is that the iPad 12 release date should finally land sometime this fall, alongside iPadOS 27, the new version of the operating system packed with Apple Intelligence features.
Now, the part that stings a little: Apple recently raised the price of the current iPad 11 to $449 — a significant $100 jump. The company said it had no choice given the rising costs of memory and storage, which made the device more expensive to produce. Because of that, the expectation is that the iPad 12 will also start at the same $449 price point.
Still, there’s reason to hope for good deals. Historically, the base iPad tends to go on sale pretty often, with discounts that can knock $50 or even $70 off the full price. But for that, you’ll need a bit of patience and a sharp eye for opportunities.
iPadOS 27 and the central role of artificial intelligence
You can’t talk about the iPad 12 without talking about the system it’ll be running. iPadOS 27 is shaping up to be the most artificial intelligence-focused version Apple has ever made for tablets. The company has been building its AI layer step by step, and each new version of the operating system adds more features that depend directly on the hardware to function. Features like the revamped Siri, image generation with Image Playground, and enhanced writing tools should all be available — but only on devices with the right hardware.
That’s exactly where the iPad 12 fits in strategically. By arriving with the right hardware upgrades, it would become the entry-level device that finally unlocks everything iPadOS 27 has to offer. And that’s no small detail: we’re talking about a tablet that can be purchased by students, professionals, and everyday users for all kinds of tasks. Having full access to Apple’s artificial intelligence tools in that context can make a real difference in productivity, creativity, and even how users interact with the device over time.
Is it worth waiting for the iPad 12?
That’s the question everyone eyeing a new tablet is asking right now. And the honest answer is: it depends on where you’re at. If you already have an iPad 11 or a fairly recent model that still meets your needs, it might make sense to hold off and see what the iPad 12 actually delivers — especially when it comes to real-world compatibility with Apple Intelligence features on iPadOS 27. That’s the most concrete differentiator the new generation promises, and it could significantly change the user experience in the long run.
On the other hand, if you’re using an iPad from much older generations, any recent upgrade would already be a massive jump in performance. But the iPad 12 would be particularly interesting because it would deliver that performance boost along with full access to Apple‘s artificial intelligence layer, something older devices definitely wouldn’t be able to offer regardless of which operating system they’re running.
What seems certain is that Apple is positioning the iPad 12 as a turning point for its most popular tablet. It’s not a product for those chasing maximum performance — that role still belongs to the iPad Pro. But for anyone who wants a complete experience, with artificial intelligence actually working as intended, on an affordable device within Apple’s ecosystem, this new generation has everything going for it to be the most well-rounded option the base lineup has ever offered. 🍎
With a launch expected later this year and a starting price of $449, the iPad 12 should mark the moment Apple finally brings its AI layer to the entry-level tablet — and that alone is a pretty big deal.
