Here's When to Expect the iPad 12 to Launch

[Der_mit_dem_langen]

Uh, wut? I agree the price is high now, but the screen is far from “objectively bad”. It’s not subjectively bad either. It’s a good quality screen, much better than average, but doesn’t have the extra features of the Air’s and Pro’s screens.

That’s one reason why historically I’ve recommended the base iPad over Android competitors:

1. Good screen, noticeably better than average Android tablets.
2. Good performance
3. Good apps which are often better maintained and better quality than on the Android side
4. Good integration with Apple’s ecosystem
5. Etc.

And I say this while typing on my M4 iPad Pro with OLED screen.

Sorry, but a non-laminated 60Hz screen in 2026 is bad, even if the LCD is higher quality than the average Android tablet (that’s not saying much, since Android tablets mostly suck).

 

[FeliApple]

Yep. I still regularly use my iPad mini 4 - it’s running iOS / iPad os 15, but is sluggish, but I use it exclusively as an ebook reader, as the size is perfect for that.

Older tech is absolutely fine if you’re realistic about the use cases for it.

I wouldn’t tolerate a fully updated device knowing how they work. I have a 6s on iOS 13 and performance and especially battery life leave too much to be desired.

I guess for an iBooks reader with Apple’s extremely efficient iBooks app is doable, though…

 

[FeliApple]

I’m about to press my old iPhone 8 Plus back into service as a baby monitor. I don’t like the disposable mentality, and Apple makes these things quite well. You can get a lot out of them if you want to.

Agree completely, I try to give my devices as much longevity as possible, repurposing older iPhones on original iOS versions as music devices.

I need one compatible iPad and one iPhone. As long as I have that, it’s fine.

 

[FeliApple]

The implication is not that it is inadequate for content consumption, the implication is that it is too expensive given how old the tech it uses is. Ultimately the biggest thing that makes it a poor value at this point is the short support life someone buying it new today can expect. It could still be a decent value if bought on sale but definitely not at full price.

Sure, I can agree with this, and if I cared even a little about iOS updates support then the Air would make too strong of a case, I can see that.

My Air 5 runs and will run iPadOS 15 and my A16 runs and will run 18 so software support is the most irrelevant aspect for me, but I understand that 99% of iOS users disagree with this.

At the current price point I think you do have a point, stretching for the Air may be worth it.

That said, I have both like I said and the feature differences are irrelevant to me. Both are fine. But when judging my A16… I don’t care about iOS support because I don’t update, and I don’t care much about the processor and RAM because I don’t push my devices at all.

I need my Air to work with some note-taking apps and some content consumption apps and if the rest doesn’t work, I adapt. I don’t even have a Pencil for the A16 so I only need some apps.

If I were somebody who updates though… the 2019 iPad Air 3 got from iOS 12 to iPadOS 26; the 2019 iPad 7th-gen (released 6 months later) got from iPadOS 13 to iPadOS 18, so Sept 2019-Sept 2025 vs Mar 2019-Sept 2026. 1.5-year support difference. Not too bad.

Now the question is whether the M-series chipsets will change this aspect. Mar 2022 for the Air 5, iPadOS 15. The 2022 base iPad (10th-gen) is again starting with deficit (a 7-month one this time), Oct 2022, iPadOS 16.

We’ll see how the future fares, but if the 10th-gen again sees 5, it should be dropped with iPadOS 29 in 2028. We’ll see what happens to the iPad Air 5, which has zero precedent.

 

[Happy_John]

I wouldn’t tolerate a fully updated device knowing how they work. I have a 6s on iOS 13 and performance and especially battery life leave too much to be desired.

I guess for an iBooks reader with Apple’s extremely efficient iBooks app is doable, though…

That’s exactly my logic.

I already own the iPad mini 4 - it costs me nothing to use it purely as an ebook reader (and for that I only need the Books apps and the Files app to side load ePub files into Books, neither apps are sluggish on the hardware)

Upgrading to a more recent iPad mini, or buying a dedicated ebook reader would not cost me nothing.

In this situation, it’s absurd to feel FOMO for not having a more recent iteration of the mini. I don’t give a damn if people turn their noses up at leer tech - that’s their problem, not mine.

I have a lot of older Apple tech - most of it is still in use - but repurposed for specific tasks.

Upgrading to the latest iteration of a product is great; but great for Apple, not necessarily great for the user.

For personal devices, rather than work devices, upgrading is a choice, not an obligation.

 

[Der_mit_dem_langen]

I own both, plus de 8th and 9th gen base iPad. The M1 is still in another league completely, mainly because of the screen. But the speedier single core performance of the A16 sometimes is noticeable. However, I definitely would not consider the A16 iPad an improvement over the M1 pro.

Is the A16 iPad fast enough for note-taking/PDF annotation with 2-3 windows open? Can you recommend it?

 

[Devvy]

Is the A16 iPad fast enough for note-taking/PDF annotation with 2-3 windows open? Can you recommend it?

Easily. I am using it in combination with the 1st gen Apple Pencil, I guess the USB-C pencil will work fine for note taking too.
Truth is, the 9th gen iPad was already a solid device for note taking; the A16 is just a lot more solid.

 

[Der_mit_dem_langen]

Easily. I am using it in combination with the 1st gen Apple Pencil, I guess the USB-C pencil will work fine for note taking too.
Truth is, the 9th gen iPad was already a solid device for note taking; the A16 is just a lot more solid.

Thank you for your answer. Do you think it will last for at least 3 more years? I’m debating buying it after the hefty price increase…

 

[Steves Padawan]

I strongly disagree with this, because you really need to add “for my use cases”, or “for me”.

It’s up to users themselves, and their use cases, to say how much memory and o the r minimum specs they need.

Pressuring people to spend more money than they need to, by buying equipment specced higher than their needs, is unfair.

Don’t fearmonger and don’t be an unpaid assistant to Apple’s upselling marketing team.

Its lagging so its true, im using it over year, they just saving better ram for higher models... so i recommend wait for basic iPad with mote than 8GB,

4gb ram i had on pro in 2017 and it was fluid back then, 6gb now is nothing if you open more apps, i know what they do - i dont stand with them or you.... i have my opinion based on daily usage

 

[Happy_John]

Its lagging so its true, im using it over year, they just saving better ram for higher models... so i recommend wait for basic iPad with mote than 8GB,

4gb ram i had on pro in 2017 and it was fluid back then, 6gb now is nothing if you open more apps, i know what they do - i dont stand with them or you.... i have my opinion based on daily usage

Again, what you are saying is that this is "true for you", which is not objective fact.

 

[Der_mit_dem_langen]

Its lagging so its true, im using it over year, they just saving better ram for higher models... so i recommend wait for basic iPad with mote than 8GB,

4gb ram i had on pro in 2017 and it was fluid back then, 6gb now is nothing if you open more apps, i know what they do - i dont stand with them or you.... i have my opinion based on daily usage

The iPad A16 is lagging?

 

[Devvy]

Thank you for your answer. Do you think it will last for at least 3 more years? I’m debating buying it after the hefty price increase…

For the current price, I don't know. I was lucky to get one very cheap. The hike is so huge...
But regarding usability in 3 years: I bought the 9th 5 years ago almost, and it is still functional. The A16 has twice the RAM. As long as you do not expect to run heavy processes on it (I run DaVinci Resolve on the M1 with 8gb RAM), you'll be fine. The Neo has 8gb and runs MacOs, 6gb on the iPad is not that bad.

 

[Der_mit_dem_langen]

For the current price, I don't know. I was lucky to get one very cheap. The hike is so huge...
But regarding usability in 3 years: I bought the 9th 5 years ago almost, and it is still functional. The A16 has twice the RAM. As long as you do not expect to run heavy processes on it (I run DaVinci Resolve on the M1 with 8gb RAM), you'll be fine. The Neo has 8gb and runs MacOs, 6gb on the iPad is not that bad.

Thank you for your answer. I will pretty much only use it as a reader/note taking device. Is your 9th gen iPad sluggish when using the Apple Pencil? I’m thinking about buying the cellular version which would total me €650 for the iPad and 2 years of 55GB/month of 5G internet. It’s certainly not a good deal but not super bad one either imo.

 

[Devvy]

Thank you for your answer. I will pretty much only use it as a reader/note taking device. Is your 9th gen iPad sluggish when using the Apple Pencil? I’m thinking about buying the cellular version which would total me €650 for the iPad and 2 years of 55GB/month of 5G internet. It’s certainly not a good deal but not super bad either imo.

My daughter used the 9th daily for drawing in ProCreate and actually she didn't really complain about anything, she didn't "need" the upgrade to the A16. I've used the 9th, A16 and M1 pro with the pencil, the biggest difference is the air gap of the screen (M1 is laminated), not the speed. And I would not even pay extra for that next time, I can write/draw as easily on the 9th/A16 as on the M1.
The A16 delivers on the essentials of what is important for a tablet.