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iPad 12 and iPad Air 8 Reportedly Coming Soon

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Apple is planning to launch new iPad and iPad Air models in the near future, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports.

m3-ipad-air-mint.jpeg

Writing in today's "Power On" newsletter, Gurman explained that updated iPads are "coming soon," including a new entry-level iPad and a new iPad Air. Both devices are not expected to feature design changes or major enhancements, instead focusing on new chips. The 12th-generation iPad is set to feature the A18 chip, while the eighth-generation iPad Air will apparently feature the M4 chip. The iPad mini is said to be the only new iPad set to get a bigger upgrade this year, moving to an OLED display.

The new chip is perhaps most significant for the iPad, which will facilitate Apple Intelligence support on the device for the first time. Apple announced the 11th-generation iPad in March 2025 with the A16 chip, which does not support Apple Intelligence, despite the technology being widely available across Apple's other devices at that time.

The iPad saw strong sales over the holidays, largely driven by the entry-level model. Apple purportedly plans to market the new model heavily to enterprise customers.

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Article Link: iPad 12 and iPad Air 8 Reportedly Coming Soon
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/02/08/ipad-12-and-ipad-air-8-reportedly-coming-soon/
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Nyx1 said:
iPad air should get pro motion
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Yep, if it got a Promotion screen (Or at least 90 hz, like has been reported in some MR articles), then it would be so much better along with the M4 chip. This would be like the iPhone 17 for iPads, best all round iPad for the majority of people.
 
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Kidseeghost said:
This will make the Pro redundant. Same logic why the iPad still doesn’t use a laminated display in 2026. Sooner or later Apple has to unify the line up to two iPads or let the Pro use macOS.
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Not really, since we have an OLED screen on the Pro. It's different class display. They can still use generic edge-lit display (no Mini LED) and put 120Hz IPS LCD screen on top.
 
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BorisDG said:
Not really, since we have an OLED screen on the Pro. It's different class display. They can still use generic edge-lit display (no Mini LED) and put 120Hz IPS LCD screen on top.
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The display from the iPP 11" M2 would be the ideal candidate for the the upcoming Air 7. Also the iPP M5 now has base 12 GB RAM, Thinner chassis with a larger battery, larger storage as well as 16 GB RAM options, LIDAR sensor, Face ID and of course the industry leading Tandem OLED display like you said to differentiate it from the Air.
 
Adelphos33 said:
The gap in price between the iPad Air and the iPad Pro is also much bigger, while the gap in functionality between say an M4 iPad Air and an M5 iPad Pro will be much smaller
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You are paying premium for one of the most advanced screens in the industry. Also you have more RAM and other features (you need or not). I won't be surprised if they even use more binned M4 SoC for the Air - like 3P/6E and 8 core GPU instead of 10.
 
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Yet iPadOS seems like it’s designed to run on the entry level iPad making any hardware and lineup benefit moot other than a nice to have.
 
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