iPad 12 With A18 Chip for Apple Intelligence is 'Still Coming This Year'

[Plutonius]

Should probably just change the headline to Apple Intelligence is 'Still Coming This Year' (Maybe)

I was thinking the same thing.

 

[ab2c4]

If you don’t want a device with AI on it, then don’t pay for a device with AI on it. Problem solved.

What current new release phone doesn’t have it?

 

[EugW]

What current new release phone doesn’t have it?

You can still buy iPhone 15 and 15 Plus refurbs from Apple.

 

[dlopan]

I got tired of waiting so I bought a new Ipad Air M3. My really old basic Ipad's battery is dying and no I'm going to fix it.

 

[bradman83]

Don't know why this didn't come alongside the iPad Air bump a few weeks ago. Makes no sense to delay it as it won't exactly be more than a press release when it does comes.
I guess perhaps the A18 version has been dropped and an A19 version will come in September instead (hence that rumour)?

Apple's struggling to keep up with MacBook Neo orders which basically use the same internal logic board components. They likely didn't want to launch both at the same time and risk constraining component supplies. Same reason the higher volume MacBook Air launches a few months after lower volume devices when a new M chip generation launches.

 

[joeblow7777]

I wish these companies would offer a version of their devices without ai as an option. This way it could be less expensive and we wouldn’t have ai on them. Why pay for something I don’t want?

They will probably never do this though as this is one of their big current money drivers for them.

You're not paying extra for AI any more than you're paying extra for iOS updates. You can also simply turn it off.

 

[stevej26uk]

I think they didn't release it now because they didn't want to distract from the Neo they want students to for the Neo.
I think late this year before a refresh.

 

[eifelbube]

A chips are already more powerful than entry level M chips

I see. Did not know that an A18 is more poweful than an M2 or M3. I would be surprised if Apple made their $349 base tablet comparible with AppleIntel (so) soon after introducing their $499 edu/599 base laptop.

 

[Homme]

I see. Did not know that an A18 is more poweful than an M2 or M3. I would be surprised if Apple made their $349 base tablet comparible with AppleIntel (so) soon after introducing their $499 edu/599 base laptop.

Single core wise A18 is more powerful than the M3 and that is the only thing which makes it more powerful

and although multi core wise it’s equivalent to the M1 A19 multi core wise is more closer to the M2

 

[EugW]

Single core wise A18 is more powerful than the M3 and that is the only thing which makes it more powerful

and although multi core wise it’s equivalent to the M1 A19 multi core wise is more closer to the M2

The problem though is that the Neo severely throttles, to the point that after a few minutes its single-core is actually slower than M1 single-core. OTOH, most of the time that doesn't matter, because for stuff like basic surfing, word processing, and email, it will never throttle.

And for the iPad, it usually wouldn't matter either, unless you're playing games or something.

 

[Siliconguy]

I wish these companies would offer a version of their devices without ai as an option. This way it could be less expensive and we wouldn’t have ai on them. Why pay for something I don’t want?

They will probably never do this though as this is one of their big current money drivers for them.

Then get an A16 iPad ASAP. It's AI free.

That is one reason I id exactly that in November. The other reason was the battery in the previous iPad. But iPadOS 26 is sucking down the battery so fast I didn't gain much. I do like the proper windows behavior though.

 

[Funny Apple Man]

Around the September iPhone event when the 18 Pros with A20 chips are revealed or after that.

Base iPads were always given a chip that is at least two generations behind.

Correction: 5th and 6th gen were one chip behind.

 

[Homme]

Base iPads were always given a chip that is at least two generations behind.

One chip behind (5-6th gen)

Three chips behind (7th gen iPad, revealed around the same time as the iPhone 11 lineup)

Two Chips behind from 8th Gen onwards

 

[Dark_Omen]

I thought they would at least increase Ram to 8GB not iPad Air has 12GB , we shall see

It's a basic iPad. If the Mac Neo has 8 GB, and can run MacOS just fine, then the entry level iPad doesn't need more than that.

Having owned both an iPad Air and an iPad Pro, and with co-workers who have the entry level iPad -- the iPad Air is a waste of money. Crappy screen compared to the pros, but priced too high for the money. The iPad Pro is also insanely thin and light, so there's no point in calling the iPad Air the "Air" because it's a wasted product.

 

[EugW]

It's a basic iPad. If the Mac Neo has 8 GB, and can run MacOS just fine, then the entry level iPad doesn't need more than that.

Having owned both an iPad Air and an iPad Pro, and with co-workers who have the entry level iPad -- the iPad Air is a waste of money. Crappy screen compared to the pros, but priced too high for the money. The iPad Pro is also insanely thin and light, so there's no point in calling the iPad Air the "Air" because it's a wasted product.

Yeah, if I didn't get my iPad Pro, I'd get the base iPad. The iPad Pro is a waste of money for what I use it for, but that screen is super nice and IMO a bigger jump up over the Air than the Air is over the base iPad. I'm just salty that my M4 doesn't have 12 GB RAM. What makes it even worse is at least some of them actually did come with 12 GB RAM, but with 4 GB deactivated.

 

[whateverest]

Yesterday I learned that iPad 11 is driven by an "A16" with one efficency core less, so 5 cores in total.
And I think its rather disturbing Apple marketing this iPad with an A16 processor and not communicating this limitation. Yeah not much difference performance wise, but this is imho not ok.

 

[Funny Apple Man]

One chip behind (5-6th gen)

Three chips behind (7th gen iPad, revealed around the same time as the iPhone 11 lineup)

Two Chips behind from 8th Gen onwards

I keep mistaking the 5-6th gen came out in the fall, whoops. Yes this is more accurate.

Now it would be funny if the 12th gen came during the iPhone event, but instead it gets A19. Which makes the rumor from Macworld correct.

 

[Funny Apple Man]

Yesterday I learned that iPad 11 is driven by an "A16" with one efficency core less, so 5 cores in total.
And I think its rather disturbing Apple marketing this iPad with an A16 processor and not communicating this limitation. Yeah not much difference performance wise, but this is imho not ok.

Apple does this a lot with their base/entry-level models. iPhone 16e/17e, and base MacBook Airs come with a binned chip with a few less cores. I think it's more disturbing if they were to throw away those binned chips that are still very capable and can still do around 99% of what the non-binned chip does.

They do communicate the "limitation", it's in the specs and comparison page from their website. It's there for those who care about the specs, but most people who buy base iPad don't really care about what kind of chip is inside.

 

[Tripps9000]

Interesting article I have the iPad 11 myself and it is pretty good I am not bothered by the a16 chip it has as Apple intelligence has not really showed anything really ground breaking to buy a m series iPad I am perfectly fine with what I have and I plan to keep the 11 for a few years and just wait to see the Apple comes out with down the road in a year or two!

 

[macaron35]

what about the iPad Mini 8 ?

 

[Anaxarxes]

Don't know why this didn't come alongside the iPad Air bump a few weeks ago. Makes no sense to delay it as it won't exactly be more than a press release when it does comes.
I guess perhaps the A18 version has been dropped and an A19 version will come in September instead (hence that rumour)?

It would have impacted Neo debut - makes sense to stagger this.

 

[kiranmk2]

If they are using the A18 series then they would want that capacity for the MacBook Neo initially.

The A18 (and A18 Pro) were mass manufactured 18-20 months ago - is it feasible Apple wouldn't have enough chips for both a MacBook and iPad?

So as not to split the focus on the other budget product aimed at students that launched at the same time, ie. the MacBook Neo.

Surely people know whether they want an iPad (with iPadOS) or a laptoop (with MacOS) for themselves or their kids? An iPad with 256 GB storage + folio keyboard costs more than a Neo anyway, so Apple would probably rather sell this combination!

Apple's struggling to keep up with MacBook Neo orders which basically use the same internal logic board components. They likely didn't want to launch both at the same time and risk constraining component supplies. Same reason the higher volume MacBook Air launches a few months after lower volume devices when a new M chip generation launches.

The reason the MacBook Air launches later is because Apple doesn't want people that would have bought a MacBook Pro "settling" for a MacBook Air at a lower price/profit.

It would have impacted Neo debut - makes sense to stagger this.

 

[Howard2k]

I wish these companies would offer a version of their devices without ai as an option. This way it could be less expensive and we wouldn’t have ai on them. Why pay for something I don’t want?

They will probably never do this though as this is one of their big current money drivers for them.

Just don't activate it.

 

[Howard2k]

Yesterday I learned that iPad 11 is driven by an "A16" with one efficency core less, so 5 cores in total.
And I think its rather disturbing Apple marketing this iPad with an A16 processor and not communicating this limitation. Yeah not much difference performance wise, but this is imho not ok.

This is pretty normal.

I do agree that Apple could do a better job of being clear about this, but also the tech news industry does a poor job with this stuff too. I saw a tear down of the Neo where the "tech" said that the processor in the Neo was "exactly the same" as the processor used in the phone.

 

[KeepCalmPeople]

If it is not released by June, education customers will likely be stuck buying the 11th Gen for the next school year in the US. I'm not sure that's a good thing for Apple, assuming the profit margin on the new model will be the same. It will delay adoption of Apple Intelligence by students, which Apple is keen on.
I hope the 12th Gen stays at $349.