Apple has two new iPad models coming early this year. A new base iPad with an A18 chip and a new iPad Air with an M4 chip. Apple product announcements often sound exciting, but there may not be much more to say about these iPad models.
New chipset, nothing else
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Garman, Apple’s new iPads will be powered by the A18 chip, up from the A16 chip. On the other hand, iPad Air will be upgraded from M3 to M4. For the base iPad, this means support for Apple Intelligence for the first time. Now that Apple Intelligence Siri is coming in iOS 26.4, this might actually be worth it.
Other than that, nothing major happens. iPad Air has adopted the same design since 2020, and iPad has adopted the same design since 2022. Despite this, there are no redesigns or breakthrough improvements in sight. The iPad Air won’t have Face ID or ProMotion, and the base iPad won’t have a laminated display, at least for now.
Other rumors point to the iPad and iPad Air being powered by the N1 chip like other Apple products, which is perhaps no surprise.
Should I wait to upgrade?
I think for most people, these devices, especially the iPad Air, likely aren’t worth the wait. The M4 is a faster chipset, but it doesn’t make a meaningful difference for the majority of iPad usage. For the base iPad, whether you wait or not depends on how much you value Apple Intelligence.
In any case, if you’re interested in purchasing the current-generation iPad or iPad Air, they’re currently offering a huge discount of $110 off, down from $50. We think these savings are worth the wait, especially when it comes to the iPad Air.
Overall, the 2026 updates for the iPad and iPad Air are incredibly lackluster, aside from Apple Intelligence support on the base iPad.
My favorite Apple accessory recommendations:
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