Apple is on a spree this year, having launched multiple new products this month alone. Yet, a lot more Apple hardware updates remain in the offing, including the new entry-level iPad 12, as per the tidbits from a credible leaker.
Apple iPad 12 is expected to launch this year, albeit with the A18 chip instead of the previously rumored A19
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman noted in this week's Power On newsletter that the entry-level iPad 12, replete with the A18 chip and Apple Intelligence, is "ready to go" and "still coming this year." Other than the chipset, the base iPad is not expected to undergo any major change. The chipset upgrade will, however, unlock Apple Intelligence features.
Do note that Apple had launched the iPad 11 in March 2025 at a starting price of $349. Given the ongoing 'memory chipflation,' it remains to be seen if Apple is able to maintain this base price or implement a modest price hike for the iPad 12.
The iPad 12 forms a part of Apple's growing roster of budget products. What's more, Apple announced two of these budget products, the iPhone 17e and the MacBook Neo, just this month. For the benefit of those who might not be aware, the iPhone 17e comes with a notch that houses the Face ID module as well as the selfie camera, a Super Retina XDR OLED screen that is capable of delivering up to 1,200 nits of peak brightness, the A19 chip that sports a 6-core CPU and a 4-core GPU with neural accelerators, and the C1X modem that is up to 2x faster than the C1 found in iPhone 16e.
Also, the MacBook Neo features a 13-inch Liquid Retina display with a 2,408 x 1,506 resolution and 500 nits brightness, uniform bezels, Touch ID, dual-firing speakers that support Spatial Audio, a 1080p front camera, a brightly colored aluminum frame, and a color-matching keyboard. But it does come with some compromises, including just two USB-C ports with wildly different characteristics, the A18 Pro chip, 8GB RAM, and a mechanical trackpad sans pressure-sensing capabilities.
About the author: Writing is my one incontrovertible passion. Over the past six years, he has authored over 2,200 distinct articles on financial and tech-related topics, spanning nearly 1 million words. And he has been a member of Wcctech mobile team since 2025. As an alumnus of the University of Toronto, Rotman Commerce Program, I bring nuance, in-depth knowledge, and a unique perspective to every topic that I cover. When I'm not writing, I'm traveling the world, exploring hidden confectionaries and restaurants as an aspiring food connoisseur.
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