Along with yesterday’s leak, MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris also uncovered code confirming another unreleased product is in the works: the 12th-generation iPad.
The leaked code that Perris discovered reveals several improved specs for this upcoming model. First, the iPad 12 will feature the A19 chip. This is the same chip that powers both the iPhone 17e and the iPhone 17; however, as with many other iPad models, do I expect iPad 12 to continue using the binned version of that chip, likely with 4 cores of GPU. The A19 chip also features 8GB of RAM; since the current iPad features 6GB of RAM, this will be a huge upgrade for the regular iPad as it will support Apple Intelligence and Siri AI for the very first time, finally standardizing Apple Intelligence in every iPad model in the line. Second, in terms of connectivity, the iPad 12 will follow suit with the iPad Pro and iPad Air, which were last updated in October 2025 and March 2026, respectively. The iPad 12 will feature Apple’s custom-designed N1 wireless networking chip, which consolidates Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread support in one chip, making this iPad even more futureproof. For the cellular models, the iPad 12 will feature Apple’s custom C1X cellular modem.
The regular iPad moved to the familiar, current design in October 2022, but it started at $449 with 64GB of storage. In May 2024, Apple reduced the starting price to $349. In March 2025, Apple bumped the iPad to the A16 chip and doubled the starting storage to 128GB. However, after the price hikes that went into effect in June of this year, this iPad now starts at $449 again. Given the last-generation Apple silicon, in terms of CPU/GPU/NPU, I’d expect the upcoming iPad to start at the same price as the current iteration. However, don’t expect this upcoming iPad to come out by the end of this. It could be announced this coming spring, potentially along with the iPhone 18e, iPhone 18, and iPhone Air 2.
However, don’t expect this upcoming iPad to come out by the end of this. It could be announced this coming spring, potentially along with the iPhone 18e, iPhone 18, and iPhone Air 2.
We’re still expecting the redesigned iPad mini to come out next month, which we detailed in yesterday’s post. Apple’s also expected to update both the Apple TV 4K/HomePod mini and unveil its new HomePad.
