Apple’s next-generation base model iPad will use Apple’s A19 chip, according to a report from Macworld. The publication says it has seen an “internal Apple code document” with information about the upcoming 2026 iPad lineup.
Previous reports indicated the iPad 12 would be powered by an A18 chip, not an A19. The A19 chip debuted in the iPhone 17 lineup this year, and Apple traditionally uses a previous-generation chip in the the low-cost iPad to save money.
Apple’s lowest cost iPad has not been powered by a current-generation chip since the iPad 4, which was back when Apple was still designing ZX chips for its tablet lineup. The 2017 iPad 5 used the A9 chip that powered the 2015 iPhone 6s. Ever since then, the iPad has been equipped with an A-series chip that is a generation or so behind the current iPhone.
The current iPad , which was released in March 2025, is powered by the A16 chip, which first powered the iPhone 14 lineup back in 2022. Using the 2024 A18 chip for the 2026 iPad would be in line with previous iPad releases.
Macworld says the model numbers for the 2026 12th-generation iPads are J581 and J588, which is a bit unusual, as codenames are typically sequential. Codenames are how Apple references unreleased devices in its software.
Previous rumors have indicated that the next-generation iPad mini will use the A19 chip.
Macworld also suggests the next-generation iPad Air will use an M4 chip, and that both the upcoming iPad and iPad Air will be equipped with Apple’s N1 networking chip.
Apple is expected to unveil the next-generation iPad Air and iPad models sometime early in 2026.
