Apple unveiled the new M5 iPad Pro last month, kicking off a new iPad lineup. While it didn’t bring any headlining upgrades, it does provide us some clues as to what’s coming next for the iPad lineup. Plus, there are many rumors to follow, which we’ll be diving into.
M4 iPad Air
The first big iPad launch of 2026 will likely be the next iPad Air model. This’ll bring the M4 chip to the iPad Air, introducing another 10-20% boost in performance compared to the M3 chip.
Given the introduction of the N1 chip and the C1X modem in the M5 iPad Pro, it’s probable that the next iPad Air will also make the switch to Apple’s in-house modem and networking chips. This’ll bring faster cellular connectivity and Wi-Fi 7 support.
Other than internal chip improvements, there aren’t many clear upgrades for the M4 iPad Air. Plausible, but not rumored upgrades would include a 600 nit display (currently exclusive to the 13-inch model) and new color options. A 90 or 120Hz screen would be nice as well.
While OLED has been in the cards for iPad Air, it likely won’t debut until 2027 or later.
A18 iPad
After that, the budget iPad, which retails at $349 but often goes on sale for $299, is rumored to gain the A18 chip. This one isn’t just a spec bump, as it’ll bring Apple Intelligence capabilities to the budget iPad for the first time.
Similar to iPad Air, the budget iPad is also likely to gain Apple’s in-house N1 chip and C1X modems.
Personally, I’d love to see a proper keyboard for the budget iPad, something more akin to the Magic Keyboard for iPad Air and iPad Pro. Currently, the budget iPad is stuck with the Magic Keyboard Folio, which restricts you to just utilizing it on a table, since it relies on a kickstand to be propped up.
iPad should receive the A18 chip sometime in the first half of 2026.
A19 iPad mini
Last but not least, iPad mini is set to get its first refresh since 2024. This upgrade will likely introduce the A19 Pro chip, but it’ll also introduce a much bigger upgrade… OLED.
This upgrade will happen later in the year, but according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple has its eyes on the iPad mini to be its next major product to make the transition. Apple first introduced OLED to the iPad Pro back in early 2024 with the M4 model, after bringing it to the iPhone lineup starting in 2017.
On top of OLED and the A19 Pro chip, the next iPad mini is reportedly going to feature a more water resistant design, per Bloomberg.
The iPad mini hasn’t received an overhaul since 2021. Based on these rumors, it sounds like Apple has big plans for the 5 year mark since that initial redesign.
Wrap up
All in all, it’s a rather tame year for iPad, excluding iPad mini.
Looking ahead, Apple plans to bring a vapor chamber cooling system to the M6 iPad Pro, set to hit the market in early 2027. That’s a bit out of scope for this coverage, though.
If none of these updates excite you and you’re happy with the current iPad models, you can currently find $50-100 early Black Friday discounts on all existing iPad models on Amazon: iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro.
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