{"id":828,"date":"2026-02-13T16:56:56","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T15:56:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mag.certideal.com\/?p=828"},"modified":"2026-02-13T17:02:58","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T16:02:58","slug":"new-ipads-are-coming-a18-for-the-base-ipad-and-m4-for-ipad-air-but-the-real-story-is-ai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mag.certideal.com\/en\/new-ipads-are-coming-a18-for-the-base-ipad-and-m4-for-ipad-air-but-the-real-story-is-ai\/","title":{"rendered":"New iPads are coming: A18 for the base iPad and M4 for iPad Air, but the real story is AI"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you\u2019re about to buy a \u201cregular\u201d iPad or an iPad Air, this is one of those moments where it\u2019s worth pausing for a second. The latest chatter points to a refresh pretty soon<\/strong> (Apple\u2019s usual window: late winter \/ early spring), and it follows a familiar Apple pattern: big changes inside, almost nothing outside<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, no design revolution\u2014just a chip bump that mainly affects one thing: which software features you\u2019ll actually get<\/strong>. And yes, this time the hot topic is Apple Intelligence, not new colors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What would really change: A18 on the entry-level iPad<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The \u201centry\u201d iPad (the one people buy for home, school, Netflix, and note-taking) is expected to move from A16 to A18<\/strong>. On paper, that\u2019s a solid performance jump, but the interesting part isn\u2019t benchmark bragging rights\u2014it\u2019s compatibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because A18 likely means the base iPad becomes ready for Apple Intelligence features<\/strong>. And that\u2019s a big deal: Apple has been leaning hard into on-device AI lately\u2014writing tools, summaries, image generation, and especially the future of Siri (which, honestly, is the real test). If the new base iPad joins that club, it stops being \u201cthe affordable iPad that does everything\u201d and becomes \u201cthe affordable iPad that also gets the new stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s another detail that may come along for the ride: more RAM<\/strong> (8GB is often discussed as a realistic minimum for certain AI features). Not just nerd trivia\u2014RAM is one of the reasons some devices feel \u201cfuture-proof\u201d while others age quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

iPad Air: M4 and\u2026 that\u2019s it? Mostly<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On the iPad Air side, it sounds even more straightforward: a move from M3 to M4<\/strong>. Great chip, no question. The thing is, the Air is already \u201ctoo powerful\u201d for most people: email, a browser with 18 tabs, note-taking, Canva, light photo editing\u2026 it\u2019s already smooth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So why M4? Two likely reasons:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Lineup alignment<\/strong>: Apple loves simplifying the platform story (for developers, features, and marketing).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • AI and accelerators<\/strong>: M4 is built with modern workloads in mind, and AI is the perfect justification to push horsepower where it used to feel excessive.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    But don\u2019t expect the iPad Air to suddenly become a \u201cmini Pro.\u201d Rumors still suggest it will miss out on things like Face ID<\/strong> and ProMotion<\/strong>. Apple knows exactly what it wants to keep exclusive to iPad Pro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Design and display: the calm continues<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    This part is a bit boring\u2014and maybe that\u2019s the point: no major redesign<\/strong> is expected. The base iPad would likely keep its classic compromises (like a non-laminated display), while the Air sticks to the design language we already know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    As for OLED, expectations are always floating around (and supply chain chatter never stops), but the most grounded take is: this probably isn\u2019t the refresh where OLED arrives<\/strong> for the base iPad or iPad Air. If it happens, it may be in a later cycle\u2014not this imminent one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When they might launch, and what you should do right now<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The most commonly mentioned window is early March 2026<\/strong>, which fits Apple\u2019s habit of dropping \u201cquiet\u201d refreshes around that time (press releases, quick announcements, minimal showmanship). But is buying today actually a mistake?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It depends on what you\u2019re looking at:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • You want the base iPad<\/strong> and care about AI (or you plan to keep it 4\u20135 years): waiting makes sense, because A18 + Apple Intelligence support could be the real turning point.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • You want iPad Air<\/strong> and your work is mostly everyday plus some light \u201csemi-pro\u201d stuff: honestly, M3 is already a rocket. If you find a good price, I wouldn\u2019t overthink it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • You\u2019re upgrading from an older iPad (3\u20134 generations back)<\/strong>: anything you buy will feel like a major leap. At that point, deals and availability matter more than the exact chip name.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      FAQ new iPads 2026<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      When could the new iPads launch?<\/strong>
      Rumors point to late winter \/ early spring, with early March 2026<\/strong> looking especially likely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Will the base iPad support Apple Intelligence?<\/strong>
      If it really moves to A18 (with the right hardware configuration), the most realistic expectation is that Apple Intelligence expands to the entry-level model too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Will iPad Air with M4 feel noticeably faster than M3?<\/strong>
      For typical daily use, not by a huge margin. The upgrade makes more sense for heavier tasks or AI-related acceleration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Are there any design changes coming?<\/strong>
      Nothing major is expected right now. This looks like an \u201cinternal\u201d refresh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Should I buy now or wait?<\/strong>
      For the base iPad, waiting can be worth it if you care about AI support. For iPad Air, the choice often comes down to price and how urgently you need it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Final Toughts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      These \u201cquiet\u201d refresh cycles say a lot about Apple right now: it\u2019s trying to shift value from hardware flair to software capability<\/strong>, and that requires chips that are modern enough across the lineup. Personally, the base iPad update is more interesting than the Air not because A18 is magical, but because it could stop the entry model from being treated like a second-tier device when it comes to the future of features. And if Siri truly gets a meaningful reset (big \u201cif\u201d), then suddenly the chip choice matters a lot more than it used to.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      If you\u2019re about to buy a \u201cregular\u201d iPad or an iPad Air, this is one of those moments where it\u2019s worth pausing for a second. The latest chatter points to a refresh pretty soon (Apple\u2019s usual window: late winter \/ early spring), and it follows a familiar Apple pattern: big changes inside, almost nothing outside.<\/p>\n

      So, no design revolution\u2014just a chip bump that mainly affects one thing: which software features you\u2019ll actually get. And yes, this time the hot topic is Apple Intelligence, not new colors.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":826,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-828","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mag.certideal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/828","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mag.certideal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mag.certideal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mag.certideal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mag.certideal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=828"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mag.certideal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/828\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":829,"href":"https:\/\/mag.certideal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/828\/revisions\/829"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mag.certideal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/826"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mag.certideal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=828"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mag.certideal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=828"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mag.certideal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=828"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}