Report claims Apple iPad 12th-Gen (2026) will feature A18 chip, 8GB RAM, Apple Intelligence

Back in December 2025, a report from Macworld claimed that the iPad 12th-Gen would come with the A19 chip, which was introduced with the iPhone 17 series. However, a newer leak from the publication “Macotakara” points to the tablet launching with the previous-generation A18 chip.

Here is more to it.

Apple iPad 12th-Gen (2026) – Specs and Launch Timeline revealed

The publication mentions that the upcoming tablet will bring some key improvements compared to its predecessor. First off, it is expected to come with Apple’s A18 chip, which is based on a 3nm process and features a 6-core CPU (2 performance cores clocked up to 4.05GHz and 4 efficiency cores at 2.42GHz). It also includes a 5-core GPU and a 16-core Neural Engine for AI tasks. Adding to this, the publication mentions that 8GB RAM can be expected, along with support for Apple Intelligence.

Design-wise, the publication claims that the chassis design and overall architecture will remain similar to the iPad 11th-Gen A16 (2025). As for the launch timeline, it states that the tablet is likely to be announced in spring 2026, which would point to a March–May timeframe. If Apple follows the same pattern as its predecessor, a March announcement seems more likely.

The publication also mentions that the iPhone 17e is expected to launch in spring 2026. However, an earlier leak from the German publication suggested that the iPhone 17e could be announced on February 19th, similar to how the iPhone 16e was introduced. For now, these details remain based on leaks and rumours and should be taken with a pinch of salt.