The Next Affordable iPad Will Offer Support for Apple Intelligence

According to a fresh report, Apple's upcoming affordable iPad will finally offer support for Apple Intelligence. The suite of AI-related features will finally be available for those purchasing the cheaper variant of the iPad. The latest entry-level iPad launched in March with the Apple A16 Bionic chip. This chipset can't handle Apple Intelligence, but the next iPad will come out earlier and with the Apple A18 chip.

The Apple A18 chip is the same inside the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, and the iPhone 16e. The next-gen cheap iPad will also sport this chipset. The information comes from code references that were accidentally revealed by Apple. So, the upgrade is official even though it was never intended to be made public at this point. Right now, Apple is busy with the next wave of iPhones, but the next affordable iPad won't take much time to appear.

According to the leaks, the next iPad will arrive in the Spring of next year. As we've clarified before in this article, the Apple A18 will allow the tablet to handle the complex tasks that boost Apple Intelligence's capabilities. The capable horsepower has been a requirement for Apple devices; thus, older iPhones didn't get the AI suite when it was released.

The next affordable iPad will keep the same design language as its predecessor. The changes are probably limited to the newer and better chipsets. The current generation starts at $349. We don't know whether the new chip will also raise the price of the new tablet. If Apple manages to bring the price of an A18-powered tablet to this range, it will be an interesting release.

Apple Intelligence and the A18 should be the main selling points of the next tablet. Despite its more affordable approach, it will be interesting to see a modern chipset and the trending iOS 26 features on a tablet that is more accessible to distinct audiences.