Apple’s most affordable iPad is starting to feel like the odd one out in Apple’s AI-first lineup, but that might finally change later this year. And yes, there’s a very real chance the long-awaited iPad 12 could show up just in time to ride the WWDC 2026 hype cycle.

Right now, every current iPad except the entry-level model already supports Apple Intelligence, thanks to chips like A17 Pro and the M‑series powering the mini, Air, and Pro. The basic iPad 11, launched in March 2025 with an A16 chip and 6GB RAM, was a solid hardware refresh but a letdown on the AI front, missing out entirely on Apple’s new on-device intelligence features. That gap is exactly what the iPad 12 is expected to fix.

Mark Gurman says Apple has an entry-level iPad with an A18 chip “ready to go” and “still coming this year,” with Apple Intelligence support baked in. Other reports, including internal code references cited by Macworld, have suggested Apple might even go further and use the newer A19 chip, the same generation as the iPhone 17, which would be a huge leap over the A16 in the current iPad. If Apple does pick A19, you’re looking at a big CPU/GPU uplift and more comfortable headroom for generative features over the next few years.

The rest of the package, though, sounds deliberately boring—in a good way. Most leaks expect Apple to keep the same overall design as the 11th-gen iPad: flat edges, all-screen look, USB-C, and the familiar 11-inch-class display, with changes focused almost entirely on the internals and RAM bump to hit Apple Intelligence requirements. That’s very on-brand for Apple’s base iPad strategy: leave the flashy design shifts to Air and Pro, and quietly turn the entry model into a better deal every cycle.

So where does WWDC fit into all this? WWDC 2026 is already shaping up to be another software-heavy show with iOS 27, macOS 27, and more Apple Intelligence upgrades on deck. Dropping an AI-ready iPad 12 around that time—either just before WWDC via press release or during the keynote as part of an “Apple Intelligence for everyone” segment—would make perfect sense. It lets Apple say: every new iPad you can buy today, from the cheapest base model to the top-end Pro, finally speaks the same AI language.

If you’re sitting on the fence with an older iPad or considering the iPad 11, this is probably the moment to pause. Once the iPad 12 lands, you either get a much more future-proof entry model with Apple Intelligence on board, or you snag the iPad 11 at a lower price in clearance sales. Either way, the safest bet is to wait a little longer and hope Apple uses WWDC season not just to talk about the future of AI on iPad, but to actually start it on the most affordable one.