New iPads to launch soon and with significant performance boosts, says expert

There have been a couple of rumours lately to suggest Apple is on the verge of a few new announcements. Last week, we heard plenty about new MacBook Pro models being just around the corner, with references of M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips appearing in the iOS 26.3 beta software. While this week, all eyes are on the iPad.

According to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg (via 9to5Mac), we can expect a new regular iPad and iPad Air early this year. Gurman claims both will see a performance increase compared to the current models, though that seems to be it.

What can we expect from the next iPads?

The regular iPad currently runs on the A16 processor, which means it doesn’t support Apple Intelligence – that requires the A17 Pro or later, like the iPad mini.

Gurman says the next model of this standard iPad will see a jump to the A18 processor, therefore, which will bring Apple Intelligence powers with it.

There was a time when that might not have mattered too much, but with the smarter Siri due to arrive with iOS 26.4, it could bring some worthwhile tricks to the base model.

Elsewhere, the iPad Air is expected to see a jump to the M4 processor, with the currently model running on the M3 at the moment. The iPad Pro sits on the more powerful M5, so it makes sense.

This may not make a huge difference to casual users, but the extra power could come in handy for those looking to do more demanding tasks, like image or video editing.

But based on Gurman’s report, there isn’t due to be a redesign for either the standard iPad or the iPad Air. That means there'll be no laminated display for the regular model or Face ID for the Air at the moment, although nothing is official as yet.

As to when we can expect these devices to launch, nothing is concrete. However, Apple announced the iPad (A16) and iPad Air (M3) in the middle of Mobile World Congress last year, and that starts at the beginning of March – so soon.