Apple decided to release an economical iPad with the A18 processor this spring

Apple has not announced a new base iPad with the A18, but plans remain unchanged

In March the company launched a series of announcements that do not mention a base iPad model equipped with an A18 chip. Nevertheless, as Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman confirmed in his *Power On* newsletter, the release schedule for the device has not changed.

What is already known
Parameter | Information | Model | Updated base iPad | Processor | A18 (from the iPhone 16 lineup) | Compatibility with OS | Synced with iOS 26.4 release | iOS 26.4 status | Release candidate released last week | Expected release date | End of March, but could be pushed to May (supply chain impact)

Key changes
1. Transition from A16 to A18

- The A18 chip used in the iPhone 16 delivers a noticeable performance boost compared with the A16 from the iPhone 14 Pro.

2. Support for Apple Intelligence

- The new processor will enable AI features even on the most affordable tablet model, where they have been absent so far.

- Full implementation of AI functions (including new Siri enhancements announced at WWDC 24) will come later as part of the iOS 26.5 update.

3. Additional details

- There is speculation that a proprietary C1 modem and N1 network chip may be present on the budget model, but this has not been confirmed by insider sources.

- Overall, the upgrade is seen as a “minor” refresh focused mainly on swapping the processor.

Pricing
- The Magic Keyboard Folio costs $249.

- The iPad itself sells for $349.

- Together they form a bundle that is just one dollar less than the new MacBook Neo, prompting comments from a 9to5Mac journalist about the “illogical” pricing strategy.

In short: Apple continues to stick to its planned schedule for releasing the base iPad with an A18 chip. The main innovations are a more powerful processor and added AI support, but further improvements will only appear in subsequent OS updates. Pricing remains a topic of discussion among analysts.