A19 Chip + Hardware Ray Tracing Support, Apple's 12th-Gen Entry iPad Officially Debuts Next Week: AI Features Finally Catch Up

Apple's 12th-generation entry-level iPad is set to officially launch on March 4, a full week ahead of Apple's special event. The core selling point of this upgrade is clear — it features the same A19 chip as the iPhone 17, bringing meaningful improvements to AI capabilities and gaming performance.

The design remains virtually unchanged, carrying over the 11-inch edge-to-edge display and side-mounted Touch ID from the previous generation. At 7mm thick, it remains the thickest device in Apple's iPad lineup. The screen is still LCD, lacking ProMotion high-refresh-rate support, P3 wide color gamut, fully laminated display technology, and the glare issue persists as before. The color lineup stays with blue, pink, silver, and yellow, though the 2026 model is expected to introduce new color options.

The camera, USB-C port, and Apple Pencil accessory compatibility remain unchanged — nothing new for existing users on these fronts.

What genuinely deserves attention is the generational leap at the chip level. Built on a 3nm process, the A19 delivers significant gains in speed and efficiency over the previous A16, and more importantly — it finally supports Apple Intelligence. The last-gen entry iPad drew criticism from many users who felt shortchanged by the A16's lack of AI support; this update finally addresses that biggest weakness.

For gamers, the A19's hardware-accelerated ray tracing is a noteworthy addition, capable of noticeably improving lighting and shadow rendering in games — a first for an entry-level iPad. Combined with a RAM bump from 6GB to 8GB, there's a stronger foundation for running AI features and handling demanding games smoothly.

Additionally, the device is expected to feature Apple's in-house N1 wireless chip alongside the C1/C1X modem chip. Pricing is anticipated to remain in line with the previous generation's starting price of 2,999 yuan.