Locator: 49708APPLE.
I'm walking myself through this. It all began this morning when I noted that my "very, very old iPad" had been updated with an iPad OS 12 update; and, yet, MacRumors noted that Apple had just pushed the newest update of iPad OS 26.
I was greatly confused (not uncommon).
There are two iPad operating systems: "12" and "26." At least that's how I phrase it.
Do not -- repeat, do not -- try to sort this out at the Apple website or the Amazon website on your own. Do it the professional way.
This is AI's (Google Gemimi's) explanation, clear as mud:
This is some twelve-year-old over at Reddit explaining the same thing, unfortunately, this is also already out of date but it gets you started:
Currently:
If you have moved into the modern era, you have a "new" iPad it updates with "OS 26."
I think we can say that Alan Dye was in charge of the "new" iPad and OS 26. He's gone and now we have another guy, Stephen Lemay, whom the engineers say they like better anyway. One wonders if we will lose the "liquid glass" in the next iPad OS? I don't mind the "liquid glass" one way or the other, I just don't (yet) understand the utility or excitement of said "design."
The difference between "OS 12" and "OS 26":
In short, iPadOS 12 was a key step in the iPad's evolution, while iPadOS 26 represents a massive leap towards making the iPad a fully capable desktop-class device with a new look and feel.
Where we are now -- this is how fast things are evolving -- here is the evolution of the Apple M-series chips.
Bottom line: if your current iPad is everything you want it to do, don't upgrade. If you do upgrade, certainly don't toss out your old iPad -- it will still do 99% of everything you want it to do, like surfing in bed. Or put it in the crib or playpen with your 2-year-old toddler who will figure it out by the end of the day. But if it's an old iPad and the OS is "12" you won't be doing any fancy AI.
If you want to use AI on your iPad, upgrade to an iPad with an Apple M-series chip in it.
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This Includes The Minis
Downloaded December 15, 2025.
