Apple launched two new iPads today, an M3 iPad Air and A16 base iPad. In somewhat of a surprise, the new entry iPad doesnt support Apple Intelligencean omission thats perhaps passable for a budget device, but that makes the iPhone SEs recent discontinuation all the more perplexing.Over the past year, Apple has been steadily updating much of its product line with support for Apple Intelligence.The full iPhone 16 line supports AI features, including the new iPhone 16e.Macs have long had the specs necessary for Apple Intelligence, but got a recent AI boost nonetheless by making 16GB of RAM standard for new models.Powerful updates to the iPad Pro, iPad Air, and iPad mini last year clearly had AI in mind too.But now, Apples latest entry iPad has arrived with no Apple Intelligence. It uses an A16 chip, just one generation removed from the A17 Pro that does support AI.Clearly, Apple felt that its entry $349 iPad didnt need AI. Perhaps internal research showed the devices target market would be fine without those features.Since the base iPads most important feature is its price, I dont exactly disagree with the decision.But it really makes me wonder: why didnt the same thing happen with the iPhone SE?iPhone SE could have lived on without AI, existing alongside the iPhone 16eWhen Apple launched the iPhone 16e at $599, it chose to leave the budget smartphone market behind.Based on the companys marketing, the reason was clear: Apple Intelligence support was crucial to the device.Thus, the company gave its new iPhone a modern A18 chip, 8GB of RAM, and made AI possibledespite the higher price these upgrades brought along.Offering an iPhone 16 Lite model, such as the 16e, isnt a bad idea. Im all for experimentation.But Apple could have done so without dropping the budget model altogether.It could have kept selling the previous iPhone SE.Sure, the iPhone SE would likely have needed a USB-C port rather than Lightning. And maybe it could have gotten another small tweak or two.But Apple mostly could have left the device alone, dropped its price a bit to $399, and retained an option for buyers on a tight budget.Until now, Id assumed the reason that hadnt happened was the need for Apple Intelligence on all new hardware.Surely if Apple keeps rolling out new AI features all the time, the company must want to move its users on to AI-supported products as quickly as possible.Or so I thought. But the A16 iPad seems to prove that explanation wrong.AI product confusion in Apples lineupFor whatever reason, Apple has decided that the same rules it applied to the iPhone SE decision arent relevant to the entry iPad. Personally though, Im stumped as to why.If anything, bringing Apple Intelligence to the entry iPad seems more important since its used a lot in education markets that would benefit from features like Writing Tools and ChatGPT integration.Maybe Apple has just decided that $400 is too low for an iPhone in 2025. I could understand that, especially if price hikes are coming to the iPhone 17 lineup.Ultimately though, we just dont know. Apple doesnt have to explain its product decisions, and we dont have to understand why one device needs AI and another doesnt.Why do you think Apple discontinued the iPhone SE but kept its budget iPad without AI? Let us know in the comments.Best iPhone accessoriesAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel