Apple might announce a new iPad Air this month
It’s hard to believe, but the iPad Air is now over a decade old.
That original model launched back in November 2013, and became the expensive iPad ever at the time. It’s long since been replaced by the iPad Pro at the top of Apple’s tablet range, but acts as a middle ground between it and the regular iPad.
The next generation of the iPad Air will be the sixth, and there are plenty of rumours regarding what to expect. Here’s everything you need to know about its potential release date, pricing and key specs.
When will the new iPad Air be released?
The iPad Air was rumoured to be announced at Apple’s October 2023 event, but that never materialised.
According to Mark Gurman, Apple has gone into production of the next generation of iPad Air, iPad Pro and the MacBook Air in anticipation of a late March launch. That aligns with the next Apple event expected in spring 2024.
Ross Young also claims in his tweet that shipments of display panels for a new 12.9-inch iPad Air commenced in December, suggesting a spring release.
12.9” iPad Air panel shipments started in December…— Ross Young (@DSCCRoss) December 10, 2023
Ming-Chi Kuo also suggested a new iPad hair was coming in the first quarter of 2024, so sometime between now and the end of March.
Apple held similar events in April 2021 and March 2022, but skipped 2023. For context, here’s when recent iterations of the iPad Air arrived:
5th generation: March 2022
4th generation: September 2020
3rd generation: March 2019
How much will the new iPad Air cost?
Pricing is usually one of the last things to be revealed about a new product, so it’s no surprise that there’s no news yet.
For reference, here’s how much the current iPad Air range costs:
iPad Air (64GB, Wi-Fi): £569/$599
iPad Air (256GB, Wi-Fi): £719/$749
iPad Air (64GB, Wi-Fi & Cellular): £719/$749
iPad Air (256GB, Wi-Fi & Cellular): £869/$899
It’s difficult to predict whether Apple will increase the prices on the next generation. If the rumoured upgrades to the display turn out to be true, it’s very possible.
But the iPad Air represents the middle ground between the $449/£499 regular iPad and $1,099/£1,249 iPad Pro, and that’s unlikely to change anytime soon.
For more alternatives, see our guide to the best iPads.
What specs and features will the new iPad Air have?
The next iPad Air probably isn’t far away, and we already have a rough idea of what to expect.
Design
The upcoming iPad Air model is expected to feature minimal design changes, resembling closely its predecessor.
However, in January, code unearthed in iOS 17.4 hinted that the forthcoming iPad Pro might embrace a landscape design for the Face ID camera.
iOS 17.4 Beta 1 (21E5184i) changes:1) Text hints at new iPads with horizontal Face ID Layout Even though it says ‘iPad’ this is most likely for the new iPad Pro due this March. “During Face ID setup, iPad needs to be in landscape with the camera at the top of the screen.”2)… pic.twitter.com/NcmsH4J2NE— Steve Moser (@SteveMoser) January 25, 2024
However, leaker Instant Digital posted on Weibo that the transition to a landscape Face ID camera is also expected to be featured in the iPad Air, in both its 10.9-inch and 12.9-inch sizes.
Currently, the iPad Air relies on the Touch ID built into the fingerprint sensor. The iPad Pro has it, but its placement at the top makes it awkward to use during video calls, where you’d naturally hold it in landscape mode.
Apple has already moved the front-facing camera to the side on the 10th-generation iPad, just not added separate Face ID sensors.
New colour options are also likely on the next iPad Air, though it’s not clear if it’ll match the vibrant tones of the 10th-generation iPad or the more muted palette of the iPhone 15.
Display
The big rumour so far concerns the iPad Air’s display. According to DigiTimes (via Forbes), the next Air will be available with a 12.9-inch display.
In November 2023, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (who has a strong reputation for Apple news) stated that the iPad Air line would be divided into a 10.9-inch and a new 12.9-inch model. A later tweet from leaker Ross Young appears to confirm this information.
12.9” iPad Air panel shipments started in December…— Ross Young (@DSCCRoss) December 10, 2023
A 9to5Mac report is another source stating that Apple is considering introducing either a larger version of the iPad Air or a higher-priced model with improved specifications. This speculation stems from the presence of two codenames linked to the new iPad Air: J507 and J508.
According to sources close 9to5Mac, the larger iPad Air is expected to have dimensions of 280.6 mm x 214.9 mm x 6.0 mm, indicating that the screen size will also be very similar. But it’s unlikely that the smaller iPad Air will undergo significant design alterations.
That would match what we see on the larger version of the current iPad Pro, and be a significant increase compared to the 10.9-inch 2022 iPad Air.
However, it doesn’t look like the iPad Pro’s mini-LED screen will be making its way to the Air. Forbes says it’ll probably stick with the LCD panels we see currently, and there’s no word on a higher refresh rate than 60Hz.
According to Ming-Chi Kuo, “the 12.9-inch iPad Air is an all-new model, and while it lacks Mini-LED, it benefits from an Oxide backplane (the same spec as the existing miniLED iPad Pros), offering better display performance than the 10.9-inch iPad Air with an a-Si backplane.”
An Omdia report also suggests Apple could shift to OLED displays at some point, but it’s unlikely to be in the 2024 iPad Air.
Performance
A new processor is one thing we can be almost certain about. According to popular leaker Revegnus, it’ll use Apple’s M2 chipset:
Mark Gurman at Bloomberg also reports that Apple’s intention is indeed to equip the iPad Air with an M2 chip.
That would make sense, given the M3 chips are widely official and M1 powers the 2022 iPad Air. Apple will probably limit M3 to the iPad Pro, at least for now.
Apple now offers a baseline 128GB storage on the iPhone, but iPads still start at 64GB, unless it’s a Pro model.
The new iPad Air will probably feature 128GB, though, making it a viable option without the need for a pricier 256GB model. Expect pricier versions with more storage to also be available.
Cameras
MacRumors also thinks we could be getting upgrades to the front and rear cameras, with both hardware and software improvements possible.
However, it’s not clear how many changes there’ll actually be to the current 12Mp rear and 12Mp front-facing lenses.
While we wait for more news, it’s worth reading our review of the latest iPad Air to see whether it’s worth buying. You may also be interested in more of the best iPads and best tablets around.