The iPad Air was final up to date in March 2022 and the most recent rumors strongly counsel that the arrival of a brand new mannequin (or two!) might be coming quickly. Right here’s all we all know to this point concerning the Sixth technology iPad Air. The latest Apple occasion befell on October 30, however there have been no new iPads at that occasion, however we count on one in early 2024. Right here’s all the pieces you want to know concerning the new mannequin.
Replace March 18: The newest rumor says the brand new iPads are prone to start transport in April.
2024 iPad Air launch date: When will the brand new mannequin arrive?
- Anticipated: March/April 2024
Apple’s occasion on October 30 noticed the corporate solely launch new Macs, and 2023 handed and not using a single iPad replace for the primary time since Apple’s late CEO and founder Steve Jobs launched the class in 2010. The previous three generations of iPad Air arrived about 18 months aside, and for the reason that fifth technology arrived in March 2022, we’re overdue for an replace.
However we would not have for much longer to attend. After Apple introduced the M3 MacBook Air in early March, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reiterated his report that Apple is planning to launch new iPads and an M3 MacBook Air by the tip of the month together with a particular construct of iOS 17.4. He claimed earlier within the 12 months, reporting that new iPads had gone into manufacturing forward of a March launch.
The iPad Air is unlikely to be the one iPad getting an replace in 2024. In November 2023, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo wrote that Apple will refresh all 4 iPad traces—normal, mini, Air, and Professional—in 2024. Gurman believes {that a} new iPad Professional can even launch in March.
Ross Younger of Show Provide Chain Consultants says the brand new iPads could also be introduced late in March or in April, however are anticipated to ship in April, whereas a follow-up from Mark Gurman to his earlier rumors means that the brand new software program isn’t fairly prepared but and the brand new iPads would ship “deeper into April.”
2024 iPad Air sizes: Is Apple getting ready to launch a bigger mannequin?
- Rumored: The usual 10.9-inch mannequin and a brand new 12.9-inch possibility.
An October 2023 9to5Mac report claimed, not solely that “there are a number of new iPads on observe for the approaching months,” however that this consists of two new iPad Air fashions. The location signifies that Apple “could also be contemplating introducing a bigger model of the iPad Air, or a dearer mannequin with higher specs.” This principle appears to be based mostly on the truth that there are two codenames related to the brand new iPad Air: J507 and J508, with the one different iPad having two codenames being the iPad Professional, which additionally is available in two sizes.
In November Ming-Chi Kuo mentioned the extra iPad Air dimension, saying that the iPad Air line might be cut up into two sizes: 10.9-inch and a brand new 12.9-inch mannequin. And the tweet above from Younger additionally confirms the existence of a brand new iPad Air show dimension.
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2024 iPad Air value: How a lot will the brand new mannequin value?
- Anticipated: Beginning at $599 for the ten.9-inch mannequin and $699 for the 12.9-inch mannequin.
- Worldwide value drop? Outdoors the U.S. Apple buyers are hoping Apple will reverse the worth hikes of the previous few years, as they did with the iPhone.
Relating to the potential pricing of the iPad Air 6, we are able to have a look at the generations which have preceded it as a clue for what you’ll should pay when it lastly does arrive.
iPad Air (5th Era)
- 64GB, Wi-Fi – $599 / £669
- 256GB, Wi-Fi – $749 / £849
- 64GB, Mobile – $749 / £849
- 256GB, Mobile – $899 / £1,029
iPad Air (4th Era)
- 64GB, Wi-Fi – $599 / £579
- 256GB, Wi-Fi – $749 / £729
- 64GB, Mobile – $729 /£709
- 256GB, Mobile – $879 / £859
As you’ll be able to see, Apple stored many of the pricing roughly the identical for its U.S. clients when shifting between the previous couple of generations, whereas outdoors the U.S. patrons obtained hit with aggressive value hikes (a pattern that occurred throughout all Apple merchandise). Nevertheless, Apple reversed these value hikes in 2023 when it launched the iPhone 15, so we’re hopeful that outdoors the U.S. Apple buyers may even see iPad costs lower.
If Apple does introduce the next spec or bigger iPad Air to accompany the present dimension, we might see decrease costs for the entry-level mannequin and better costs on the prime quality. However with the iPad mini costing $499, it’s extra doubtless that Apple provides $100 or $150 for the bigger mannequin. This might be related pricing because the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus and create far between the Air and Professional traces.
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2024 iPad Air options: How will the brand new mannequin be higher?
- Sooner processor
- Identical design with new digital camera placement
For a tool whose launch might be imminent, there are a ton of rumors concerning the iPad Air 6. This may be a case of Apple tightening up any leaks that had been showing in its manufacturing chain, or that any updates to the iPad Air might be minimal. Right here’s what we do know:
A brand new M2 processor
The obvious space the place the iPad Air 6 might be superior to the iPad Air 5 is within the processor. The iPad Air 5 already boasts a reasonably nifty M1 chip, however the iPad Professional has been sporting M2 silicon for over a 12 months, and it’s prone to get an replace to the brand new M3 chipset in 2024. So it’s doubtless that Apple will hold the iPad Air on the older M2 technology to make the iPad Professional extra enticing to high-end customers. Gurman and others have reported that Apple’s plan is certainly to place an M2 chip within the iPad Air.
A much bigger and higher show
Whereas the iPad Professional is rumored to achieve an OLED show for the primary time, it’s doubtless that the iPad will get the identical therapy. Quite, Apple is planning on introducing a bigger iPad Air on the identical 12.9 inches because the iPad Professional, however with out barely totally different tech, based on Ming-Chi Kuo: “The 12.9-inch iPad Air is an all-new mannequin, and whereas it lacks mini-LED, it advantages from an Oxide backplane (the identical spec as the present mini-LED iPad Professionals), providing higher show efficiency than the ten.9-inch iPad Air with an a-Si backplane.”
The identical design with new colours
Sadly, the iPad Air is unlikely to get a brand new design with the brand new mannequin. Leaked renders of the brand new system present a design that’s almost similar to the present mannequin, together with the position of the entrance digital camera on the quick edge. We had hoped Apple may change the position to panorama after the Tenth-gen iPad modified the place. It seems to not be, nonetheless.
The one design change to talk of is a slight tweak to the rear digital camera. Whereas we don’t count on it to achieve a second digital camera, Apple will apparently put the flash inside a brand new oval digital camera effectively. We additionally count on new colours, both brighter to match the Tenth-gen iPad or extra muted to match the iPhone 15.
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Panorama digital camera
For so long as there was an iPad Air, the entrance digital camera has been on the “quick” edge, successfully making it a portrait system. Nevertheless, which may be on account of change. Whereas early rumors claimed the digital camera would keep in the identical spot (see picture above), a report from a Weibo leaker claims that the ten.9- and new 12.9-inch variations of the Sixth-gen iPad Air could have their selfie digital camera on the lengthy edge. Which means when docked in a Magic Keyboard, you gained’t should crane your neck trying to the facet.
Extra storage choices
For the reason that launch of the iPhone 13, Apple has provided a baseline storage capability of 128GB. Sadly, this hasn’t been the case with the iPad line, which at the moment begins at a slightly paltry 64GB except you go for a Professional mannequin. May the iPad Air 6 lastly see this alteration? We hope slightly than know that when the iPad Air 6 turns up, will probably be endowed with a roomy 128GB so it may grow to be a laptop computer alternative with out paying additional for the 256GB mannequin. With a bigger display screen, there have additionally been experiences of upper storage choices just like the iPad Professional.
We’ll proceed to observe the most recent information and rumors surrounding the 2024 iPad Air, so you’ll want to verify again recurrently to see what we are able to discover. Within the meantime, right here’s a choice of the very best offers for the iPad Air 5.
iPad Air (2014) 64GB – Silver – (Wi-Fi)
$88.44
$159.99
iPad Air (2022) 64GB – Pink – (Wi-Fi)
$449
iPad Air (2022) 64GB – Purple – (Wi-Fi)
$453
iPad Air (2022) 64GB – Starlight – (Wi-Fi)
$453.61
iPad Air (2022) 64GB – House Grey – (Wi-Fi)
$469
iPad Air (2020) 256GB – Inexperienced – (Wi-Fi)
$472.59
iPad Air (2022) 64GB – Blue – (Wi-Fi)
$485.65