The iPad Air was most recently updated in March 2022, but there are rumours a new model—or two—may be on the way. This is what we currently know about the iPad Air 6th generation. Although no new iPads were announced at the most recent Apple event on October 30, we still anticipate one for early 2024. Everything you require to know about the new model is provided here.
2024 iPad Air release date
At its October 30 event, Apple only unveiled new Macs; for the first time since the iPad’s introduction in 2010 by the company’s late founder and CEO, Steve Jobs, 2023 went by without a single update. Since the fifth generation of iPad Air arrived in March 2022, an update is long overdue. The previous three generations of iPad Air arrived roughly 18 months apart.
However, our time to wait may not be much longer. By the end of March 2024, Apple intends to release new iPads and an M3 MacBook Air, according to a report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in early December 2023. In January 2024, he made the same assertion again, claiming that new iPads were in production in advance of their March release.
It’s improbable that in 2024 the iPad Air will be the only model receiving an update. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted in November 2023 that Apple would update all four iPad models in 2024: standard, mini, Air, and Pro. Gurman thinks the March event will also see the release of a new iPad Pro.Display industry analyst Ross Young tweeted that the new 12.9-inch Air’s display panels were being shipped since December, suggesting a spring release.
2024 iPad Air sizes
Not only are “multiple new iPads on track for the coming months,” according to a 9to5Mac report from October 2023, but two new iPad Air models are also part of this. According to the website, Apple “may be considering introducing a more expensive model with better specs, or a larger version of the iPad Air.” This theory appears to be supported by the fact that the new iPad Air is known by two codenames, J507 and J508, whereas the iPad Pro, which is available in two sizes, is the only other iPad that has two codenames.
Ming-Chi Kuo announced in November that the iPad Air line will be divided into two sizes: a 10.9-inch model and a new 12.9-inch model. Furthermore, Young’s tweet above verifies that a new iPad Air display size is indeed available.
2024 iPad Air price
Expected: Starting at $599 for the 10.9-inch model; $699 for the 12.9-inch model.
We can infer what you might have to pay for the iPad Air 6 when it eventually launches by examining the models that came before it in terms of pricing.
iPad Air (5th Generation)
- 64GB, Wi-Fi – $599 / £669
- 256GB, Wi-Fi – $749 / £849
- 64GB, Cellular – $749 / £849
- 256GB, Cellular – $899 / £1,029
iPad Air (4th Generation)
- 64GB, Wi-Fi – $599 / £579
- 256GB, Wi-Fi – $749 / £729
- 64GB, Cellular – $729 /£709
- 256GB, Cellular – $879 / £859
As you can see, Apple maintained essentially the same prices for its American customers when switching between the last few generations of products, while aggressive price increases were imposed on buyers from other countries (a trend that occurred across all Apple products). But when it released the iPhone 15, Apple reversed these price increases, so we hope that iPad prices will drop for Apple customers outside of the United States.
We might see lower prices for the entry-level model and higher prices at the top of the range if Apple does release a larger or higher-spec iPad Air to go along with the current size. However, given the $499 price of the iPad mini, it’s more likely that Apple will add $100 or $150 for the larger model.
2024 iPad Air features
There are a tonne of rumours surrounding the iPad Air 6, which could be released soon. It’s possible that Apple is tightening its production chain to prevent leaks, or that the iPad Air will receive very few updates.
A new M2 processor
The processor is the most evident area in which the iPad Air 6 will outperform the iPad Air 5. The iPad Pro has been running M2 silicon for more than a year, and it is expected to receive an update to the new M3 chipset in 2024. The iPad Air 5 currently sports a pretty cool M1 chip. Therefore, it’s likely that Apple will continue to support the iPad Air on the outdated M2 generation in an effort to draw higher-end customers to the iPad Pro. According to Gurman and other reports, Apple does indeed intend to include an M2 chip in the iPad Air.
A bigger and better display
It’s possible that the iPad receives the same treatment as the iPad Pro, which is rumoured to get an OLED display for the first time. 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 mini-LED iPad Pros), offering better display performance than the 10.9-inch iPad Air with an a-Si backplane. Instead, Apple is planning to introduce a larger iPad Air at the same 12.9 inches as the iPad Pro, but without slightly different tech, according to Ming-Chi Kuo.
The same design with new colors
It is unlikely that the iPad Air will receive a redesign with the release of the new model, unfortunately. The front camera is positioned on the short edge of the new device, and other leaked renders of the device almost exactly match the current model. Following the 10th generation iPad’s positional shift, we had hoped Apple would reverse the placement to landscape. Looks like it’s not, though.
The rear camera has been slightly modified, but that is the only notable design change. Apple is reportedly going to install the flash inside a new oval camera well, but we don’t think it will get a second camera. We anticipate additional colours as well, either muted to match the iPhone 15 or brighter to match the 10th generation iPad.
Additional storage options
Apple has provided a 128GB default storage capacity ever since the iPhone 13 was released. Regrettably, this hasn’t been the case with the iPad lineup, where the base model (currently 64GB) is the only option. Could this be the last change made to the iPad Air 6? We would prefer to know in advance that the iPad Air 6 will come equipped with a spacious 128GB so that it can replace laptops without needing to pay extra for the 256GB model. Higher storage options, akin to the iPad Pro, have reportedly been reported along with a larger screen.
Make sure to check back frequently to see what we uncover as we continue to keep an eye on the most recent rumours and news regarding the 2024 iPad Air. Meanwhile, take a look at some of the greatest offers on the iPad Air 5.