iPad Air 6: the latest news, rumors and everything we know so far
The iPad Air 6 could finally land soon, with numerous leaks pointing to a March launch.
For iPad fans, this will probably have taken a long time, as the previous model – the iPad Air (2022) – was already released in March 2022. So it will be two years since that tablet, and well over a year ago. years since we even saw new iPads.
This new iPad Air might just be worth the wait, as instead of simply being a minor spec bump, there’s talk that it could have a larger 12.9-inch screen among other upgrades – although there may still be a 10.9-inch model comes onto the market.
Below you’ll find all the details of all the iPad Air 6 leaks and rumors we’ve heard so far, including possible specs, design changes, and likely release date and price.
We’ll update this article whenever we hear anything new, so keep this page bookmarked if you want to stay informed.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? Apple’s next mid-range tablet
- When is it out? Probably early May
- How much is it? About $599 / £569 / AU$929
iPad Air 6: Predicted release date and price
Based on the rumors so far, the iPad Air 6 will likely hit the market in early May, at least that’s according to Apple tipster Mark Gurman. New information that previously appeared in March and April, such as new iPad model numbers on the Bureau of Indian Standards website, all points to a May launch for the iPad Air 6 and new iPad Pros.
Price-wise, this one will likely cost the same amount as the previous one – which started at $599 / £569 / AU$929, but the cost went up for more storage.
iPad Air 6: Rumored design and display
The big news when it comes to the iPad Air 6’s display is that there may be two new iPad Air models, with the second having a larger screen or superior specs.
Of these two options, an increase in screen size seems more likely, as a second source has since said a larger 12.9-inch iPad Air is on the way, and more recently another source has now also reported a 12.9 -inch iPad Air 6, claiming that both this and the expected 10.9-inch model will launch. So you may soon have more mid-range iPad choices than usual.
Even more recently, we heard that panels for a 12.9-inch iPad Air were shipping in December. So it seems very likely that this model exists.
That said, a more recent leak suggests there may not be a 12.9-inch iPad Air 6 at all, with the source claiming they can only see signs of a 10.9-inch model in the works.
The upcoming iPad Air 6 doesn’t appear to have any significant redesign aside from the addition of a new landscape selfie camera. According to my source, only one size was seen, which is 10.9 inches. So there probably won’t be a larger size available. pic.twitter.com/xkjo4waNpOMarch 18, 2024
Other than the possibility of this larger model, we don’t expect much change to the screen. The addition of ProMotion panels with mini-LED technology on the iPad Air 6 would be a nice touch, but these Pro-level features would inevitably cause the mid-range iPad’s price to skyrocket.
According to one source, the next iPad Air will only have ‘upgraded specifications’. But for our money, the iPad Air 5 already has a good enough design and display for its mid-range price.
While there might be a slight design change in moving the selfie camera to a long edge, so it is well positioned for landscape orientation. The source who said this has also claimed that the iPad Air 6 will likely come in the same colors as the iPad Air 2022 (i.e. Space Gray, Starlight, Pink, Purple, and Blue), except that the pink or blue shade may be different is. dumped (and presumably replaced with something else).
And we’ve now heard possible dimensions for this 12.9-inch iPad Air 6. It will apparently be 280.6mm x 214.9mm x 6.0mm. For reference, the iPad Air (2022) is 247.6 x 178.5 x 6.1mm, so that would make it slightly slimmer than that already very thin tablet. The other leaked iPad Air 6 dimensions are larger, but that’s not surprising since the screen is apparently larger too.
iPad Air 6: Camera and battery rumors
We haven’t heard much about the iPad Air 6’s cameras or battery, although there reportedly won’t be any major design changes, so a single-lens camera on the back is likely, and since this camera’s specs haven’t If nothing has been leaked, chances are it will be another 12MP version.
The front camera may be 12MP again, but one leak suggests that the iPad Air 6 will have a landscape-oriented front camera, instead of the portrait orientation of its predecessor.
We don’t know much about the battery either, but according to one source, the 12.9-inch iPad Air 6 will have an oxide backplane for the display, which should mean less power consumed and therefore better battery life .
iPad Air 6: specs and features rumors
One of the biggest rumors we’ve heard so far about the iPad Air 6 concerns its processor, which we expect will be Apple’s M2 chip.
Tipsters including Revegnus (below) have claimed that Apple’s next-generation iPad Air will swap the M1 chip its predecessor boasted for the M2 chip currently in some of the best MacBooks and the iPad Pro 12.9 (2022) is, which means it’s safe to expect significant performance improvements over the iPad Air 6.
We’re not sure yet whether Apple will ship the iPad Air 6 with an 8- or 10-core GPU (as in the latest iPad Pro), but since the iPad Air is positioned as Apple’s mid-range iPad option, we’re opting for the former GPU size could keep costs down.
iPad Air 6: what we want to see
1. A clearer identity
The biggest problem with the 2022 iPad Air is that it’s just too close to the iPad Pro. Most buyers will struggle to know which one to buy, or which one is best for them – in fact, it makes the Pro a bit redundant thanks to its lower price.
Apple will have to figure out a better way to make the next iPad Air unique so it doesn’t look too much like the Pro. Perhaps we could see it get a mid-range spec sheet, as well as a lower price, to make it more accessible.
2. More storage space
The current iPad Airs start with 64GB of storage, which is simply not enough for a tablet with a top chipset.
That’s not enough space to download many games, or have very many files to work on or edit, and so it’s not really clear why this version even exists.
It also makes the price a bit disingenuous. Sure, the starting price of $599 / £569 / AU$929 seems low, but if you even get a little storage for that money, no one will buy an iPad Air again. that price.
3. A bigger battery
One problem we found with the last iPad Air – and most other iPads, if we’re honest – is that battery life wasn’t great. It wasn’t badsay, but it certainly wasn’t Good or.
If you want to wander around coffee shops to work, or take your iPad into your studio to use as a second screen, you really want a device that will last. Current iPads don’t always do that.
We’d like to see the next-gen version of the iPad Air use a larger battery – perhaps alongside some optimizations to make the most of that power – to ensure it has a chance of landing on our list of the best iPads .