There have been plenty of rumors in recent weeks around what Apple might be planning in terms of new iPads in 2024, and now there's another leak to add to the list: the introduction of a new 12.9-inch size for the iPad Air 6.
This comes from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who is one of the more reliable Apple tipsters out there. According to Kuo, a 10.9-inch and a 12.9-inch iPad Air are scheduled for mass production in the first quarter of 2024.
You can read our iPad Air (2022) review if you want to refresh your memory about the last model Apple released. It comes with a 10.9-inch screen, running at a resolution of 2360 x 1640 pixels, and using IPS LCD display technology.
That display tech will be tweaked on the 12.9-inch model, according to Kuo. While mini-LED won't be added, the larger tablet will have an oxide backplane – that's the same as on the 12.9-inch mini-LED iPad Pro, and essentially means less power draw (so better battery life) as well as superior performance.
Even more iPads
While Kuo doesn't give any details about the chipset inside the new iPad Airs (the current one runs on the Apple M1), he does say that the iPad Pros will also get refreshed in 2024, and come with the newest Apple M3 chipsets inside them.
The iPad Pros are apparently going to make the switch to OLED technology from mini-LED (as previously rumored), which should mean improved contrast and brightness control, and these tablets might get a price bump too – the current models start at $799 / £899 / AU$1,399 for the 11-inch and $1,099 / £1,249 / AU$1,899 for the 12.9-inch.
Kuo says that production on those slates will start late in the first quarter or in the second quarter of 2024, and they'll be followed by the iPad mini 7, which is scheduled to appear in the second half of the year (later than originally thought).
Finally, the 11th-generation entry-level iPad is expected to go into production in the second half of 2024, giving you yet another Apple tablet to choose from. It seems as though we're going to be spending a lot of time updating our best iPads list next year.
