The iPad Air 6 could be the next iPad we see, and it’s about time, as the iPad Air (2022) is over 18 months old now. That said, we might still be waiting until March for this new mid-range slate.
It could be worth the wait though, as Apple is reportedly working on two models, with a larger 12.9-inch option possibly landing alongside the 10.9-inch refresh. That extra choice could bring the iPad Air line ever closer to the iPad Pro, which is already available in a 12.9-inch size.
That larger size isn’t the only upgrade we’re hearing about either, as leaks also point to a major power boost. Below, you’ll find all the iPad Air 6 leaks and rumors so far, and we’ll be updating this article whenever new details emerge, so check back soon.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? Apple’s next mid-tier tablet
- When is it out? Possibly March
- How much will it cost? Around $599 / £569 / AU$929
iPad Air 6: release date and price
Going by past form, the iPad Air 6 is overdue. After all, the iPad Air (2022) is now over 18 months old, and that itself landed around 18 months after the iPad Air 4 (2020).
There was some talk that we’d see the iPad Air 6 back in October, which given the above would have made sense, but that didn’t happen.
Now, it looks most likely that we’ll see the iPad Air 6 in March, as that’s what a reputable leaker has more recently claimed. We’ve also heard from another source that a new iPad Air is coming soon, though they said it could land any time between October and June, while a third source has said the iPad Air 6 will be mass produced in the first quarter of 2024.
And another source claimed that iPad Air 6 panels started shipping in December, suggesting a launch in early 2024 is likely.
Regarding the price, it’ll likely cost the same amount as the last one – that started at $599 / £569 / AU$929, but the cost went up for more storage.
iPad Air 6: news and rumors
The main rumors we’ve heard surrounding the iPad Air 6 so far concern its processor, which we expect to be Apple’s recently released M2 chip.
Tipsters including Revengus (below) have claimed that Apple’s next-gen iPad Air will swap the M1 chip boasted by its predecessor for the M2 chip currently found in the best MacBooks and the iPad Pro 12.9 (2022), meaning it’s safe to expect significant performance improvements from the iPad Air 6.
We’re not yet sure whether Apple will ship the iPad Air 6 with an 8- or 10-core GPU (as in the latest iPad Pro), but given that the iPad Air is positioned as Apple’s mid-range iPad option, opting for the former GPU size could keep costs down.
As for the iPad Air 6’s design and display, we’re not expecting too much (if any) variation on the iPad Air 5. 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.
Indeed, according to one source, the next iPad Air will just have “bumped-up specifications.” But for our money, the iPad Air 5 already boasts a good enough design and display for its mid-range price point, anyway.
That said, one leak suggests there might be two new iPad Air models, with the second sporting either a larger screen or superior specs, and a second source has now said a larger 12.9-inch iPad Air is on the way, so it’s possible you’ll have more mid-range iPad choice than usual soon.
Another source has also now mentioned a 12.9-inch iPad Air 6, claiming that both this and the expected 10.9-inch model will launch. Apparently the larger version will have an oxide backplane to its screen, which should mean less power draw, and therefore better battery life.
More recently still we heard that panels for a 12.9-inch iPad Air started shipping in December. So this model sounds very likely to exist.
iPad Air 6: what we want to see
(Image credit: TechRadar)
1. A more distinct 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 to buy, or which is best for them – in fact, it makes the Pro a little redundant thanks to its lower price.
Apple is going to have to work out a better way to make the next iPad Air unique, so that it’s not too similar to the Pro. Perhaps we could see it get a more mid-range specs sheet as well as a lower price, to make it more accessible.
2. More storage
The current iPad Airs start with 64GB storage, which, for a tablet with a top-end chipset, simply isn’t enough.
That’s not enough space to have many games downloaded, or to have loads of files to work on or edit, and so it’s not really clear why this version even exists.
It makes the price seem a little disingenuous, too – sure, the $599 / £569 / AU$929 entry price seems low, but if you’re only getting a little storage space for that money, no-one will buy another iPad Air at that price.
3. A bigger battery
An issue we found in the last iPad Air – and most other iPads, if we’re being honest – is that the battery life wasn’t amazing. It wasn’t bad, per say, but it certainly wasn’t good either.
If you’re wanting to wander around coffee shops to do work, or take your iPad to your studio to use as a second screen, you really want a device that’ll last a long time. Current iPads don’t always do that.
We’d like the next-gen version of the iPad Air to use a bigger battery – perhaps alongside some optimizations to squeeze the most out of that power – to ensure it has a chance of landing on our list of the best iPads.
Services Marketplace – Listings, Bookings & Reviews