It’s been over two years since Apple announced a new iPad Air. This streak is likely to break on May 7 with the launch of the 6th Gen iPad Air at the ‘Let Loose’ event. The upcoming iPad Air is speculated to introduce many new features to further close the gap between the iPad Pro series.
iPad Air comes in two sizes
5th Gen iPad Air with M1 chip (Image credit: Apple)
Apple is expected to offer the 6th generation iPad Air in two sizes – a regular 11-inch model and a large 12.9-inch model. A recent report suggested the iPad Air models will continue to feature a regular LED panel, one Apple calls a Liquid Retina display. miniLED displays offer more contrast (higher than regular LED panels) and higher brightness levels.
However, those panels are also on the expensive side. It looks like Apple might stick to regular LED panels to keep the manufacturing costs in check. The refresh rate is likely to be limited to just 60 Hz. Bezels on the upcoming models are also likely to remain identical to the 5th Gen iPad Air (review).
New color options
Apple is known for using vibrant color shades for the iPad Air. This is likely to continue this year. The upcoming iPad Air models are also expected to come in a premium metal unibody design, a power button with an integrated Touch ID, a USB-C port, and a quad-speaker setup.
Landscape selfie camera
The iPad Air 5th Gen is powered by Apple’s M1 chipset. (Express Photo)
Apple is most likely to move the selfie camera from a portrait position to a landscape position. This is to enable a more seamless video-calling experience. Such a setup is already available on the 10th Gen iPad. Despite the change in position, the specifications of the camera are likely to remain the same, suggested a leakster Instant Digital. The iPad Air is likely to offer a 12 MP sensor, and the device is also expected to have a 12 MP camera on the back.
Better chips, more storage, and RAM
The current iPad Air with its M1 chip is already quite powerful, and with the upcoming model, Apple is likely to upgrade the chip to M2, which offers a significant performance boost in the CPU, GPU, and AI departments.
Not just that, with the upcoming iPad Air, Apple might offer double the storage (128 GB) on the base model along with at least 8 GB of RAM. The additional amount of storage and RAM should help the device handle upcoming AI features, which will be unveiled at the WWDC 2024.
Apple has always been known for using faster PCIe storage types, and the 6th Gen iPad Air will be no different. Unlike the previous model, where the storage was limited to just 256 GB, the upcoming model might offer up to 1 TB of storage.
Bigger battery, faster charging
Read all about the new iPad Air Gen 5 here. (Image Source: Apple)
Both models of the iPad Air are expected to pack a bigger battery, possibly with support for faster charging. With the more efficient chip, these models could also deliver better battery life, and just like the iPhone 15, Apple might use new battery chemistry to increase the life of these batteries.
Pricing and launch date
Apple is most likely to unveil the new iPad Air lineup along with the iPad Pro on May 7, and these devices are likely to go on sale the next week. In terms of pricing, the 11-inch iPad might cost the same as its predecessor (Rs 59,900) and the 12.9-inch model is expected to cost around Rs 10,000 more in India.