Anticipating the iPad Air 2024: Release Date, Specs, and Design Rumors"

Here's what we've heard about the rumored iPad Air 2024

Apple didn’t release any iPads in 2023, but reports claim the company is ready to revamp its entire tablet line in 2024. That revamp would include the iPad Air, which could receive a super-sized upgrade in the form of a 12.9-inch model. Not only that, but the thin and light tablet could also sport the M3 chip found in the entry-level MacBook Pro 14-inch.

There’s no official word on the iPad Air 2024 or the rest of the iPad line. However, it stands to reason that Apple won’t let another year slip by without releasing new versions of what are already considered some of the best tablets on the market. The question is, will the rumored iPad Air be a significant step up from the excellent iPad Air 5? Here’s what we’ve heard so far about Apple's iPad Air plans.

iPad Air 2024: Rumored release date 

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is “likely” to release the rumored iPad Air in late March, along with some other rumored products — namely, the MacBook Air M3 and iPad Pro 2024. This trio of new releases would be powered by the existing Apple M3 chip.

It's not unheard of for Apple to hold product eveWhether March or June, it probably makes sense to put off any purchase of one of the best iPads until after WWDC.nts in the spring, which would be in line with Gurman's suiPad Air 2024: Rumored designggested timing. There's also the possibility of the Worldwide Developers Conference, normally held in early June. While software is usually the focus at WWDC, Apple has been known to make hardware announcements. Apple has yet to set a date for WWDC 2024

Whether March or June, it probably makes sense to put off any purchase of one of the best iPads until after WWDC.

iPad Air 2024: Rumored design

The iPad Air 5 (pictured above) is a sleek and elegant tablet. (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

As we previously reported, analyst Ming-chi Kuo believes the iPad Air 2024 will offer two different sizes for the first time — the existing 10.9-inch version and a new, larger 12.9-inch size to match the iPad Pro. 

Neither iPad Air model is expected to have an OLED display, but the LCD panel will feature an Oxide backplane with “the same spec as the existing mini-LED iPad Pro’s,” according to Kuo. However, we’ve also heard other 

claiming the new iPad Air would have an OLED panel. It’s hard to say.

There have been no reports suggesting the new iPad Air would receive a design change. If true, then perhaps the rumored 12.9-inch iPad Air model could just be a larger version of the existing iPad Air. That wouldn’t be bad since that slate looks great. A larger tablet would naturally be heavier, though I doubt it woiPad Air 2024: Rumored specs

uld be as heavy as an iPad Pro given that this is still an “Air” tablet.

We haven’t heard much about potential color options. The current iPad Air comes in five different hues: Space Gray, Blue, Pink, Purple and Starlight. It’s possible the successor tablet could feature the same color options, though more colors would be nice. 

iPad Air 2024: Rumored specs

The new iPad Air will reportedly receive a major spec bump. Apple updated the current Air with an M1 chip but we saw no successor with an M2 chip. According to rumors, Apple is skipping an M2 iPad Air and releasing an M3-powered slate. If true, the new iPad Air would be the fastest model in the series.

The entry-level M3 MacBook Pro delivers excellent performance — bringing huge gains in speed and new graphical capabilities such as hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading. The potential to play graphically demanding games like Resident Evil Village and Baldur’s Gate 3 on such a thin device would be quite impressive.

Of course, this raises the question: does a tablet need that much power? Some (myself included) have said that having the same M-series chips powering the best MacBooks seems like overkill. With that said, tablets like the iPad Pro M2 allow video editors to work remotely. And if you’re a gamer, you don’t want a compromised experience just because you’re on a tablet. To that end, iPads with M-chips could be perfect for some folks