2024 is shaping up as a big year for Apple’s iPad line as it left 2023 without any hardware updates. It is expected a new iPad Air in two sizes will join several new iPad models that will be announced this year. Now, the first renders of the inflated tablet have apparently leaked, revealing a familiar design.
Apple iPad Air 12.9-inch design
Based on the unpolished schematics shared by 91Mobiles, the new iPad Air 12.9-inch carries the same squared-off shape as the existing iPad Air (review) along with rounded corners in a seemingly aluminum encasing. The front has notable bezels that surround the touch display, which are quite thicker and more prominent when compared to the iPad Pro M2 (review).
Surprisingly, the front facing camera is positioned on a shorter side and not in the landscape orientation that we saw on the iPad 10 (review). Apple might be keeping the same portrait setup on its bigger slabs, especially with those equipped with Face ID. But of course, these renders could be proved wrong once we see the device’s final design.
Additionally, the sides do depict of quad speakers distributed on top and bottom, with the latter housing the USB-C port. There is a physical key on top, which could support fingerprint scanning as the primary security method if there is no Face ID. A set of volume rockers is located on the top-right side.
On the back panel, the single camera module sits on an elliptical camera island alongside the LED flash. Noticeably, this is the only section which is distinguishable and different from recent iPad tablets introduced. There is no word what resolution and video capabilities the camera boasts.
Beyond the exterior, the iPad Air 12.9-inch and 10.9-inch versions should be powered by a new M3 chipset that debuted on the MacBook Pro at the end of last year. The tablets should boot on the latest iPadOS 17 iteration as well.
Per Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman recent report, Apple could announce the iPad Air M3 duo as early as March with the shipment stretching all the way to April 2024. Apple’s first OLED-equipped iPad Pro tablets and MacBook Air M3 are also anticipated to be tagged.
How much do you think the new iPad Air 12.9-inch will cost? Will Apple offer it at an attractive price point? We want to hear your opinion.
