Apple is on the brink of releasing the anticipated sixth generation of the iPad Air, with the tech community buzzing with speculation that it may arrive as soon as March. A significant update to this new iPad Air will be the addition of a second screen size option. Joining the standard 10.9-inch model will be larger 11-inch and 12.9-inch variants. A recent leak has given us a closer look at what to expect from the design of these new models, particularly the 12.9-inch iPad Air.
Leaked CAD renders obtained by 91Mobiles highlight the 12.9-inch iPad Air’s design cues, which appear to share much in common with the existing 10.9-inch model. This includes a quad-speaker setup with pairs at the top and bottom, a power button situated at the top, and a USB Type-C port at the bottom. On the sides, the volume controls and a cutout for the mmWave 5G antenna are found on the right. The front of the device retains a single cutout for the selfie camera, indicating continuity in the use of Touch ID rather than the FaceID system used in the iPad Pro.
New Camera Design in the 2024 iPad Air
The camera system gets a noticeable overhaul in the 12.9-inch iPad Air with a pill-shaped camera bump on the rear as opposed to the current-gen circular design. Reminiscent of the iPhone X and iPhone XS styling, it still contains a single camera lens and omits the LiDAR sensor found in the iPad Pro models. The design changes for the upcoming iPad Air may not be groundbreaking, but they build upon a design aesthetic that is both current and functional.
The forthcoming 12.9-inch iPad Air is poised to be a desirable option for consumers who need more screen real estate than available on the current entry-level iPads but may find the pricing of the iPad Pro 12.9-inch out of reach. With speculation of a starting price point around $699 or $749, Apple’s offering could potentially provide stiff competition for devices such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE+, especially given Apple’s edge with UI design and app ecosystem.
For a more visual representation, you can check out the leaked designs of the new iPad Air in the video below:
