So, potentially dumb question.... since the top button has Touch ID, wouldn’t a case on the iPad cover it up and render it useless?
I haven’t looked around at cases yet but just curious because I typically use one.
In their eagerness to be first to market for the hot new model, accessory makers sometimes play a bit loose with what they label as "compatible," which can result in little compromises, or less than perfect fit. Sometimes, design adjustments are made in subsequent production runs that make them better, or truly tailored for the new model.
It happens with screen protectors, cases, and is more acute when Apple only makes small changes in its product dimensions or part placements (sensors/magnets, buttons, and such), but, depending on design elements, or tolerances, can work both for, and against the suitability of an existing design for the new model.
One telltale sign that should raise flags is a package with a supplemental sticker applied to it, specifically proclaiming compatibility with the new model. That indicates that it's probably originally designed for an older model, but physically "close enough" to work with the new one, at least until the company can make revisions and produce new runs, based on the actual newly released model.
Such a thing probably mostly goes unnoticed, or is not significant enough to concern those without OCD, but can compromise appearances (e.g.--the asymmetrical speaker cutouts and shifted camera bump of the XS vs the X), if not function (magnets not placed properly to trigger sleep/wake; Apple loves to move them around from model to model). With screen protectors, some of the cuts and radii clearly don't match; there was a picture posted here of a mismatched Zagg protector on an XR that looks horrible, even if one is willing to pay more for a brand name.
The tables can be turned and affect old models as well. I just ran into this with a case from Speck.
To its credit, it was able to quickly produce a
new model specifically for the Air 4 (1386501050), with a frame molding that has a large cutout around the top button to accommodate Touch ID.
Yet it also labels this case as compatible with the 11" Pro, which results in a unsightly exposed gap where none is needed, so those users might actually prefer
the previous version truly and originally designed for the 2018/2020 11" Pro models (1348581050), albeit whose clearance status at Best Buy probably indicates it has stopped production, and been discontinued.
These are minor, more often early adopter issues, but something to be aware of. Some companies make it easier to distinguish, with distinct model numbers, but some just make running changes in production, with no other indications that can be gleaned without closer examination.
In this case, the external dimensions of the Air 4 and 11" Pro differ only fractionally in thickness, so the area to zero in on is how the top button area is handled. And whether a case maker decides to revert back to the smaller single camera cutout shared with the 2018 Pro, or leave it large as a compromise to cover all the 2018/2020 bases will indicate how dedicated it is to making each product truly bespoke.