Kuo: Larger 12.9-inch iPad Air Coming Early 2024 Amid Lineup Refresh

[nStyle]

2021 iPP 12.9 has been my favorite computer ever with the MKB. MiniLED haters are weird, I’ll take MiniLED over an LCD with washed out blacks any day of the week. The only con, blooming, has never outweighed having significantly deeper blacks and insane brightness for HDR. It’s just silly people try to argue it. I went with the 12.9” version specifically because of MiniLED and I’ll never go back to a normal LCD.

But, give the people what they really want - an iPad Mini with 120hz OLED and Face ID. One day, hopefully. I really don’t care what size it is as long as it has the best tech and is at least tablet-sized. I’d use the 15 Pro Max for everything but it’s too big as a phone and too small as a tablet.

 

[Biro]

I am looking for an in between size of the mini and 10.

Then pick up a cheap 9.8-inch base iPad before they go away.

 

[Ken91]

Apple will add a new larger 12.9-inch iPad Air to an entirely refreshed iPad lineup coming next year, with two iPad Air models taking priority in Apple's launch roadmap, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

In his latest outlook, Kuo predicts that Apple will compensate for this year's lack of movement in its iPad lineup by updating all existing models, starting with a refreshed 10.9-inch and new 12.9-inch iPad Air with new chips scheduled for mass production in the first quarter of 2024.

Kuo says the previously rumored all-new 12.9-inch iPad Air will have an LCD screen that lacks the mini-LED technology of Apple's current iPad Pro models, but will benefit from the same oxide backplane. This will offer better display performance than the current 10.9-inch iPad Air that uses an a-Si backplane.

Next in line for release are the OLED iPad Pro models that have been rumored for some time. Apple will launch a new 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro with a redesigned chassis and new M3 chip in the second quarter.

Kuo believes that last on Apple's 2024 production roadmap are a new iPad mini and an 11th-generation iPad, a new version Apple's most affordable tablet. This will see the discontinuation of Apple's 9th-generation iPad currently still offered alongside the 10th-generation model in Apple's lineup.

Kuo believes these changes will see only modest gains in iPad shipments compared to this year, and predicts around 52-54 million units in 2024 compared to 2023. Such an increase remains way off Apple's peak of 63 million iPads shipped in 2022 during the pandemic.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman recently also suggested Apple will update its entire iPad lineup throughout 2024, but his timeline prediction is slightly different to Kuo and does not mention a new larger iPad Air.

Gurman previously reported that the low-end to mid-range iPads could be updated as early as March 2024, while he expects new 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro models with the M3 chip and OLED displays to launch in the first half of 2024. The next iPad Air and iPad mini are likely to be equipped with M2 and A16 Bionic chips, respectively.

Article Link: Kuo: Larger 12.9-inch iPad Air Coming Early 2024 Amid Lineup Refresh

iPad product line is already a mess, this will make it worse but that’s the strange world of Apple. The iPad Line-up should be this: Small iPad for reading and normal sized iPad with Oled screen and faster chip for everything else. No iPad ‘Air’ or ‘Pro’ or stupidly large screens. Small iPad, large iPad. That’s it. Keep it simple. Stop making the decision process when choosing an iPad an absolute nightmare.

 

[Biro]

Will Apple release the M3 iPad Air 12.9 with 64GB base storage? Since iCloud is so integrated into the iPadOS, 64GB on the M3 iPad Air is probably analogous to 128GB on other systems and iPad users just happen to be able to use their storage much more efficiently. /s

You mean the way 8GB of RAM on a modern Mac is analogous to 16GB on a PC? 😝

 

[rappr]

iPad product line is already a mess, this will make it worse but that’s the strange world of Apple. The iPad Line-up should be this: Small iPad for reading and normal sized iPad with Oled screen and faster chip for everything else. No iPad ‘Air’ or ‘Pro’ or stupidly large screens. Small iPad, large iPad. That’s it. Keep it simple. Stop making the decision process when choosing an iPad an absolute nightmare.

I'd vote they should take the same approach to the bloated MacBook lineup as well

 

[Greenmeenie]

The iPad mini is ALWAYS last 😔

 

[AlastorKatriona]

More models is not what the iPad lineup needs.

It needs more compelling offers at price points. Withholding Face ID and 120Hz display from mid-tier models for 6 years simply because they have no better ideas for the Pro models is really sad.

 

[sracer]

Then pick up a cheap 9.8-inch base iPad before they go away.

Which model iPad would that be? The 9th gen iPad has a 10.2" screen. Apple hasn't sold a 9.7" iPad in quite a few years.

 

[Biro]

Which model iPad would that be? The 9th gen iPad has a 10.2" screen. Apple hasn't sold a 9.7" iPad in quite a few years.

Okay… then the 10.2-inch iPad. Still smaller than the Gen 10. Feel better now, big guy?

 

[Mr. Dee]

I was hoping for at least 14.1 on the iPad Pro. Oh well, guess I will just be keeping my 2017 iPad Pro 12.9 until 2027 when I upgrade to the Vision Pro.

 

[sracer]

Okay… then the 10.2-inch iPad. Still smaller than the Gen 10. Feel better now, big guy?

The poster you responded to was looking for something LESS than 10". 10.2" is LARGER.

 

[CarAnalogy]

Any 12.9 inch iPad better have a 120Hz display on it regardless of what they call it. An iPad display that big janking around at 60Hz is going to look terrible. To me, anyway.

 

[ccsicecoke]

They bette release a foldable 12.9 iPad

 

[CarAnalogy]

I was hoping for at least 14.1 on the iPad Pro. Oh well, guess I will just be keeping my 2017 iPad Pro 12.9 until 2027 when I upgrade to the Vision Pro.

Visio Pro = lots of floating iPad Pro windows. Same plan here. Can’t wait to dork out with those goggles.

 

[Warped9]

But, give the people what they really want - an iPad Mini with 120hz OLED and Face ID.

I have never known of anyone other than a few posters on MR to ever ask for this. In the market where I work almost no one even looks at the Mini.

More models is not what the iPad lineup needs.

It needs more compelling offers at price points. Withholding Face ID and 120Hz display from mid-tier models for 6 years simply because they have no better ideas for the Pro models is really sad.

It needs to be remembered that Apple doesn’t really make mainstream low end products. The basic iPad is their most mainstream item. Samsung tablets, to the best of my knowledge, basically don’t offer anything in the iPad Pro price point. Samsung’s upper tablets are priced around the same as an iPad Air and go down from there to their more mainstream offerings.

Apple has successfully marketed the iPad as the all round best tablet on the market. Their marketing has been so good a lot of people think all tablets are iPads and the word “tablet” is often overlooked—very much like people ask for a Kleenex when what they really want is just a tissue.

 

[subjonas]

The only iPad worth buying is the cheapest.
All are compromised by the OS and the more you pay the more ridiculous the deal looks compared with a MB.
Yes, there are some special use cases for larger pro iPads.

I'd say for most people, the cheapest or the smallest iPads are most worthwhile. Even if smallest isn't the cheapest, the size/portability is pretty compelling for casual use, which I think almost anyone can benefit from. Other larger or Pro iPads can be worthwhile if you have a more specific requirement for it, but also if you just want it--it's subjective.

 

[subjonas]

I would probably get this larger iPad Air simply for Touch ID, assuming it has it. I would update to a new 12.9" Pro from my 2017 if the Pros had Touch ID.

 

[Red Oak]

Remove 10th and 9th gen iPads from sale (keeping the 9th around as cheap education bulk buy); rename iPad Air to “iPad”, keeping the processor and display non-Pro. Give iPad Pro SD Card (for photographers) and MagSafe 3 in addition to its thunderbolt 4 port. It’s not complicated but Apple insists on making the lineup so.

iPad mini, iPad, iPad Pro (with additional ports; pro chip; professional display and larger screen size option)

All should support Apple Pencil 2 and charge it magnetically. USB-C Pencil and Pencil 1 should be discontinued. Apple execs should be slapped.

It’s almost as if you have zero business experience

 

[one more]

“with two ‌iPad Air‌ models taking priority in Apple's launch roadmap, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.”

M1 can already do anything and more of what an average iPad Air user might want, IMO. Even bumping a baseline storage from 64GB to 128GB is not such a big deal, as people can use zillions of cloud and USB-C storage solutions. Giving iPad Air an OLED screen, however, would be really something. Until then there is a very little incentive to upgrade from anything younger than iPad Air 4, IMO.

 

[SamRyouji]

Remove 10th and 9th gen iPads from sale (keeping the 9th around as cheap education bulk buy); rename iPad Air to “iPad”, keeping the processor and display non-Pro. Give iPad Pro SD Card (for photographers) and MagSafe 3 in addition to its thunderbolt 4 port. It’s not complicated but Apple insists on making the lineup so.

iPad mini, iPad, iPad Pro (with additional ports; pro chip; professional display and larger screen size option)

All should support Apple Pencil 2 and charge it magnetically. USB-C Pencil and Pencil 1 should be discontinued. Apple execs should be slapped.

You really should slap Tim and gregjoz.

 

[Warped9]

M1 can already do anything and more of what an average iPad Air user might want, IMO. Even bumping a baseline storage from 64GB to 128GB is not such a big deal, as people can use zillions of cloud and USB-C storage solutions. Giving iPad Air an OLED screen, however, would be really something. Until then there is a very little incentive to upgrade from anything younger than iPad Air 4, IMO.

Very few people are going to upgrade from a one or two year old iPad. I’d say most are going to be at least 4-5 years old before they upgrade. The year-to-year changes are too incremental. The only reason to upgrade after only a year or two is because your needs have changed or your old iPad has been rendered irreparable for some reason or other and needs to be replaced.

 

[Lakersfan74]

What does larger 12.9 inch mean? It is 12.9 inch already. Will it be larger than 12.9 inch?

The Pro has a 12.9" but this is about Air models which currently doesn't have a 12.9" model but will

 

[ocdeal]

I'm still rocking out (and loving) my 10.5" iPad Pro from 2017. But I'm holding out hope for the new 11" iPad Pro to be redesigned to put the FaceTime camera in landscape orientation (on the long edge) and still have wireless charging for the Apple Pencil!

 

[transpo1]

Sounds like no one’s buying the pro models and air is unsurprisingly more popular.

Mini LED has been an utter failure of a tech, Apple knew it was a terrible stopgap and that’s why the 11” pro never got it.

I really enjoy the mini-LED on my MBP 16” M1 Max. They just couldn’t fit the mini-LED into the 11” and/or wanted to push people to the higher cost model.

 

[Love-hate 🍏 relationship]

They could make it a subscription, iPad Air+. When you cancel it, only the 10.9”-sized center area will display content.

Don't give them ideas haha