Leaked Renders Suggest Appearance of Apple’s 12.9-inch iPad Air
Last year, Ming-Chi Kuo hinted that an iPad Air model with a larger 12.9-inch screen would be launched in 2024. This model may be released alongside the updated 10.9-inch version. Now, 91Mobiles has shared alleged CAD renderings of the 12.9-inch variant of the iPad Air, revealing what it looks like.
The new iPad looks similar to the current model, but is larger. It may have the same button placements, Touch ID sensor at the top of the iPad. However, the camera module has been slightly redesigned, with a bezel around the lens – reminiscent of recent iPhone models.
This comes after Apple decided not to update iPad models last year – be it the iPad Air, iPad Pro or iPad mini. The company is expected to overhaul its entire lineup this year, according to several analysts, including Ming-Chi Kuo and Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.
It remains to be seen when Apple will decide to bring a renewed iPad Air model with the Apple M2 chip. Ming-Chi Kuo mentioned last year that the same could go into mass production in the first quarter of 2024, so the launch may not be as far away as you thought. These new models could feature the Apple M2 chipset, representing a generational leap from the Apple M1, which currently powers the 10.9-inch model.
He further reports that this 12.9-inch iPad model won’t feature the rumored mini-LED display technology like the 12.9-inch iPad Pro; instead, it will be equipped with an LCD screen. However, it would look better than the 10.9-inch model because it would use an Oxide backplate (also used in the 12.9-inch iPad Pro) rather than an a-Si backplate.
