Apple could launch a larger 12.9-inch iPad Air in 2024

Thick bezels around the iPad Air display are slightly thicker than the iPad Pro (Image credit: 91Mobiles)

The larger iPad Air will feature a 12.9-inch IPS LCD screen, similar to the previous model, while the iPad Pro lineup is expected to upgrade to OLED displays. The rear design also looks slightly different, with a single island housing the camera and microphone unit, resembling the vertical iPhone X camera module.

The bezels around the display resemble the previous generation iPad Air with a single camera unit, hence, the overall dimensions of the 12.9-inch iPad Air could be bigger than that of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

Beyond these changes, the industrial design appears to remain unchanged, with a metal unibody frame and likely multiple colour options like the current model. We can expect features like a quad-speaker setup, a USB-C port, and a power button that doubles as a Touch ID sensor. Hardware-wise, the M2 chip is expected to power the upcoming iPad Air, while the more powerful M3 chip might be reserved for the iPad Pro lineup.

2024-iPad Air is expected to include a big 12.9-inch screen (Image credit: 91Mobiles)

On the bottom, a Pogo pin connector allows accessory connections like the Magic Keyboard, and the side-mounted antenna band indicates 5G connectivity, with a Wi-Fi-only option also available.

The larger 12.9-inch iPad Air could be slightly cheaper than the 11-inch iPad Pro, appealing to those who want a large iPad without the Pro’s price tag. Bloomberg recently reported that Apple could announce the new iPad Pro lineup in Q1 2024, followed by the iPad Air in Q2, and finally, the base iPad mini and 11th Gen iPad in Q3 2024, alongside the iPhone 16 series.