Apple's 2024 iPad Air Lineup: What to Expect

[tobybrut]

I plan on buying two iPads when the new ones are released: an iPad Air for my wife and an iPad Pro for myself. The main reason to get one for my wife is because she ran out of storage. When I got an iPad Air for my wife before, I only got the 64GB version, which was more than enough at the time since she barely used 30GB on her last iPad. However, turning on shared Family Photo Libraries ate up all of the remaining space, giving her problems of upgrading her OS due to insufficient space. I’ll probably get her an 11”, 128GB version this time around. The Family Photo Library has become her favorite feature and the photo suggestions that come with it, which necessitates the storage upgrade. That was failure to anticipate on my part.

For myself, I’m looking forward to an OLED version that’s as bright as its mini-LED screen. Any other features are gravy. I am undecided between an 11.1” or a 13” iPad Pro, though. I’ve had both 11” and 12.9” versions and can’t decide which I prefer more. Bigger screen is nice, but smaller bulk is also good. If Apple decides to surprise us with a ginormous version at 14” or bigger, I’d pass. I have a pair of Samsung Galaxy Ultras and they’re just too big and heavy to carry around conveniently and are nearly impossible to use without the case. An 11/11.1” is ideal for use in a case or out of a case while the larger version is pushing it. Unlike most, I prefer the camera to stay in portrait mode, but it’s of low importance to me.

 

[dampfnudel]

I just hope the upcoming iPad Airs and iPad mini can finally start at 128GB...Please Apple, it may be the least update you can do to the non-Pro iPad lineup.

Yeah, a starting capacity of 64GB for a new iPad in 2024 is a joke. It’s also time to add a 512GB option for the iPad mini.

 

[one more]

I wonder if Apple will have enough “courage” (tm) to finally increase the iPad Air baseline storage from 64 GB to 128 GB. 😉

 

[Alwis]

This will probably be the year I will retire my 2017 iPad pro, it works still fine but the battery gets old and I could do with a little more flash memory.

Do we habe any information regarding face id on the iPads, will it require a notch like on the iPhone? All in all I would prefer face is, but not with a notch.

 

[tobybrut]

This will probably be the year I will retire my 2017 iPad pro, it works still fine but the battery gets old and I could do with a little more flash memory.

Do we habe any information regarding face id on the iPads, will it require a notch like on the iPhone? All in all I would prefer face is, but not with a notch.

We have no rumors on a notch one way or another. I just don’t see that happening, though. iPads need borders far thicker than a laptop or monitor because we need a place to hold them in our hands. While there is talk of a smaller bezel, it seems unreasonable for the bezel to get that small.

That being said, there is precedent. Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra has a teeny tiny bezel and a landscape notch for its cameras. That decision somewhat makes sense since a 14.6” tablet is unusable as a handheld device and will almost certainly spend 100% of its time in its case, never to be held in our hands. Unless Apple surprises us with a huge iPad, I just don’t see a notch happening.

 

[jouster]

If they do Air Mini and Pro mini I'll eat a shoe

Same. Well, if it's made of chocolate.

Is it realistic to see them shoehorn an M series CPU into an iPad mini? I would have thought the effect on battery life would rule that out.

 

[StoneJack]

With dumb and outdated iPadOS, no progress in hardware will save iPads. Basically, they are still in 2010.

 

[LeMo]

This is great news, I see pricing already discounted to 529 local (Swiss Francs) for a 2022 Air Gen 5 with 64Gb storage.
Which is what I will be getting to replace a Gen 4 with a broken screen

 

[Wando64]

With dumb and outdated iPadOS, no progress in hardware will save iPads. Basically, they are still in 2010.

What do you want to do with iPadOS that you cannot do now?

 

[StoneJack]

What do you want to do with iPadOS that you cannot do now?

There are a lot of things, basically starting from a real desktop.

 

[iPadified]

There are a lot of things, basically starting from a real desktop.

So apple should have two desktop OS???

 

[Wando64]

There are a lot of things, basically starting from a real desktop.

What does a "real desktop" looks like and how does it work differently from the iPadOS Home Screen?
Do you mean the ability to run Apps in resizeable windows?

On an 11" screen it is not something I would find myself doing often, however in the music world (my world), all AUv3 compatible apps can run in their own independent, resizeable windows when opened on any music host software, and multiple apps can be opened and used concurrently. It is possible when developers get together and create a standard for it.

 

[StoneJack]

So apple should have two desktop OS???

if apple wants iPads be notebooks it got to do something with its OS

 

[StoneJack]

What does a "real desktop" looks like and how does it work differently from the iPadOS desktop?

it is not what it is now

 

[schlackattack]

Still on a 2020 iPad Pro 11" and the only thing I'm looking for to upgrade is an OLED or MiniLED screen.

Thinness doesn't matter much to me, though weight does.

Any one else expecting Apple to release the 11" Pro at $999 w/ 256GB this time around? Pricey.

 

[Wando64]

it is not what it is now

Everything is clear now. Thanks.

 

[schlackattack]

Any chance it goes like this:

iPad: M1 chip, starts at $449
iPad mini: M1 chip, starts at $499
iPad Air: M2 chip, starts at $599
iPad Pro: M3 chip, starts at $799

This would bring stage manager and full screen mirroring to the base iPad and iPad mini. Stage manager would probably be useless on the mini's screen, but not when plugged into a monitor with BT keyboard/mouse.

Would be nice, but hard to see them putting an M1 in a base iPad that sometimes sells for $350 on sale later in its release cycle.

 

[SactoGuy18]

If Apple offers 512 GB local storage on the iPad Air 12.9", I am seriously considering using that to replace my iPad Pro 10.5".

 

[lenningj]

I just hope the 12.9" iPad Air doesn't start at £799, even with an increase of base storage to 128GB and the mid cycle price increase that the iPad Air received, seems too much for the base large iPad.

 

[Tofupunch]

This is the only criticism I’ve had of iPadOS. Otherwise, I think it’s just fine since I have zero interest in running macOS on iPads because I prefer a touch environment over a mouse-driven one. There is no ejection mechanism for external drives, which leaves open the possibility of corrupting an external drive. I’ve never had it happen to me, but I’ve only attached an external drive on occasion (probably fewer than 20 times). Others have reported corruption that requires a repair done on a Mac.

I do agree that the lack of ability to safely eject a drive is bonkers.

 

[Mainsail]

Would be nice, but hard to see them putting an M1 in a base iPad that sometimes sells for $350 on sale later in its release cycle.

I suppose you’re right. But, at this point and given production volume, I wonder if the M1 cost all that much more to produce than the A14 chip.

 

[Tagbert]

Sorry, I don't follow you. How I actually would be in need of thinner and lighter iPad when it's almost permanently in my magic keyboard case?

It's in the case mainly because of the hardware keyboard. I hate using on screen keyboard. The productivity goes down fast when switching to on screen keyboard.

And as you yourself correctly said - even if it was light as piece of paper, I would rather keep it in the case or stand when watching movies or when doing video calls. I just don't get why would I prefer holding a thing for 2 hours straight.

So no, I really don't need thinner and lighter iPad. My previous comment stands. What I would prefer is more usable software, more productive device.

I wrote that because you said “but 12.9" tablet is already quite huge to hold in hands for extended period of time”

It was only in later posts that you started talking about keeping your in a case.

 

[Tagbert]

I do agree that the lack of ability to safely eject a drive is bonkers.

the point is to be able to disconnect a drive without needing to eject it. That is supposed to be how it happens and has always worked for me that way. I wish Mac OS worked like that. If you and others are seeing a bug around that, I’m sorry that it’s biting you. I don’t do it often enough to have noticed.

 

[hacky]

the point is to be able to disconnect a drive without needing to eject it. That is supposed to be how it happens and has always worked for me that way. I wish Mac OS worked like that. If you and others are seeing a bug around that, I’m sorry that it’s biting you. I don’t do it often enough to have noticed.

If you're using storage device without activity LED it may be hard to know when you can actually remove the device, when all data has been successfully written to it.

Eject feature helps with that. Underlying system does not allow to successfully eject unless all data has been written and no activity on the device is in the progress.

 

[sevoneone]

I wonder if Apple will have enough “courage” (tm) to finally increase the iPad Air baseline storage from 64 GB to 128 GB. 😉

But then you will have no incentive to buy a monthly iCloud storage plan or Apple One and have your iPad thrashing the disk and battery constantly on/offloading data from the cloud so it all wears quicker so you feel the need to buy the a "new" one in 3 years even though it has the same pitiful amount of base storage...