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

[MacRumors]

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 of 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

 

[Heat_Fan89]

I would be interested in that. I tried a 12.9" M2 iPad Pro that I bought from Apple and loved the screen real estate but i'm not a big fan of the Mini LED screen. So I sent it back.

 

[abatabia]

Curious about the larger air but….meh.

 

[Mac Fly (film)]

Remove 10th and 9th gen iPads from sale (keeping the 9th around only as cheap education bulk buy and hidden from regular consumers); rename iPad Air to “iPad”, keeping the processor, display and camera 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; pro cameras; pro 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.

 

[KPOM]

Will the 11” Pro get a micro LED display?

 

[darngooddesign]

'iPad Air Plus' just rolls off the tongue smoothly. 🤣

 

[benjai]

I don’t care for the more expensive ones. Just drop the stupid 9th that’s old and probably the 10th as well, keep a single ‘budget’ model, and actually make it cheap like every single year before the 10th came out.

 

[Bokito]

Apple’s iPad lineup is already confusing enough. The current 10th gen iPad is actually an iPad Air SE (if Apple would stick to iPhone naming conventions). If Apple were to update all models and even introduce a new one, they sure should axe something. With the MacBook Air/Pro Apple currently holds the sweet spot and doesn’t have too many options. With the iPad they definitely have too many options. Maintaining all those iPad models costs effort they can put elsewhere.

For me personally I just want an iPad with big fat ugly bezels, so I’m stuck with the 9th gen iPad. Why, you would ask? Comfort, just want to lay my thumbs on the bezels and not hold them against the side or get interrupted because they suddenly hit the screen.

 

[Warped9]

With current pricing structure a 12.9 Air would be about the same price as a current 11 Pro, but then wasn’t there a rumour the new next gen 11 and 13 Pros will be pushed further upmarket?

I know the likelihood is nil, but when Apple discontinues the 9 the price of the new 11 should drop some. If the 11 was reduced in price and the Pros increased the Air could stay at its current price level. Presently there is $150 (CAN) spread between the 9 and 10 so when the 9 is dropped and the 11 replaces the 10 that $599 (CAN) is certainly not as friendly an entry level price as the current $449 for the 9.

Nonetheless a 12.9 Air could be an interesting and tempting item for a lot of people. A lot of folks are drawn to the big iPad, Pro, but are understandably turned off by the big price, myself included. While I could afford a 12.9 Pro I could not justify the price given my more modest needs for an iPad. But a more friendly priced 12.9 Air is something I could see myself seriously considering.

Hmm…

 

[SmugMaverick]

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.

 

[DHagan4755]

It still seems like the lack of an iPad Air update this year is akin to the lack of an update for the iMac — meaning the iPad Air will go from M1 to M3. The primary differentiator between the iPad Air & Pro will be LED vs OLED.

 

[darngooddesign]

With current pricing structure a 12.9 Air would be about the same price as a current 11 Pro, but then wasn’t there a rumour the new next gen 11 and 13 Pros will be pushed further upmarket? ...

Apple reduced the price of the 13" M2 MBAir so the 15" M2 MBAir could be priced under the 14" M2 MBP. The question is whether the new one will be the iPad-Plus or iPad-Air-Plus. Assuming the former, I think Apple will drop the old 9 and settle on the iPad 11 (400), iPad 11 Plus (500), iPad Air (600), and then the Pros (800). The Mini will probably still be priced between the iPad and iPad Air.

 

[Dave245]

So more fragmentation of Apple products. I’m all for a bigger iPad Air, I like large screen tablets. If they are going to do that, remove the standard iPad and make the Air cheaper with the Pros being the more premium tablet.

 

[Gudi]

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

Why do you need to mention unsurprising facts of life? Did anyone expect the most expensive iPad to be the most popular one! It's not a failure only because it didn't exceed the sales numbers of the Air. And maybe it did sell exceptionally well. We don't have sales numbers for individual models, do we?

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.

Another wild assumption made plausible by creative storytelling.

 

[Rodney Dangerfield]

'iPad Air Plus' just rolls off the tongue smoothly. 🤣

Agree...Hey Apple, are you reading this?

 

[huntyc]

Delay of iPad mini to 2H24 😮‍💨 gonna be a 1000 day refresh cycle

 

[DMG35]

This should mean that we are getting a 14" iPad Pro.

 

[Warped9]

Apple reduced the price of the 13" M2 MBAir so the 15" M2 MBAir could be priced under the 14" M2 MBP.

I don’t think that happened in the Canadian pricing structure. If it did it wasn’t much, maybe $50.

The present Canadian structure is:
M1 MacBook Air = $1299
M2 MacBook Air = $1449
M2 MacBook Air 15 = $1749 ($50 more than the now discontinued M2 MacBook Pro 13)
M3 MacBook Pro 14 = $2099 (replacing the M2 MacBook Pro 13 which was $1699)

 

[darngooddesign]

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.

Sure, that must be why Apple didn't use it in the MacBook Pros ... oh wait.

 

[Username-already-in-use]

So more fragmentation of Apple products... remove the standard iPad and...

Apple isn't going to kill its lower end iPads because the education market is very lucrative. Also Apple isn't going to price its mid-range tablet as a lower-end tablet because Apple want to make as much money as possible, while being held responsible by shareholders who want Apple to make as much money as possible.

 

[darngooddesign]

I don’t think that happened in the Canadian pricing structure. If it did it wasn’t much.

The present Canadian structure is:
M1 MacBook Air = $1299
M2 MacBook Air = $1449
M2 MacBook Air 15 = $1749 ($50 more than the now discontinued M2 MacBook Pro 13)
M3 MacBook Pro 14 = $2099 (replacing the M2 MacBook Pro 13 which was $1699)

Yeah I can only speak to US pricing where there was a smaller gap between the 13" M2Air and 14" M2-ProPro (LOL) that Apple had to widen to fit the 15" M2Air.

 

[BuffaloTF]

Will the 11” Pro get a micro LED display?

In about a decade when it's affordable.

 

[Username-already-in-use]

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.

The 11" Pro never got it because in terms of the bill of materials back in 2020-2021, an 11" mini-LED panel was disproportionately expensive.

 

[Warped9]

Did the 13" M2 MBA keep the same price in Canada before and after the 15" M2 MBA?

I’m trying to remember and I sell the damned things. Uh…it could be the M2 Air 13 was initially $1499 CAN and now it’s $1449, but I ‘m not sure when that happened. Wait, it could be when they introduced the M2 MBA 15 at $1749.

 

[syklee26]

12.9 iPad Air is a no-brainer and it will sell very well, but I am looking for 15 inch iPad Pro. Come on Apple!