Apple is expected to release its iPad Air 6 two years after the launch of the iPad Air 5 in March 2022. Apple’s iPad Air is a lightweight between the base-model iPad and the more powerful iPad Pro as a mid-range option. It has great portability, a gorgeous display, and a powerful M1 chip, making it the best choice for most people.

But it’s probably time for an upgrade two years after its release date. Luckily, there may be one just around the corner: According to all the latest reports, Apple will announce its new iPad Air 6 at its “Let Loose” event on May 7, alongside a new OLED iPad Pro with M3, a new Apple Pencil 3, and a new Magic Keyboard.

Among those rumoured headline upgrades are a new M2 chip—iinherited from the M2-equipped iPad Pro—aand an all-new 12.9-inch model. Here’s everything we know about Apple’s next iPad Air.

iPad Air 6: Release date rumours

Our most recent information regarding this product comes from Digitimes via MacRumors, which indicates that Apple will release its new iPads in early May this year.

Database filings spotted by Consomac suggest four new iPads have passed through regulatory bodies, likely including both sizes of the latest design for the ‌iPad‌ mini (‌iPad mini‌ 6) and ‌iPad‌ (‌iPad‌ ninth generation), along with two models of what could be a future ‌iPad Air‌ — so these devices could well be just weeks away.

Most recently, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that Apple would debut a new OLED iPad Pro, iPad Air, Magic Keyboard, and Apple Pencil 3 likely in the week of May 6. Apple confirmed this by announcing a ‘Let Loose’ event on May 7, where we’ll likely see new iPads and a new Apple Pencil.

Some accessory makers are already trying to jump the gun. ESR listed cases for a 2024 iPad Air—iincluding the rumoured 12.9-inch model—aas early as mid-April.

iPad Air 6: Features and specifications

iPad Air 6: M2 chip

The M1 chip powers the current-generation iPad Air, putting it a full generation behind the iPad Pro. That should change when the next ‌iPad Air‌ refresh rolls around. All specific leaks about the ‌iPad Air’s chip point to M2 — including this report from Revegnus below and Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. In December, Gurman revealed that the ‌iPad Air‌ will inherit the M2 chip from the ‌iPad Pro‌, which should get M3 as part of its major OLED upgrade.

In April, ESR, a case manufacturer, leaked 6 iPad Air cases for a new 12.9-inch model, set to release alongside the new iPad Pro.

iPad Air 6: mini-LED?

Apple expected to give the 12.9-inch iPad Air 6 a display bump by replacing the LED with the M2 iPad Pro’s Mini-LED. They planned to utilize leftover stock from iPad Pro models, no longer necessary after the transition to OLED.

However, the same source retracted this rumour, stating, “We no longer believe the upcoming 12.9″ iPad Air will get a MiniLED display.” Instead, DSCC’s Ross Young says that a new 12.9-inch mini-LED iPad will be released in Q4 of next year. As far as what this could be, we don’t know, but it’s not the May-event-bound iPad Air 6.

iPad Air 6: Landscape selfie camera

Apple is likely to ape its entry-level tablet on its OLED-based pro device and put a landscape camera on the new iPad Air. The current iPad Air has an ultra-wide front camera of f/2.4, so Apple will likely keep this for their latest model. They could add TrueDepth here, but it’s currently only reserved for the iPad Pro or those beloved portrait mode features.

iPad Air 6: What we want to see

The iPad Air has always been strange, offering some of what the Pro does but in slightly different sizing options. The difference between an $800 base-model 11-inch iPad Pro and a $600 base-model iPad Air is an M2 chip and better colour accuracy, which for many people are not important distinctions, especially when considering how much more expensive it becomes once you add storage.

More storage and Better battery

We’d also like to see Apple push the boat out regarding storage. In this day and age, the base model iPad Air comes with 64GB, which is just not good enough—we’d like that to start at double 128GB. At least that’s what our readers tell us every time we publish a new one of these stories, so it must be true.

Finally, we’d like a bigger battery. It’s never easy to do something like that, and Apple will no doubt be keen to make sure that a tablet called the iPad Air doesn’t get too big and heavy. Optimal battery life is crucial for gaming on a device like this, such as the iPad Air 6 (6th Gen). The current model has an 8130mAh battery, which should last around 10 hours if you’re doing things on it, but that isn’t always long enough, depending on what your commute entails.

iPad Air 6: Price

The current iPad Air starts at $599 for 64GB but goes up from there when you add more. The cellular 64GB modem is also available for $749.

This rumoured 12.9-inch model will be more costly than the current $599 model. However, Apple must be careful not to price it too close to the iPad Pro and cannibalize sales. However, these rumoured mini-LED display upgrades mean this will also be costly.