Apple Launching Updated iPad Air in 2014, No 12.9-Inch iPad or New iPad Mini Until 2015

Apple may be preparing to introduce an upgraded iPad Air this year and will likely hold off the release of a 12.9-inch "iPad Pro" and a newer iPad mini until next year, KGI Securities Ming-Chi Kuo states in a new research note. The analyst believes that a new iPad Air with an A8 processor and Touch ID fingerprint sensor will be the only new tablet that Apple introduces this year, as the company focuses on shifting its resources from the Retina iPad Mini towards developing the 12.9-inch iPad. Kuo estimates that the larger iPad will debut early next year or late this year with limited supply.

12_9_ipad_macbook_air

12.9-inch iPad (left) with 13-inch MacBook Air (right)

Compared with lower-margin iPad mini with Retina display, which shipments has been tepid, higher-margin iPad Air was a hot selling item in 4Q13, which will slow Apple in developing new iPad mini models. We believe Apple plans to launch upgraded iPad Air early this year, and will accelerate development of 12.9” iPad. As such, more resources will be allocated to these two products, which will affect the progress of the development of new iPad mini. All told, we think chances of the debut of a new iPad mini in 2H14 are slim. In addition, the 12.9” iPad is unlikely to be offered in 2014. For these reasons, we predict the only new iPad product in 2H14 will be the upgraded iPad Air.

In his research note, Kuo also states that the 12.9-inch iPad will act as a driver in allowing developers to create more interactive apps for a bigger screen. However, the analyst notes that Apple has prioritized developing the operating system for the iWatch this year, with plans to release its smart watch in 2014. Kuo also predicts that Apple will restart mass production of the iPad 4 in Q1 2014 as Apple looks to wind down iPad 2 production after a three-year run, which was reported earlier this week. Overall, the analyst predicts the iPad shipments will fall from 34 million units in the 1st half of 2013 to below 30 million units in the first half of 2014.

Kuo shared similar thoughts on the possibility of a 12.9-inch iPad last October, stating that the sixth-generation iPad would contain a 30-40% higher pixel density instead of a bigger screen. Various reports throughout the past couple of months have stated that Apple is targeting a late Q3 2014 launch for the iPad Pro, with some indicating that the device could be aimed toward the enterprise market.

Related Roundups: iPad, iPad Pro
Related Forum: iPad

Popular Stories

iOS 26 Feature

iOS 26.1 to iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Wednesday October 1, 2025 1:26 pm PDT by
iOS 26 was released last month, but the software train never stops, and iOS 26.1 beta testing is already underway. So far, iOS 26.1 makes both Apple Intelligence and Live Translation on compatible AirPods available in additional languages, and it includes some other minor changes across Apple Music, Calendar, Photos, and Safari. More features and changes will follow in future versions,...
iPhone 17 vs Air and Pros Feature

New iPhones See 'Stronger Than Expected' Demand With One Exception

Thursday October 2, 2025 7:26 am PDT by
Nearly two weeks after the iPhone 17 series launched, analysts at investment banking firm Morgan Stanley said demand for the devices has been "modestly stronger than we originally expected," based on a combination of extended shipping estimates on Apple's online store and information it gathered from Apple's supply chain. There has been strong early demand for the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro,...
macbook air prime day 2025

M5 MacBook Air: Release Date, Features, and Performance Predictions

Friday October 3, 2025 3:39 am PDT by
The MacBook Air is Apple's most popular laptop – a thin, fanless machine that wields quiet power thanks to the efficiency of Apple silicon. While the M4 model isn't exactly old, attention is already turning to its successor. Apple doesn't telegraph new product launches ahead of time, but we can draw a surprisingly clear picture of what to expect by looking at Apple's silicon roadmap,...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: Leaks Reveal What Apple Products Are Coming Next

Friday October 3, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
On this episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss the latest leaks about the next-generation iPad Pro, MacBook Pro, Studio Display, and Vision Pro. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos Earlier this week, an apparent unboxing video of an updated iPad Pro with the M5 chip was shared online. The same YouTube account leaked the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 chip...
Tim Cook Rainbow

Apple Event in October? Here's What to Expect

Monday September 29, 2025 9:31 am PDT by
Apple's annual iPhone event is in the rearview mirror, but rumors suggest the company plans to release a handful of additional products before the year ends. Will there be another Apple event this October? We discuss the possibility below. Apple in October Apple's most recent October events were in 2021 and 2023. In 2022 and 2024, Apple did not host an October event. Instead, it...
space black mbp

Here's Every New Apple Product That Leaked Yesterday

Wednesday October 1, 2025 8:27 am PDT by
A handful of upcoming Apple products leaked yesterday, through a combination of YouTube videos out of Russia and U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) documents that were released, despite Apple's confidentiality requests. The leaked products include an iPad Pro with an M5 chip, as well as updated MacBook Pro and Apple Vision Pro models. All of these devices had already been rumored...
Apple 2025 Thumb 1

Apple's 2025 Product Roadmap: What's Still Coming

Wednesday October 1, 2025 3:56 pm PDT by
Apple's two big yearly events, WWDC and the iPhone launch, are done and over with, but there are still some new products that we're expecting to see before the end of the year. Apple TV The Apple TV hasn't been updated since 2022, so it's due for a refresh. It doesn't look like Apple is going to change the design of its set-top box, but we can expect a faster chip Apple code suggests...
Apple Glasses Yellow Feature

Apple's 2026 Smart Glasses: Five Key Features to Expect

Thursday October 2, 2025 3:25 pm PDT by
Apple is working on a set of smart glasses to rival the Meta Ray-Bans, and now that Meta has debuted glasses that include a display, Apple wants to speed up development on its first-generation model. Work has stopped on the next Vision Pro so that Apple can prioritize getting the glasses to market. They'll Be Fashion Forward Like the initial versions of the Apple Watch, the Apple Glasses...

Top Rated Comments

rcjh22 Avatar
152 months ago
No new iPad Mini? I doubt that.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Semp1 Avatar
152 months ago
I don't even know why we listen to analysts. They make the same guess you and I would from knowledge on nothing more than reading websites I am sure. Whatever happened to Apple failing in 2014 and the Galaxy S4 selling so greatly. Neither happened. And in my opinion this guy is unreliable and just takes a shot in the dark guesses pretty much all the time. 50% of the time he's right. Which isn't hard. Here I'll make a few guesses. Apple will release the iPhone 6 with a 5 or slightly smaller screen and compete in the phablet market this year with a no bigger than 5.5 inch screen. Also do not expect an "iWatch" this year. Lastly I am thinking there will not be an iPad 4 rerelease considering there is an iPad mini non retina available for $299. There you go more reliable guesses from some one who is not a professional analyst but most likely will be right with more than 75% of them. The iWatch is my most shaky guess.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
naeS1Sean Avatar
152 months ago
Apple is so damn slow at everything...
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
irDigital0l Avatar
152 months ago
So basically what the iPad Air should have been.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
syavno Avatar
152 months ago
I don't even know why we listen to analysts. They make the same guess you and I would from knowledge on nothing more than reading websites I am sure. Whatever happened to Apple failing in 2014 and the Galaxy S4 selling so greatly. Neither happened. And in my opinion this guy is unreliable and just takes a shot in the dark guesses pretty much all the time. 50% of the time he's right. Which isn't hard. Here I'll make a few guesses. Apple will release the iPhone 6 with a 5 or slightly smaller screen and compete in the phablet market this year with a no bigger than 5.5 inch screen. Also do not expect an "iWatch" this year. Lastly I am thinking there will not be an iPad 4 rerelease considering there is an iPad mini non retina available for $299. There you go more reliable guesses from some one who is not a professional analyst but most likely will be right with more than 75% of them. The iWatch is my most shaky guess.

Actually, Ming-Chi Kuo has a much better track record than most analysts; I would not dismiss this report.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Skika Avatar
152 months ago


I would like to see even a bigger iPad Pro - maybe even 20 inch or 27in.


Haha, what? :confused:
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)