12.9-Inch iPad Air Display Shipments Reportedly Underway Ahead of March 2024 Launch

2023 is set to become the first calendar year with no new iPads released in the device's history, but updates to the entire iPad lineup are expected next year. Notably, it has been rumored that the next iPad Air will be released in two sizes.

iPad Air 12
Apple's supply chain started shipments of display panels for a larger 12.9-inch iPad Air this month, according to a post on X today from Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants. Young has a good track record for display-related Apple rumors, so the information he shared today is likely accurate.


Multiple other sources have claimed that Apple is planning to release a 12.9-inch iPad Air, including Taiwanese supply chain publication DigiTimes, Apple analyst Ming-Chu Kuo, and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Earlier this week, Gurman said that he expects the 12.9-inch iPad Air to be released around March 2024.

Beyond its larger display size, no major design changes have been rumored yet for the 12.9-inch iPad Air. The current iPad Air is equipped with a 10.9-inch display, and that model is also expected to be updated around March next year.

The next iPad Pro models are widely expected to be equipped with OLED displays, and they will likely be more expensive than the current iPad Pro models as a result. By sticking with a more cost-friendly LCD panel, the 12.9-inch iPad Air should be priced between the 10.9-inch iPad Air and the next 11-inch iPad Pro.

Related Roundup: iPad Air
Buyer's Guide: iPad Air (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iPad

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Top Rated Comments

ApplesAreSweet&Sour Avatar
17 months ago
Please, let the base configurations start with 128GB!

??
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bradman83 Avatar
17 months ago

Just read a report about Apple wanting to simplify the iPad lineup.

So what do they do?

Add a second iPad Air screen size.

SMH Tim
The article's rationale is that people wanting a larger screen would no longer be forced into the highest-end iPad Pro. Similarly to how the 15" MacBook Air and larger iPhone Plus models bring larger screen options to consumer oriented hardware. Maybe simplified isn't the word they should have used - the the varying product tiers are now more complete.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TigerNike23 Avatar
17 months ago

Are you saying that dealing with choices is simply too complicated for buyers to comprehend?
Yes. That’s exactly what I’m saying.

Steve Jobs said the same thing 26 years ago.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Abazigal Avatar
17 months ago

Entire books and studies have been written on The Paradox of Choice. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Paradox_of_Choice
That rubicon has long been crossed. I don't think a company of Apple's current size can expect to sell just one model of smartphone and tablet and expect to meet the needs of their 1+ billion users. The reality is that as your user base grows, their needs will naturally become more diverse, and so Apple will need a larger portfolio of products to cater to them.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Flash1420 Avatar
17 months ago
I mean it kinda defeats the point of an iPad and makes the existing lineup even more confusing. I am betting the price won't be cheap either and add the Magic Keyboard, it would make it even more expensive. At that point, the MacBook Air M1 will be much better from a price and functionality standpoint. They should honestly just have 3 iPads in their lineup:
1. iPad mini
2. Combine the iPad Air and iPad Pro 11-inch
3. iPad Pro 12.9-inch.

People are complaining that iPadOS is too limiting, I mean what more could they add to prevent overlap with macOS? The iPad was designed to offer more functionality and utility than an iPhone but not as much as a Mac.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TigerNike23 Avatar
17 months ago
Just read a report about Apple wanting to simplify the iPad lineup.

So what do they do?

Add a second iPad Air screen size.

SMH Tim
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)