Next-gen iPad Air launching in early 2026: What to expect
What's the story
Apple is said to be working on a new iPad Air, which could launch in March or April 2026. The upcoming tablet will not see any major design changes but will focus on internal upgrades. The new iPad Air will continue to offer the same 11-inch and 13-inch size options as its predecessor.
Design details
Design and display features
The new iPad Air will be thicker and heavier than the iPad Pro, with an LED display instead of OLED. The higher-end display technology is still exclusive to the iPad Pro. The device will retain its USB-C port, Touch ID top button, and front/rear camera options from previous models. However, it won't support ProMotion or receive any major design updates in this refresh cycle.
Performance upgrade
iPad Air to feature M4 chip
The upcoming iPad Air will be powered by the M4 chip, a generation behind the one in the iPad Pro. The M3 in the current iPad Air and the new M4 chip are both built on a 3nm process, but with speed and efficiency improvements. The M4 CPU is up to 30% faster than its predecessor while its GPU is up to 21% faster.
Tech upgrades
Charging and connectivity features
The new iPad Air could also get fast charging support, a feature introduced with the M5 chip in the latest iPad Pro. It is also likely to adopt Apple's N1 networking chip, first seen in the iPhone 17 models. This would offer improved connectivity and efficiency over third-party chips used in previous devices while supporting Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 technology.
Modem integration
Cellular models to feature Apple modem
The cellular versions of the new iPad Air are likely to feature Apple's C1X modem chip, first seen in the M5 iPad Pro. The C1X is an improved version of Apple's first in-house modem chip, the C1. It offers performance comparable to Qualcomm chips but only supports sub-6GHz 5G connectivity (no mmWave 5G support). Despite these limitations, Apple's modem chips are more power-efficient and integrate better with other iPad components than their Qualcomm counterparts.