Categories: Technology

Apple’s iPad Air 6 launches with a bigger 12.9-inch screen and MacBook-level chipset

After months of speculation, Apple has finally lifted the lid on the iPad Air 6, with two different versions of the new slate debuting alongside the supersized iPad Pro (2024) at the company’s highly anticipated ‘Let Loose’ event.

Where previous iPad Air models, like the iPad Air (2022), launched in a single 10.9-inch size, the iPad Air 6 will ship in an additional 12.9-inch size, with both models coming equipped with an M2 chipset (aka the same chipset you’ll find powering many of the best MacBooks).

Apple says this chipset makes the new iPad Air 50% faster than its M1-equipped predecessor, and three times faster than A14 Bionic-equipped iPad Air models.

Other key upgrades for the iPad Air 6 – which can also be thought of as the iPad Air (2024) – include a landscape-oriented front-facing camera, landscape stereo speakers with spatial audio, and up to 1TB of internal storage. The new tablet will ship in four colors: Blue, Purple, Starlight and Space Grey.

Apple has confirmed that the iPad Air 6 will begin shipping next week, at a starting price of $599 / £599 / AU$999 for the 10.9 inch model. The 12.9-inch model starts at $799 / £799 / AU$1,299. You’ll find a full price breakdown in our iPad Air 6 hub.

For a look at what else was revealed at Apple’s ‘Let Loose’ event, head over to our dedicated Apple event live blog.

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The 12.9-inch iPad Air 6 in action(Image credit: Apple)

The launch of the iPad Air 6 and iPad Pro (2024) brings to an end the longest wait for new iPad models since the company began producing iPads in 2010; the last new iPad to hit shelves was the iPad 10.9 (2022) in October 2022.

This story is developing…