In early 2021, Apple announced the next generation of iPad Pro, with significant innovations associated with the use of the Apple Silicon M1 chip for the first time, as well as the introduction of 5G connectivity and the Liquid Retina display. XDR.
For its part, the iPad Air underwent a fairly major overhaul in 2020 with the arrival of the new generation, removing the home button and making its Tablet the mid-range looks a lot more like the iPad Pro range premium.
When will be the renewal time? As you already know, Apple presented in September, with the new iPhone 13, the new generation of iPad mini and the normal iPad more focused on education, so the iPad Air update would be next on the list .
According to this, what is the news that the company has prepared for the next generation of iPad Air? There is speculation that 5G technology will arrive, with the Liquid Retina XDR display now present on the iPad Pro, as well as the Touch ID fingerprint scanner integrated into the home button also on the iPad mini.
If, in the meantime, you’re looking for accessories for your iPad, you can check out our buying guide with the best keyboards and the best iPad cases.
When will the new iPad Air be released?
For starters, Apple isn’t expected to update the iPad Air anytime soon, at least not for the rest of the year. The iPad Air was first released in 2013 and since then it’s had a pretty spotty update schedule.
The last event that Apple took place during the month of October left us with the news of the third generation AirPods, the new colored HomePod minis, as well as the arrival of the new MacBook Pro 14 and 16 inches with the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips.
That said, the company is unlikely to reintroduce any new iPads in the rest of the year, especially considering that less than a month ago it introduced the iPad mini and the normal iPad that we have already mentioned.
Throughout this year, Apple has been showcasing the new iPad Pro at its first event of 2021, while at the September event we saw the arrival of the iPad mini and the Normal iPad. In this way, the novelties in the tablets would already be covered this year.
Here we have the dates for the latest iPad Air releases:
- iPad Air (Gen 1): November 2013
- iPad Air (2nd generation): October 2014
- iPad Air (3rd generation): March 2018
- iPad Air (generation 4): October 2020
With that in mind, it seems unlikely that Apple will suddenly switch to an annual update cycle for the iPad Air. We could be wrong, of course, but everything indicates that there will be no news until spring 2022.
How much will the new iPad Air cost?
When Apple updated the iPad Air in 2020, we also saw a price increase, likely due to the new design and new technology implemented. This is how they are positioned. different models depending on your memory and connectivity:
- iPad Air (2020) 64 GB Wi-Fi: $649
- iPad Air (2020) 256 GB Wi-Fi: $789
- iPad Air (2020) 64 GB wifi + cellular: $819
- iPad Air (2020) 256 GB wifi + cellular: $959
You can consult our special file best iPads of 2022. You might also like where to buy an ipad at the best price.
With the new and very varied price range introduced by Apple, we do not expect many changes when the new Air arrives. Thus, we will continue to evolve in the price range between $600 and $1,000.
New features in iPad Air (2021/2022)
Apple has yet to confirm the existence of a new iPad Air, and little news or rumors have surfaced so far. We can at least guess what the update may bring, plus a few items on our own wishlist.
However, once we know everything that the iPadOS 15 operating system release brings back, we can get an idea of those areas where Apple will put more emphasis in order to improve the user experience.
What’s new in the processor
A practically guaranteed component is the renewal of the processor. What we do not know is whether Apple will maintain the natural evolution of its A-series processors or, on the contrary, choose to equip the iPad Air with the new M1 chipset with Apple Silicon.
The current (2020) iPad Air has an A14 chip, as is also found in the iPhone 12 models, so it would make sense that any new silicon chips that appear in the latest Apple phones would also appear in the iPad Air. when released.
Touch ID under the screen
We’ve already seen rumors that the new iPhone 14 line could be the first to feature a Touch ID sensor located below the display. This would allow for an edge-to-edge display without the necessary protrusion for the Face ID camera array or home button.
It is true that the redesigned iPad Air (2020) avoids this problem by incorporating the Touch ID sensor in the power button on the side, because it also integrates the new iPad mini, but it would be very logical to use this new technology. in any updated version of iPad Air.
It is something that is reinforced with the idea of Apple which will gradually eliminate ports and buttons from all its devices to make them more waterproof and improve their certification of resistance to liquids and exposure to heat. dust.
Greater variety of storage
This is more of a hopeful plea than something we think will show up in the next iPad Air. At the moment, the entry-level model only has 64GB of storage, which is far too small for a device that costs this much.
Upping the amount to 128GB would be much better to allow more content and apps to be stored on the device without having to juggle free space.
Upgrading the second storage option to 512GB instead of the current 256GB would keep a noticeable difference between the two models, but make life a bit easier for consumers.
Of course, Apple could offer three different storage tiers, as is the case with the iPhone, allowing users to get an iPad that truly suits their needs best.
Promotion
ProMotion is the in-screen refresh rate that goes up to 120Hz and makes scrolling incredibly smooth and overall gives the iPad Pro a sumptuous viewing experience.
Until now, the Pro part of the name indicated that it was a feature reserved for premium Apple devices. But with so many Android smartphones already using this technology, we think it could be something that will eventually come to the iPad Air (2021).
waterproofing
There are very few tablets that come with an IP68 waterproof rating. Samsung has had its Active Tab range in the past, while e-book readers have long jumped on this trend to survive a dip in the pool or beach.
The current reality is that if you drop your current iPad in the sink while trying to read a recipe, it’s probably gone bad.
We don’t know if the issue is the technical challenge of sealing an iPad-sized unit, but Apple has shown in the past that it’s always up for a design challenge.
With that in mind, we’d like to see the next iPad Air be waterproof, so it can survive the rain, the beach, or the usual kitchen hazards.
Don’t miss our review iPad Air (2020) with the advice and verdict of our leading experts in Apple product analysis.
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