iPad Air 4 just went through the FCC ahead of the expected 10/16 launch

iPad Air 4 (Image credit: Apple)

What you need to know

Apple's iPad Air 4 just went through the FCC.
That means that it's likely to launch pretty soon.
The tablet is expected to go up for pre-order on October 23.

Apple's iPad Air 4 has gone through the FCC which would suggest that it's getting ready for launch. The tablet was announced last month, but we're still waiting for it to be made available for pre-order.

Earlier today we saw Best Buy accidentally list the new iPad Air as being available on October 23, matching the date previously given by Jon Prosser.

Best Buy has listed the iPad Air 4 with a release date of October 23, seemingly confirming previous rumors about the device's availability.

The new iPad Air is the best ever and it borrows heavily from the current iPad Pro line. It will also see the arrival of a Touch ID sensor built into the "top button" for the first time.

Apple today introduced an all-new iPad Air — the most powerful, versatile, and colorful iPad Air ever. Now available in five gorgeous finishes, iPad Air features an all-screen design with a larger 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display, camera and audio upgrades, a new integrated Touch ID sensor in the top button, and the powerful A14 Bionic for a massive boost in performance, making this by far the most powerful and capable iPad Air ever made. The new iPad Air will be available starting next month.

We now expect the iPad Air 4 to be made available for pre-order on October 16, while tablets will ship to people the following Friday, OCtober 23.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too.

Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.