12.9-inch iPad Air on track for March launch as display panel shipments begin

iPad Air 5 king
(Image credit: iMore)

Apple had a rather iPad-lacking 2023, but we've heard a lot about its 2024 plans to revive the tablet. The grand plans include a supersized iPad Air for the first time, and it seems like we're on track to see it launch in March 2024. Display analyst Ross Young has confirmed that the display shipments of the 12.9-inch iPad Air began in December.

We recently got another confirmation from Mark Gurman that we'll see an iPad Air refresh in early 2024, and this latest information from Young corroborates that. This is the first time we'll see the iPad Air in multiple size options.

2024's complete iPad refresh will bring a 12.9-inch iPad Air

Ross Young of DCSS has confirmed that the display panels for the 12.9-inch iPad Air have begun shipping, which means that the iPad Air will likely get a refresh at the next Apple Event, likely in March 2024.

The iPad Air has been a solid medium between the cheaper vanilla model, and the all-out Pro model. It, however, just came in one size option, packing it with premium hardware at a price tag lower than the Pro models. In fact, for years, the iPad Air was the go-to premium iPad.

With the iPad Pro debuting, however, the iPad Air looked kicked down a notch. Introducing a new size option would bring the iPad Air a bit closer to the iPad Pro. The 12.9-inch iPad Air would also be a cheaper option to get a huge tablet from Apple. Currently, you can only get a Pro in a size that big, and it's the costliest iPad Apple sells.

We're also due to get iPad refreshes across the board with an OLED iPad Pro, an updated iPad mini and vanilla iPad. While only the Air and Pro are slated for early 2024, we'll likely also see a MacBook Air refresh with the new M3 chip along with it.

Palash Volvoikar
Contributor

Palash has been a technology and entertainment journalist since 2013. Starting with Android news and features, he has also worked as the news head for Wiki of Thrones, and a freelance writer for Windows Central, Observer, MakeUseOf, MySmartPrice, ThinkComputers, and others. He also worked as a writer and journalist for Android Authority, covering computing, before returning to freelancing all over town.