Apple ’s tablet expiration schedule continue to refuse prediction , with news that the 6th - gen iPad Air is currently in growing but may or may not launch later this year .
In this weekend ’s version of hisPower On newssheet , Bloomberg leaker - psychoanalyst Mark Gurman in short observe the next iPad Air , enigmatically revealing that it is currently in developing and will receive a “ encouragement ” to its specifications , but declining to say when it will come out .
“ For those wondering about the iPad — another product that typically gets refreshed in October — I would n’t expect any major upgrades until the M3 iPad Pros with OLED screens get in next year , ” Gurman wrote . “ But an iPad Air model that promote its specifications is also in exploitation . ”
A lot hinges on the word “ but ” at the start of the 2nd condemnation . Is Gurman saying that , while nomajoriPad launches can be expected this side of Christmas , a non - major , spec - hump - only iPad Air will come out in the declination of 2023 ? Or is he merely say that an Air is in growth as well as the newfangled Pro models , without commit himself to a launching docket for it ?
Ambiguous choice of words aside , it would be odd for the sixth Air not to launch until 2024 . The5th - gen Airwas kindly received by reviewers when it came out in March 2022 , but that was 16 month ago ; the wait will have achieve 19 months by the fourth dimension of the expected October event , and a whopping 21 months by the ending of this year . And since Gurman indicates it will have short more than a new chip and Wi - Fi 6E , a lengthy delay seems unnecessary .
There was a gap of 17 months between thefourthand 5th Airs , and even that finger too much for a dewy-eyed refresh . Between those two waiver , Apple launch new versions of the stock iPad , iPad mini , and iPad Pro , each of which in unlike ways surmount the melodic phrase and minimized its collection . On multiple occasion , we ’ve write about the problems because of Apple’sstaggered iPad loss scheduleand it would feel deeply counterproductive for Apple to countenance the iPad Air go two year without a refresh .
The iPad Pro , by contrast , was last refreshed in October 2022 , a relatively brief nine calendar month ago , so a 2024 update seems fair . When this take place , of course , the new Pro will probably rain on the 6th - gen iPad Air ’s parade , but that seems to be how Apple likes to do these things .
