Revealing the Extensive Design of Apple's 12.9-inch iPad Air

2024 is shaping up to be a big year for Apple’s iPad line as it did not update any of its tablets in 2023. It is expected to release a new iPad Air in two sizes, joining several new iPad models that will be announced later this year. Initial renders of the larger tablet have apparently leaked, revealing a familiar design.

Apple iPad Air 12.9-inch design

Based on the unpolished schematics shared by 91Mobiles, the new iPad Air 12.9-inch carries the same squared-off shape as the existing iPad Air alongside rounded corners in a possible aluminum enclosure. The front has notable bezels that surround the touch display, which are thicker and more prominent compared to the iPad Pro M2.

Surprisingly, the front-facing camera is positioned on a shorter end and not in the landscape orientation that we saw on the iPad 10. Apple might retain the same portrait setup in its bigger slabs, especially for models equipped with Face ID. In addition, the sides do depict quad speakers distributed on top and at the bottom, with the latter housing a USB-C port. There is a physical key on top, which could support fingerprint scanning as the primary security method if Face ID is left out. A set of volume rockers is located on the top-right side.

Behind, the single camera module sits on an elliptical camera island alongside the LED flash. This is the only noticeable section that is distinguishable and different from recent iPad tablets.

Beyond the exterior, the iPad Air 12.9-inch and 10.9-inch versions should be powered by a new M3 chipset that debuted in the MacBook Pro at the end of last year. The tablets should boot on the latest iPadOS 17 iteration as well.

Based on Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman’s recent report, Apple could announce the iPad Air M3 duo as early as March with shipment slated to begin in April 2024. Apple’s first OLED-equipped iPad Pro tablets and MacBook Air M3 were also anticipated to be part of the shipment.