The design of Apple's upcoming 12.9-inch iPad Air model has today allegedly been revealed in new CAD renders shared by 91Mobiles.
As expected, the renders show an overall appearance that is very similar to the iPad Air design used for the fourth- and fifth-generation models, but simply scaled up to accommodate a larger display.
The most striking difference on the device is a redesigned rear camera unit, which now protrudes from the rear in a longer pill-shape, unlike the single, round protruding cutout on the current iPad Air. This new design seems to be somewhat reminiscent of the rear camera unit of the iPhone X and iPhone XS.
On the front of the tablet, the iPad Air looks very similar to the current 12.9-inch iPad Pro, but with noticeably thicker bezels, just like how the 10.9-inch iPad Air has thicker borders around the display compared to the 11-inch iPad Pro.
The device is expected to be targeted at those who want a bigger tablet than the current, 10.9-inch iPad Air, but have no need for the high-end features of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro such as ProMotion or a LiDAR scanner. This is similar to Apple's approach with the 13.6- and 15.3-inch MacBook Air, as well as the 6.1-inch iPhone 15 and 6.7-inch iPhone 15 Plus.
91Mobiles also reiterated reports that the next-generation iPad Air will feature the M2 chip. The device is rumored to enter production in the first quarter of 2024, so it could already be underway. It is expected to launch "early" this year, likely in March.
Saturday October 18, 2025 11:00 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
iOS 26 was released last month, but the software train never stops, and iOS 26.1 beta testing is already underway. So far, iOS 26.1 makes both Apple Intelligence and Live Translation on compatible AirPods available in additional languages, and it includes some other minor changes across the Apple Music, Calendar, Photos, Clock, and Safari apps.
More features and changes will follow in future ...
Monday October 20, 2025 10:57 am PDT by Juli Clover
With the fourth betas of iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS 26.1, Apple has introduced a new setting that's designed to allow users to customize the look of Liquid Glass.
The toggle lets users select from a clear look for Liquid Glass, or a tinted look. Clear is the current Liquid Glass design, which is more transparent and shows the background underneath buttons, bars, and menus, while tinted ...
Apple plans to cut production of the iPhone Air amid underwhelming sales performance, Japan's Mizuho Securities believes (via The Elec).
The Japanese investment banking and securities firm claims that the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are seeing higher sales than their predecessors during the same period last year, while the standard iPhone 17 is a major success, performing...
Friday October 17, 2025 7:35 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple's software engineers continue to internally test iOS 26.0.2, according to MacRumors logs, which have been a reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions.
iOS 26.0.2 will be a minor update that addresses bugs and/or security vulnerabilities, but we do not know any specific details yet.
The update will likely be released by the end of next week.
Last month, Apple released iOS 26.0.1,...
Saturday October 18, 2025 10:57 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
While the new iPad Pro's headline feature is the M5 chip, the device has some other changes, including N1 and C1X chips, faster storage speeds, and more.
With the M5 chip, the new iPad Pro has up to a 20% faster CPU and up to a 40% faster GPU compared to the previous model with the M4 chip, according to Geekbench 6 results. Keep in mind that 256GB and 512GB configurations have a 9-core CPU,...
Sunday October 19, 2025 7:39 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
iOS 26.4 is expected to introduce a revamped version of Siri powered by Apple Intelligence, but not everyone is satisfied with how well it works.
In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said some of Apple's software engineers have "concerns" about the overhauled Siri's performance. However, he did not provide any specific details about the shortcomings.
iOS 26.4 will...
Thursday October 16, 2025 9:13 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple on Wednesday updated the 14-inch MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and Vision Pro with its next-generation M5 chip, but previous rumors have indicated that the company still plans to announce at least a few additional products before the end of the year.
The following Apple products have at one point been rumored to be updated in 2025, although it is unclear if the timeframe for any of them has...
Monday October 20, 2025 1:55 pm PDT by Juli Clover
With the fourth beta of iOS 26.1, Apple added a toggle that makes Liquid Glass more opaque and reduces transparency. We tested the beta to see where the toggle works and what it looks like.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
If you have the latest iOS 26.1 beta, you can go to Settings > Display and Brightness to get to the new option. Tap on Liquid Glass, then...
Thursday October 16, 2025 3:57 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Apple plans to launch MacBook Air models equipped with the new M5 chip in spring 2026, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple is also working on M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models that will come early in the year.
Neither the MacBook Pro models nor the MacBook Air models are expected to get design changes, with Apple focusing on simple chip upgrades. In the case of the MacBook Pro, a m...
So I’m guessing the air will cost what the pro does now, and the OLED pro will cost way more.
My assumption would be that the 11 inch air stays at $599 where it’s at now, the 12.9 starts at $799, and the new pros start at $999 and $1199 respectively.
I don’t believe that the entry-level 11 inch iPad Pro is going to go from $799- to $1600 with one update, but I could see it going up by 200.
Apple pricing rumors always seem to shoot way higher than the prices end up actually being, except for the Vision Pro oddly. The base pro iPhone has been supposed to go way past $999 over the past six years, and that just has not happened no matter how much the rumors have insisted it would.
A 12.9 Air would be a good addition. I have a 12.9 Pro only for the large screen that I use as a second monitor for my Mac. I don't need a Pro for any other reason and a less expensive alternative if and when I replace mine would be my choice.
