Apple to reportedly launch bigger 12.9-inch iPad in 2024
Apple's iPad is expected to get its next major upgrade in early 2024, with a bigger 12.9-inch model topping the list of rumored updates.
According to a recent report by renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is most likely to launch a completely new 12.9-inch version of the Air and Pro lines next year. These bigger models will debut alongside iPad Air and Pro's 10.9-inch variants.
Kuo said that the upcoming 12.9-inch iPad models will have boosted displays, new colors, bigger battery sizes, and the same chipset as the new 10.9-inch models
“The 12.9-inch iPad Air is an all-new model, and while it lacks mini-LED, it benefits from an Oxide backplane (as existing mini-LED iPad Pros do), offering better display performance than the 10.9-inch iPad Air with an a-Si backplane," he said.
Another notable change would likely come to the new iPad Pro. Kuo said Apple will replace the premium tablet's current LED screen with OLED that is already being used on the tech giant's smartphones since the launch of iPhone X. It might also get its much-needed power boost with a faster M3 processor.
The remaining two models in the iPad's lineup—the standard and Mini—will likely have less improvements than the Air and Pro variants. According to Bloomberg's chief correspondent and popular Apple insider Mark Gurman, the 11th-gen iPad will come with an M2 processor and an A16 chipset for the 7th-gen iPad Mini. Other than this, both Gurman and Kuo said that there's nothing much to expect from these models.
The entire lineup, however, is likely to get a price increase to match the new and more expansive 12.9-inch Air and Pro models.
“If Apple wants to maintain the price gap between the iPad Air and iPad Pro to preserve its existing product segmentation strategy, it means that the new OLED iPad Pros may see a price increase," Kuo explained.
While Apple has yet to confirm the rumors until the launch of its next-gen iPad, the reported enhancements would be the device's first major improvement in over two years. The last breakthrough update for the iPad Pro was in its design back in 2018, while the iPad mini's most recent substantial upgrade was in 2021 when it was launched with a bigger display, Touch ID, and USB-C charging.