With no iPad hardware releases so far in 2023, news of any new iPad hardware is reason for a least a little bit of excitement. The usual suspects are reporting that Apple is developing a 12.9 inch iPad Air that would presumably sit alongside the 10.9 inch model. I can already hear the tired complaints about how this will make Apple’s iPad lineup even more complicated (the MacBook lineup is equally complex, but no one seems to mind). But it’s not a stretch to imagine what Apple’s end goal is.

iPad 10th generation – 10.9

iPad Mini (baby Air) – 8.3

iPad Air – 10.9

iPad Air – 12.9

iPad Pro – 11.?

iPad Pro – 13.?

I wonder if at some point Apple doesn’t just make the Mini an iPad Air as they share so many similarities (especially if the Mini ever got an M-Series chip).

Similar to the 15-inch MacBook Air, this strategy offers iPad customers a larger screen without crossing the $1000 USD barrier. This iPad won’t have an XDR display or even Promotion. And once the 2024 iPad Pros drop, there should be even stronger differentiation between the Pros and the Airs. Overall, I imagine this will be a pretty low-effort release, so the front-facing camera probably won’t be relocated from the top of the device to the side quite yet. Everything else should be the same as the standard size iPad Air. As a relatively recent convert to the 12.9 inch iPad Pro, I now understand the appeal of a larger tablet. Especially if you’re using it as your main portable. Beyond “less than $1000”, price point is hard to speculate on as iPad pricing needs a rethink across the board. But if Apple were to price this aggressively, this would really help boost iPad sales numbers.

Source: 9to5Mac