Apple is working to revamp its entire iPad lineup next year. While the entry-level iPad and iPad mini 7 are slated to see daylight in the second half of next year, the company will launch the OLED iPad Pro and iPad Air 6 early. The OLED iPad Pro will be the highlight of the company's Spring event as it is slated to feature a new design coupled with Apple's latest M3 chip. However, the iPad Air 6 is also expected to bring notable improvements.

The 12.9-inch iPad Air to feature the same design as the current model, with a larger battery and an M2 chip onboard

In his latest Power On newsletter, industry analyst Mark Gurman claims that Apple will launch two variants of the iPad Air. The company will upgrade the existing 10.9-inch model and introduce a new 12.9-inch model of the iPad Air. The tablet's internals are slated to be the same across the lineup, housing an M2 chip. The new larger display will allow the company to increase shipments and regain momentum in the market.

Currently, the iPad Pro models are powered by the M2 chip, and the company plans to bring the same chip to the iPad Air lineup next year. The M2 chips are powerful for a tablet, considering the CPU and GPU gains it will bring to the mix. Besides the new chip, we are not expecting the company to introduce changes in the design of the iPad Air, as the 12.9-inch model will look identical to the smaller version. However, the 12.9-inch iPad Air could feature a bigger battery due to its bigger chassis.

Despite an increase in screen size, Apple is not planning to launch a redesigned Magic Keyboard for the iPad Air. We suspect the existing Magic Keyboard for the M2 iPad Pro will fit the M2 iPad Air. On the contrary, the company plans to redesign the Magic Keyboard for the OLED iPad Pro, allowing the tablet to look more like a laptop.

The M2 iPad Air will not compete against the OLED iPad Pro as the company plans to broaden the gap between the devices. However, the iPad Air 6 will feature notable improvements against the entry-level iPad with a similar display size. While it is early to conclude, the larger 12.9-inch iPad Air will be priced higher than the standard model. We suspect the 12.9-inch iPad Air will cost between $699 and $799. As mentioned, Apple will launch the OLED iPad Pro and iPad Air 6 models in March 2024.