iPad Air 6: new sizes, prices, features, and everything we know so far
The iPad Air 6 is finally here! Apple launched the new iPad Air as part of its special 'Let Loose' event on May 7, confirming that the latest model will ship in not one, but two different screen sizes for the first time in the line's history.
The iPad Air 6 – which can also be thought of as the iPad Air (2024) – is now available to pre-order in 11-inch or 13-inch configurations, and other headline features include a MacBook-level M2 chipset, a landscape-oriented front-facing camera and landscape stereo speakers with spatial audio.
For iPad Air fans, it's been a long old wait for a new model, with the previous iPad Air, the iPad Air (2022), having landed way back in March 2022. Below, you'll find a comprehensive roundup of everything we know about the iPad Air 6 so far. We're updating this guide as new details emerge, so stay tuned for more.
Cut to the chase
What is it? Apple's latest mid-tier tablet
When is it out? Announced May 7, shipping the following week
How much will it cost? Starts at $599 / ￡599 / AU$999
iPad Air 6: release date and price
Apple announced the iPad Air 6 at its 'Let Loose' event on May 7, confirming that the new model will be available in two sizes (11 inches and 13 inches) and four storage configurations (128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB).
The 11-inch iPad Air 6 starts at $599 / ￡599 / AU$999, rising to $1,249 / ￡1,249 / AU$2,129 for the 1TB model with cellular capabilities, while the 13-inch iPad Air 6 starts at $799 / ￡799 / AU$1,299, rising to $1,449 / ￡1,449 / AU$2,429 for the 1TB model with cellular capabilities.
Check out our full iPad Air 6 price breakdown below:
If you're looking to pre-order one of the above iPad 6 Air models, head over to our dedicated new iPad pre-orders page for the latest deals.
iPad Air 6: design and display
The big news when it comes to the iPad Air 6 is that there are now, for the first time, two iPad Air sizes to choose from: 11 inches and 13 inches. Apple says the latter offers 30% more screen real estate than the smaller model of the two, though both models ship with the same Liquid Retina display.
The 11-inch iPad Air 6 measures 247.6mm x 178.5mm x 6.1mm and weighs 462g, while the larger model measures 214.9mm x 280.6mm x 6.1mm and weighs 617g.
Incidentally, Apple is marketing its new iPad Air sizes as 11 inches and 13 inches, though a quick dig into the tablet's official product page reveals that the "actual viewable area" is more like 10.9 inches and 12.9 inches.
On the design upgrade front, the iPad Air 6 features a landscape-oriented front-facing camera and landscape stereo speakers with spatial audio.
The new tablet is available in four colors: Blue, Purple, Starlight and Space Grey.
iPad Air 6: cameras and battery
The iPad Air 6 has a single 12MP rear camera (?/1.8) that offers digital zoom up to 5x. This rear lens is also capable of recording 4K video at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps.
On the front, the iPad Air 6 sports a landscape-oriented 12MP ultra-wide camera (?/2.4), which is capable of recording 1080p video at 25 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps.
Apple hasn't yet disclosed the capacity of battery inside the iPad Air 6, but the company does say that the 11-inch model uses a 28.93‐watt‐hour rechargeable lithium?polymer battery, while the 13-inch model uses a 36.59‐watt‐hour rechargeable lithium?polymer battery.
What does that mean for battery life? We won't know for sure until we test the iPad Air 6, but Apple says you'll get up to 9 hours of web-surfing time when using mobile data on any model, and up to 10 hours when using Wi‐Fi.
iPad Air 6: specs and features
The headline feature of the iPad Air 6, beyond its new 13-inch size option, is the M2 chipset under the hood, which is the same chipset you'll find powering many of the best MacBooks in 2024.
Apple says this chipset makes the new iPad Air 50% faster than its M1-equipped predecessor, and three times faster than A14 Bionic-equipped iPad Air models, which aligns with previous rumors we'd heard regarding significant iPad Air 6 performance improvements.
The iPad Air 6 also gets 5G and Wi-Fi 6E connectivity, Touch ID functionality and landscape-mounted stereo speakers with spatial audio, so it certainly marks a step up over its already impressive predecessor.
