2026 iPad Air release date: Will Apple launch a new iPad Air soon?

Apple has scheduled “Special Experiences” for March 4 – inviting journalists to venues in New York, London and Shanghai for some sort of hands-on briefing, rather than a live-streamed event. There are a number of new products expected to launch, including various iPads, MacBooks and the iPhone 17e.

There are specific rumors and multiple leaks that indicate that the iPad Air will be one of the new products arriving in early-March. A March launch is also consistent with Apple’s usual iPad Air update timing (the current model arrived in March 2025).

Apple could launch the new iPad Air before the March 4 event. The company has hinted that it will be a “big week ahead”.

With the announcement expected week commending March 2, pre-orders could start on Friday 6 March and availability in mid-March.

2026 iPad Air performance: Will the 2026 iPad Air be faster?

• M4 chip

Apple

The main feature for the 2026 iPad Air will be a new processor. According to an internal Apple document, the M3 is expected to be replaced by an M4 chip.

While we are familiar with the M4 chip, which has already featured in the 2024 iPad Pro, it’s not clear what the specification of the M4 in the iPad Air will be. The iPad Pro came with a 9-core or 10-core CPU, depending on the storage. We believe Apple will offer only the 9-core CPU with a 10-core GPU.

As for what the M4 will bring to the iPad Air, the M4 is notably faster than prior Apple chips. For users that will mean snappier multitasking, quicker app launches, and smoother operation even under heavy load, compared to the previous generation.

The M4 GPU is much improved on its predecessors, meaning even better graphics and rendering for games and creative apps.

The 16-core Neural Engine in the M4 will benefit machine leaning tasks such as photo editing and enhancements and AI-driven features.

The M4 is also designed to be more power-efficient than earlier chips, which should translate to better battery life.

2026 iPad Air specs: How the N1 and C1X could benefit the iPad Air

• N1 chip for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6
• C1X 5G modem
• 8GB RAM as before

With the iPhone 17, Apple included a new Apple-made wireless networking chip for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Thread networking technology (used to control smart-home devices). This N1 chip is expected to appear in the iPad Air. It will bring support for Wi-Fi 7 and its higher peak speeds, lower latency, and quicker downloads and uploads.

It will also add support for Bluetooth 6, with benefits including more reliable connections in crowded locations, lower latency, and more efficient power use.

Another benefit of the N1 is that AirDrop and Personal Hotspot reliability should also be improved.

The iPhone Air’s C1X 5G modem is expected to be used in cellular models of the iPad Air. The benefits there revolve around cellular connectivity, including: faster 5G performance, better power efficiency (Apple says it uses 30% less energy), and improved battery life.

The 2025 iPad Air had 8GB of RAM, the minimum required to run Apple Intelligence. We expect the new iPad Air will also have 8GB of RAM standard.

2026 iPad Air design and display: Will Apple redesign the iPad Air?

• 11-inch and 13-inch Liquid Retina displays as before
• Similar dimensions and thinness

Britta O’Boyle

Apple offers the iPad Air in 11- and 13-inch models, and the new iPad Air is expected to have the same design and screen options. What might change is the colors; Apple currently offers the M3 iPad Air in four colors (Blue, Purple, Starlight, Space Gray), the same options as the M2 model. Apple often changes the colors when introducing a new generation, so it would be unusual to have the same options for three generations.

The iPad Air has used the same LED backlit Liquid Retina display for several generations, and we expect it to continue with the M4 update. Apple’s more expensive iPad Pro uses tandem OLED panels and there are rumors that OLED may be coming to other iPads, possibly the iPad mini first, but we don’t expect that technology to come to the M5 iPad Air.

2026 iPad Air cameras: Are the cameras changing?

• 12MP rear camera
• 12MP Center Stage front camera

Eugen Wegmann

Apple doesn’t upgrade its iPad cameras annually like the iPhone. The iPad Air has had the same two cameras since the M1: a 12MP front camera with Center Stage and a 12MP rear wide-angle camera. It’s unlikely the hardware will change, although Apple could introduce new software features.

2026 iPad Air price: Will the iPad Air cost more in 2026?

Tariffs, rising RAM prices, and other supply-chain cost increases could drive prices up this year. Apple CEO Tim Cook said during the Q1 2026 financial results earnings call that the company is in “supply chase mode” and facing industry-wide constraints for components. However, any price increase would likely affect the higher-end configurations, and we expect the M4 iPad Air to continue to start at $599 for the 11-inch model.

The price of the M3 iPad Air in the U.S. and U.K. are below.