If you were expecting major design changes for the iPad Air 2024, you should be prepared for disappointment: according to a new leak from Twitter/X's ShrimpApplePro, the only meaningful design change is the location of the front-facing camera. The rest will look more or less the same as before.

Interestingly, ShrimpApplePro has also watered down our hopes that a larger iPad Air model might appear this year. They claim that only one model has been spotted so far, and that one has a 10.9" display. This does not mean that a 12.9-inch iPad Air will not appear in the future, but it does seem a bit less likely.

At the very least, having the front camera facing sideways is a bit more natural. Or it would be if the iPad were to be used as a laptop replacement or media device. In such a case, it would make sense for the camera to be more centrally located, rather than pointed at an angle from one side of the phone.

In fact, I can't think of a situation where I would need to use my iPad with the camera in portrait mode. Especially if Apple is marketing the iPad as an alternative to the best laptops and other productivity devices.

It has also been speculated that this change may not be limited to the iPad Air; code has been found in iPadOS 17.4 that suggests that the iPad Pro may also introduce a camera arrangement suitable for landscape orientation. The code claims that FaceID requires the tablet to be in landscape orientation in order to be set up, but after that it will work regardless of the device orientation.

It is not yet entirely clear when the 2024 iPad will be announced. It was initially expected to take place at a special event that would run parallel to the announcement of the M3 MacBook Air, but that did not happen.

We have heard that the new iPad Air has already shipped to the U.S., suggesting that a new iPad launch is imminent, while Bloomberg's Mark Gurman predicts a late March or early April launch. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman predicts a late March or early April launch.