If the rumors are true, the iPad Air 2024 could be on its way soon. We are certainly in for a time of change, as Apple is not releasing a new iPad in 2023. We have heard that the company plans to revamp the entire iPad in 2024, but we know very little about the reported new iPad Air. However, the rumored iPad Air 2024 vs iPad Air 2022 changes could be significant.

Rumors suggest that the new iPad Air may include a 12.9-inch model. While it may not have an OLED upgrade like the rumored iPad Pro 2024, the new iPad Air may feature the Apple M3 chip. It may also feature a side-facing front camera.

Details are scarce, making it difficult to determine whether the iPad Air 2024 could be a worthy successor. Nevertheless, a larger size, faster processor, and a repositioned front camera could be exactly what we are looking for in an upgraded model. Below is a comparison of the biggest upgrades the iPad Air 2024 might offer versus the last iPad Air model from 2022.

The current iPad Air has a 10.9-inch display. Rumor has it that Apple will offer two display sizes for the iPad Air: in addition to the 10.9-inch model, there may be a larger 12.9-inch model that will rival the largest iPad Pro. This iPad Air may be Pro-like in size, but it will use the same LCD technology as the current iPad Air, rather than the Pro model's mini LED display.

The all-new size, pun intended, may be the biggest design change for the iPad Air. 12.9-inch iPad Air will naturally be heavier than the 10.9-inch model. However, it will still be an "Air" tablet, so it will be lighter than the 1.5-pound iPad Pro. It is also likely that the device will be less expensive than the larger iPad Pro, which would be a good compensation for the lack of a mini LED display.

Since the iPad Pro comes in two sizes, it would not be too far-fetched to expect the iPad Air to follow suit. Still, if you want a larger display at a (presumably) lower price than the iPad Pro, the 12.9-inch iPad Air may be worth it.

Rumor has it that both the iPad Pro and iPad Air will feature the Apple M3 chip. This is because the current iPad Air has the M1 chip and Apple has never released a model with the Apple M2 processor. If this M3 rumor is accurate, it appears that Apple will skip the M2 model and go for the M3.

As we can see from the entry-level MacBook Pro 14-inch M3, MacBook Air 13-inch M3, and MacBook Air 15-inch M3, the base M3 chip offers excellent performance. Speed is greatly improved, and new graphics features such as hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading have been added. This means that you can play games like "Resident Evil Village" and "Baldur's Gate 3" on the iPad Air.

Putting the M3 chip in the iPad Air may be overkill, even more so than putting the same processor in the iPad Pro. Since Apple's largest tablet is marketed (and sometimes used) as a laptop replacement, it makes sense to put the company's latest and greatest processor on it; given that the iPad Air is intended for more general use, one must wonder if such a powerful chip is necessary. One has to wonder. Then again, some people (myself included) said the same thing about the iPad Air 2022 with M1.

Nevertheless, other rumors say that the iPad Air will have an M2 chip. This makes more sense for a tablet that is not intended to be a mainstay like the iPad Pro.

According to X (formerly Twitter) leaker "ShrimpApplePro," the iPad Air 2024 may feature a front camera that has been repositioned to a horizontal orientation (via MacRumors). If that sounds familiar, that's because, as we previously reported, the iPad Pro 2024 may also feature a repositioned front camera.

Currently, the iPad 10 has a landscape-facing front camera, which we noted in our iPad 10 review was a wise choice given that video calls in landscape mode would be more natural. It also makes sense to have the front camera on the long side of the tablet, as many of the latest and greatest Android tablets have front cameras. In other words, we would not be surprised if the iPad Air (and iPad Pro) will have a front camera that supports landscape orientation.

Speaking of cameras, the purportedly leaked renderings of the iPad Air 2024 show a noticeable difference in the rear camera arrangement. The slightly protruding rectangular model is somewhat reminiscent of the camera on Apple's iPhone XS smartphone, unlike the flat version on the current model.

While there has been no official announcement regarding the iPad Air 2024, all signs point to its imminent release. If so, we will soon know how much of an upgrade it will be compared to the current model. If the rumors about the new size and M3 chip prove true, this should be a significant upgrade over the iPad Air.