More than two years after Apple introduced the new iPad Air, it seems like it is time for an update. That possibility has been heightened by the emergence of a company selling accessories for the iPad Air that we have not seen before.

Specifically, sharp-eyed readers of 9to5Mac recently noticed that accessory maker ESR is selling a case on Amazon designed to fit the 12.9-inch iPad Air. This is consistent with other reports we have heard about the possible release of the iPad Air 2024, specifically that it will be the first iPad Air model to debut in both a standard 10-inch design and a larger 12.9-inch version.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman recently reported that the new iPad Air will likely be released in May, so this latest news is no surprise.

If true, the new iPad Air 2024 will come in a screen size comparable to the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. And it will have at least the same Apple M2 chip as the current iPad Pro, if not the even more powerful Apple M3 chip. Some analysts have even suggested that the iPad Air 2024 may even feature a mini LED display that delivers brightness and visual quality comparable to OLEDs.

If that happens, the $599 (starting price) iPad Air could become a serious competitor to the iPad Pro, which can be purchased starting at $799 for the 11-inch and $1,099 for the 12.9-inch model. But of course, the iPad Pro will also likely see a new model in 2024 with as-yet-unidentified upgrades, perhaps including an OLED screen, so perhaps the 12.9-inch iPad Pro 2024 will retain a significant advantage over the iPad Air 2024 will likely be.

Even if Apple were to roll out a faster and larger iPad Air 2024 while making minimal changes to the Pro line, it still would not be able to match all the features of the iPad Pro. This is because the latest iPad Pro has a LiDAR scanner in the rear camera array, but the iPad Air does not.

And indeed, this discrepancy is maintained because the cases sold for the 12.9-inch iPad Air have only a small notch. However, this solidifies our hunch that these 12.9-inch iPad Air cases are legitimate and based on a real product, not simply a 12.9-inch iPad Pro case rebranded as an iPad Air 2024 case for sales promotion It helps to make it a legitimate product based on a genuine product.

After no iPad launch in 2023, Apple is poised to launch a new tablet in 2024. iPad Air seems like the best option since it is a popular mid-range iPad that has not been updated since the introduction of the M1 in 2022. [The 12.9" model makes a lot of sense and offers the extra size of the iPad Pro at a (hopefully much) cheaper price. I happen to have a 12.9" iPad Pro model, and while the extra screen real estate is great, the size and weight of the tablet makes it a bit tiring to hold for long periods of time. Perhaps the 12.9-inch iPad Air could be an attractive alternative, being about the same size and somehow lighter, although the weight difference between the 10-inch iPad Air and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro is only about half a pound.

Whatever changes Apple makes, it will likely launch several new tablets this year. Stay tuned!