iPad Air (2026) release date expectations, price estimates and upgrades
What we know so far
The new iPad Air will also likely have slightly better battery life over the last model due to the more efficient M4 chip. If Apple takes cues from the iPhone 17 Pro, it might also include a vapor chamber for better cooling, and to allow for sustained heavy performance.
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iPad Air (2026) release date
| Device family | Announcement | Market release |
|---|---|---|
| iPad Air (2024) | May 7, 2024 | May 15, 2024 |
| iPad Air (2025) | March 4, 2025 | March 12, 2025 |
| iPad Air (2026) | Spring 2026* | Spring 2026* |
iPad Air (2026) price
| iPad model | 128GB of storage | 256GB of storage | 512GB of storage | 1TB of storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPad Air 11-inch (2024) | $599 | $699 | $899 | $1099 |
| iPad Air 13-inch (2024) | $699 | $799 | $999 | $1199 |
| iPad Air 11-inch (2025) | $599 | $699 | $899 | $1099 |
| iPad Air 13-inch (2025) | $799 | $899 | $1099 | $1299 |
| iPad Air 11-inch (2026) | $599* | $699* | $899* | $1099* |
| iPad Air 13-inch (2026) | $799* | $899* | $1099* | $1299* |
iPad Air (2026) camera
Expect again Center Stage with the front camera and good results for video calls.
iPad Air (2026) design and display
The iPad Air has retained its slim profile for the last few years while still remaining a powerful machine, which is one of the reasons why it is so popular. No news or leaks have come out indicating that this is about to change, so expect more of the same on the looks front. There will also probably be the same two sizes to choose from: an 11 inch model and a 13 inch model.
If there's one visual element that is probably going to see a refresh, it's the color palette. Expect the iPad Air to be available in some variation of blue, purple, white, and black. If Apple follows its iPhone 17 strategy, the iPad Air might be the only iPad available in a black color option. The iPad Pro, and perhaps even the iPad mini, may lose their black and dark gray shades soon.
It's the display technology itself that is a lot more interesting to talk about. Rumors have been coming out lately that the iPad Air will switch to an OLED display in 2026, replacing its current LED display. According to Apple insider Mark Gurman, however, this will likely not be the case.
Gurman, in his newsletter Power On, recently revealed that the company was working on an OLED iPad Air model. This model, however, likely won't see the light of day until 2027 at the earliest. Next year's iPad Air will very likely keep the LED display, which means that you'll have to go for the iPad Pro if you want an OLED screen.
Rumors had also been indicating that the iPad Air would still come with a 60 Hz refresh rate, even if it switched to OLED. The refresh rate is probably going to stick to 60 Hz with the LED display next year, but the Air might finally get a ProMotion display when it switches to OLED.
Apple has moved all of its phones over to ProMotion displays with the iPhone 17 series, even the base model. If the company is finally ditching 60 Hz displays, then it stands to reason that the iPad Air will follow in the same direction. But you will likely have to wait another year for such an iPad Air model.
iPad Air (2026) battery
Nevertheless, iPads usually provide good battery life. Maybe it's safe to expect around 8-10 hours on an iPad depending on what you're doing. Browsing on the internet is very easy on the battery while, for example, streaming YouTube or gaming takes out more.
Its predecessor, the iPad Air from 2025's battery performed well on browsing and streaming but struggled with gaming and its battery performance was low there: apparently, the chip was thirsty for juice.
iPad Air (2026) features and software
iPadOS 26 redesigns multitasking on the iPad. There are now windows that you can resize and when you close them and reopen them, they would be in the same size and in the same place as before. Which is excellent if you tend to want to work with multiple apps on your iPad.
There's a new design as well, the theme of Liquid Glass spanning across Apple's entire software portfolio this year. The design features transparency across the entire OS and is generally looking super-modern and elegant. iPadOS 26 also brings a new way to deal with your files in the Files app and other small improvements sprinkled across the OS.
iPad Air (2026) hardware and specs
- CPU: M4 (possibly)
- RAM: 8GB (possibly)
- Battery: around 7,600 mAh battery for the 11-inch model and around 9,700 mAh for the 13-inch model (potentially)
- Charging: 30W wired (possibly)
- Camera setup: 12MP main, 12MP front
This year's iPad Air comes with 8GB of RAM. It's not known whether next year's iPad Air will get an upgrade on this front, but it's believed the 2025 iPhone 17 phones might. So, maybe, we can expect 12GB of RAM, but take this with a huge bucket of salt at this point.
Should I wait for the iPad Air (2026)?
- You should wait for the iPad Air (2026) if you're currently not due for an upgrade immediately and you would love to use the M4 chip in a lightweight and more affordable iPad Air, rather than in a Pro iPad.
- You should not wait for the iPad Air (2026) ifyou currently have the M3 iPad Air. The differences, at least right now, are not likely to be huge between the predecessor and the new one, and the M3 chip is fast already, at least when it comes to more moderate Air-like use.
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