iPad Air 6 coming, but only after iPhone 15 launch at the Apple event 2023

While Apple event 2023 will see the launch of the iPhone 15 series, Apple could unveil one more thing soon after - the latest iPad Air 6.

iPad Air 6 could be unveiled in October, a month after Apple 2023 event launches the iPhone 15 series. (Unsplash)

The world's eyes are on the Apple event 2023 right now as it is gearing up for the big launch of its iPhone 15 series tomorrow, September 12. Alongside the next generation of iPhones, Apple is reportedly also planning to unveil the Apple Watch Series 9, Watch Ultra 2, and AirPods Pro 2nd Generation with USB Type-C, as well as new cases, and braided, colour-matched cables. Apart from this, a new iPad Air is also in the works, and it could launch in October, just a month after the iPhone 15 unveiling.

New iPad Air coming soon

For months, it has been rumored that Apple is planning to refresh its iPad lineup, and it could happen soon. According to a rumour posted on the Chinese microblogging platform Weibo (via MacRumors), a new iPad Air, named iPad Air 6, is in the works, and Apple could launch it as soon as October.

“Only the iPad Air series should be updated this year”, the post reads. However, it has also shot down rumours about possible M3-powered iPads coming out this year, and the iPad Air 6 is the only model that Apple is planning to bring out in 2023. “no mini and Pro this year”, it further states.

Soon after this rumour surfaced, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman spoke about the upcoming iPad on the latest episode of The MacRumors Show podcast. Gurman claimed that a new iPad Air is in development, and it is “coming soonish”. However, Apple is not expected to hold a separate event for its launch as “I'm not sure they have enough to drag people down to Cupertino to watch the video like they do for this”, according to Gurman.

Instead, Apple could simply announce the iPad Air 6 via a press release, similar to how it announced the M2 Pro and M2 Max MacBooks on January 17.

Biggest-ever iPad Pro delayed

Apple hasn't majorly refreshed its iPad lineup in some time, but it almost introduced its biggest-ever iPad this year. In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman claimed that a new 14-inch iPad was in the pipeline and Apple almost unveiled it this year, according to a MacRumors report. If it had been released, this new iPad would have been the biggest iPad we've ever seen, topping the 12.9-inch iPad Pro by over 1 inch.

However, this isn't the case anymore and Apple is now unlikely to introduce it this year. As per Gurman, this is perhaps due to the switch to OLED displays. Therefore, the iPad Air 6 is likely to be the only iPad that launches this year. Be that as it may, for now, all fans' eyes are on the Apple event 2023 where the iPhone 15 is set to be unveiled. Stay tuned.