New iPad Air Marketing Materials Hit Retail Stores, Suggesting Imminent Launch

Last month Apple unveiled a redesigned iPad Air with slimmer bezels that it said would become available in October, but it didn't give an exact date for when it would start taking orders. With October now upon us, there are indications that the new ‌iPad Air‌ could launch imminently, rather than later on in the month.

According to a tweet late on Wednesday from well-connected Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, "Apple marketing materials for the new ‌iPad Air‌ are starting to land at retail stores, suggesting a launch sooner rather than later."

The new ‌iPad Air‌ is the first Apple device with Touch ID built into the power button. That has allowed Apple to add a fully laminated 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display with True Tone, P3 wide color support, and an anti-reflective coating.

It's also the first time Apple has debuted a new AXX-series chip in an iPad before an iPhone. The new ‌iPad Air‌ is powered by the new 5nm-based, six-core A14 Bionic chip for up to 40 percent faster performance and up to 30 percent faster graphics than the previous-generation ‌iPad Air‌. It's the same chip expected to be used for the ‌iPhone‌ 12 and ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro models, which are expected to be announced this month.

Like the iPad Pro, the new ‌iPad Air‌ features a USB-C port instead of a Lightning connector, and similarly features a 12-megapixel rear camera for higher-resolution photos and 4K video recording.

The new ‌iPad Air‌ will be available on Apple.com and the Apple Store app in 30 countries and regions when it launches. Wi-Fi models will start at $599, while cellular models will start at $729, with 64GB and 256GB storage capacities available.