The MacRumors Show: Will the New iPad Air Be a Big Enough Upgrade?

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss Apple's upcoming iPad Air models, which are expected to be announced in just a matter of weeks.


The sixth-generation ‌iPad Air‌ is rumored to feature the M2 chip, a redesigned rear camera, and specification upgrades like Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6E. Most significantly, the ‌iPad Air‌ is expected to come in two sizes for the first time, just like the Apple Watch, iPad Pro, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro. One of the size options will be the same as the previous two generations at 10.9-inches, while the new addition to the lineup will mirror the ‌iPad Pro‌'s 12.9-inch model. The new devices should be announced alongside new ‌iPad Pro‌ models in late March or April. We also discuss iPad workflows, the new ‌MacBook Air‌, and the positioning of each of the models in the current ‌iPad‌ lineup.

The MacRumors Show is now on its own YouTube channel, so make sure you're subscribed to keep up with new episodes and clips going forward:

You can also listen to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or your preferred podcasts app. You can also copy our RSS feed directly into your podcast player.


If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up for our discussion about Apple's new ‌MacBook Air‌ models featuring the M3 chip.

Subscribe to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ for new episodes every week, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on MacRumors, often joined by interesting guests such as Brian Tong, Quinn Nelson, Kevin Nether, Jared Nelson, Eli Hodapp, Luke Miani, Mike Bell, Sara Dietschy, iJustine, Jon Rettinger, Andru Edwards, Arnold Kim, Ben Sullins, Marcus Kane, Christopher Lawley, Frank McShan, David Lewis, Tyler Stalman, Jon Prosser, Sam Kohl, John Gruber, Federico Viticci, Thomas Frank, Jonathan Morrison, Ross Young, Ian Zelbo, and Rene Ritchie.

‌The MacRumors Show‌ is on X @MacRumorsShow, so be sure to give us a follow to keep up with the podcast. You can also head over to The MacRumors Show forum thread to engage with us directly. Remember to rate and review the podcast, and let us know what subjects and guests you would like to see in the future.

Popular Stories

Google maps feaure

Google Maps Quietly Added This Long-Overdue Feature for Drivers

Wednesday December 10, 2025 2:52 am PST by
Google Maps on iOS quietly gained a new feature recently that automatically recognizes where you've parked your vehicle and saves the location for you. Announced on LinkedIn by Rio Akasaka, Google Maps' senior product manager, the new feature auto-detects your parked location even if you don't use the parking pin function, saves it for up to 48 hours, and then automatically removes it once...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature 1

Apple to Make More Foldable iPhones Than Expected [Updated]

Tuesday December 9, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple has ordered 22 million OLED panels from Samsung Display for the first foldable iPhone, signaling a significantly larger production target than the display industry had previously anticipated, ET News reports. In the now-seemingly deleted report, ET News claimed that Samsung plans to mass-produce 11 million inward-folding OLED displays for Apple next year, as well as 11 million...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Coming Soon With These 8 New Features on Your iPhone

Thursday December 11, 2025 8:49 am PST by
Apple seeded the second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to developers earlier this week, meaning the update will be released to the general public very soon. Apple confirmed iOS 26.2 would be released in December, but it did not provide a specific date. We expect the update to be released by early next week. iOS 26.2 includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, such as a new...
iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds Second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Monday December 8, 2025 10:18 am PST by
Apple today seeded the second release candidate version of iOS 26.2 to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming one week after Apple seeded the first RC. The release candidate represents the final version iOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found. Registered developers and public beta testers can download the betas from the Settings app on...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3

Thursday December 11, 2025 11:28 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3 and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B30, up from 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 firmware is 8B28, up from 8B21. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 are getting expanded support for Live Translation in the European Union in iOS...
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

iPhone 18 Pro Leak Adds New Evidence for Under-Display Face ID

Monday December 8, 2025 4:54 am PST by
Apple is actively testing under-screen Face ID for next year's iPhone 18 Pro models using a special "spliced micro-transparent glass" window built into the display, claims a Chinese leaker. According to "Smart Pikachu," a Weibo account that has previously shared accurate supply-chain details on Chinese Android hardware, Apple is testing the special glass as a way to let the TrueDepth...
ipad blue prime day

iPad 12 Rumored to Get iPhone 17's A19 Chip, Breaking Apple Tradition

Wednesday December 10, 2025 12:22 pm PST by
The next-generation low-cost iPad will use Apple's A19 chip, according to a report from Macworld. Macworld claims to have seen an "internal Apple code document" with information about the 2026 iPad lineup. Prior documentation discovered by MacRumors suggested that the iPad 12 would be equipped with an A18 chip, not an A19 chip. The A19 chip was just released this year in the iPhone 17, and...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Monday December 1, 2025 2:40 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
studio display purple

Apple Studio Display 2 Code Hints at 120Hz ProMotion, HDR, A19 Chip

Thursday December 11, 2025 4:19 am PST by
Apple's next-generation Studio Display is expected to arrive early next year, and a new report allegedly provides a couple more details on the external monitor's capabilities. According to internal Apple code seen by Macworld, the new external display will feature a variable refresh rate capable of up to 120Hz – aka ProMotion – as well as support for HDR content. The current Studio...

Top Rated Comments

Darren.h Avatar
23 months ago
NO. Ipad OS needs a major overhaul. To be like macOS. Then it becomes a laptop replacement.

Dam. it costs just as much as a Mac. why not.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jonnyb098 Avatar
23 months ago
“Will the new iPads ever get released?”
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TimTheSheriff Avatar
23 months ago

NO. Ipad OS needs a major overhaul. To be like macOS. Then it becomes a laptop replacement.

Dam. it costs just as much as a Mac. why not.
100%. It also needs multiuser support. I can understand why Apple wouldn’t add multiuser support (so that they can sell more devices) but, if a Chromebook can handle multiple user accounts on a single device, why can’t iPads — at last the Pros?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ric22 Avatar
23 months ago

100%. It also needs multiuser support. I can understand why Apple wouldn’t add multiuser support (so that they can sell more devices) but, if a Chromebook can handle multiple user accounts on a single device, why can’t iPads — at last the Pros?
Multi user support is what's needed for me to buy one. When there are multiple users in the house that could benefit from occasional light iPad use, it seems unfair to ask them each to buy their own one. Parents and children, for example, should be allowed to have separate logins, like on a Mac or PC.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rishey Avatar
23 months ago
My iPad has become my favorite device, so I want the best one.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
applepotato666 Avatar
23 months ago
Unless your iPad is ancient, I guess not ? I don't notice a huge difference between the M1 iPad and the 8th gen iPad with the home button when it comes to performance. I think I'm going to go for an iPad mini if that ever gets updated, or not upgrade the iPad at all. Currently I don't see any value in the product category of iPads in general, just one more thing to charge. But I draw sometimes and it's great for that. Not that I need the M1 let alone the M3 to do that. It's just a big iPhone and I've never felt my iPhone is small.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)