Apple's 'iPad Air 4' in 2021 could sport USB-C connector, 11-inch display
Mike PetersonApple's iPad Air 3
Apple's "iPad Air 4" could be equipped with an 11-inch display and a USB-C connector and arrive in 2021, a new rumor claims.
The new iPad Air model could debut in March 2021, a full two years after the company refreshed the iPad Air lineup in March 2019. That marked the first refresh of the iPad Air lineup since the second-generation model in 2014.
According to a report from MyDrivers, the so-called "iPad Air 4" will sport a variant of Apple's A14 processor, and could also adopt a USB-C port and an 11-inch Liquid Retina display. The addition of USB-C could suggest that Apple is positioning the iPad Air lineup as a lower-priced professional device more akin to the iPad Pro, and the bump in screen size could indicate slimmer bezel design.
MyDrivers also suggests that Apple will release a new Magic Keyboard model compatible with the iPad Air 4 — a rumor that we've also seen before. With iPadOS, current iPad Air models support trackpads and mice, though the Magic Keyboard is an iPad Pro-exclusive currently.
For reference, the previous iPad Air 3 has a 10.5-inch LCD screen and retains Apple's signature Lightning port. Apple sells a trackpad keyboard case for the iPad Air, though it's a third-party Logitech model.
The report suggests that the new iPad Air model will start at $649, an increase compared to the previous generation's $499 price tag. It's rumored to be available in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB storage configurations.
This isn't the first time we've heard rumors of the iPad Air lineup ditching Lightning. In June, a supply chain report suggested that the next generation of the device could be the first non-Pro iPad to adopt USB-C. Apple is also expected to refresh the iPad mini, though that smaller tablet is expected to retain a Lightning port and only see a small bump to display size.
MyDrivers has a mixed track record of reporting on Apple's future plans, though the company has produced accurate information in the past.
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Mike Wuerthele and Malcolm Owen
25 Comments
USB-C makes it easier to connect other things such as hard drives
Between this and the rumored 2021 iPhone Pro lacking any kind of socket, this looks like the beginning of the end for Lightning. Pity, it's the superior plug.
Besides being thinner, the point of failure on either plug is the little tab with the contacts. USB-C has that tab too, it's just on the device instead of the cable (peer inside the USB-C ports on your Macbook). When that tab breaks on a lightning cable, nabd, just fish the tab out of the iPhone with some tweezers and get a new cable. When the tab breaks on USB-C, that is a non-trivial repair, if even possible.