Beyond saying it would be available in October, Apple didn’t announce a precise launch date for the iPad Air 4 when it showed it off at last month’s “Time Flies” event.
Eagle-eyed Apple watchers may have uncovered the official release date, with Best Buy’s Canadian website listing October 23 as the date it will go on sale. While that’s not conclusive on its own, it coincides with a previous date suggested by Apple tipster Jon Prosser.
Prosser said that Apple didn’t want the iPad Air 4 going on sale before the iPhone 12. That’s because Apple doesn’t want a device with its new A14 Bionic chip — as found in both the new iPad Air 4 and iPhone 12 — debuting before Apple’s new smartphone. While it probably doesn’t make an enormous difference, Apple’s new A-series processor typically debuts on the iPhone, before later arriving on the iPad. This year, however, Apple had to change up the order of its device debuts because of challenges involving COVID and the supply chain.
While the iPad Air 4 is not yet out, an early Geekbench 5 benchmark suggests that it is nearly 50% faster than its predecessor. Apple gushed about the amazing A14 Bionic chip during Tuesday’s iPhone 12 keynote event. Specifically, Apple said that it boasts 11.8 billion transistors and is made using the 5-nanometer process. That is a significant step up from the previous 8.5 billion of the A13.
If the October 23 date is correct, that could mean preorders for the new iPad Air 4 start this Friday. That would be the same day as preorders for the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro begin.
Do you plan to get an iPad Air 4 this year? Let us know in the comments below.
Via: MacRumors
