Upgrades might make next-gen iPad Air more ‘Pro’

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iPad Air 4 comes in a range of colors.
The iPad Air 5 could look quite a bit like its predecessor while also getting upgraded features.
Screenshot: Apple

The difference between the current 10.9-inch iPad Air and the 11-inch iPad Pro is relatively slim. And now it seems more of the features of the Pro tablet are moving to the Air. Apple is reportedly going to build on the powerful 2020 model with an iPad Air 5 that offers a dual-lens camera and optional 5G. Plus, the tablet is getting a processor upgrade.

These changes would make it a stronger mid-range tablet in Apple’s product lineup.

Multiple upgrades in the iPad Air 5

The iPad Air 5 will move from a single-camera system to a wide-angle camera and an ultra-wide angle camera, according to the Japanese site Macotakara, aka The Mac Treasure Tracing Club. That’s a feature of the iPad Pro series.

And the tablet will allegedly offer optional 5G NR mmWave. Again, that’s already in the Pro models.

Plus, “There is also the possibility of a LiDAR scanner, but we don’t know for sure,” says Danbo of Macotakara. The 2020 iPad Pro was the first Apple computer with LiDAR.

Not an iPad Pro copycat

All that said, the upcoming iPad Air will have some notable differences from the Pro models. It’ll supposedly be powered by an Apple A15 processor, the same chip expected to debut in the iPhone 13 this autumn, according to Macotakara’s sources in Apple’s supply chain. The iPad Pro series uses an more powerful M1 chip.

And the iPad Air 5 will have much in common with the 2020 version, including the 10.9-inch display and Touch ID in its power button.

This unconfirmed report did not predict when the upgraded tablet will be released, or what it will cost. The current iPad Air 4 came out in September 2020, and starts at $599.

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