The iPad Air 6 is rumored to launch in October as the only iPad Refresh of 2023

According to a plausible rumor shared on Chinese social media site Weibo, the sixth-generation iPad Air should arrive in October as the only iPad refresh of 2023.

“Only the iPad Air series should be updated this year,” the message reads, with a subsequent clarification that the product refresh will take place in October, with “no mini and Pro this year.” The information comes from an account with a proven track record of releasing accurate information about Apple’s plans.

On the latest episode of the MacRumors Show podcast: BloombergMark Gurman said that a new iPad Air with improved specs is in the works and that the device will apparently be “available soon,” likely in October. The rumor was posted on Weibo prior to Gurman’s most recent comments.

Gurman believes there will be another Apple product launch in October, but expressed skepticism that there will be an entire event to introduce new devices. He said it could be similar to the introduction of the M2 Pro and ‌M2‌ Max MacBook Pro models earlier this year, which were announced via a press release and a short video. Gurman claimed that October could see something “along those lines.” “I’m not sure they have enough to drag people to Cupertino to watch the video like they do before [iPhone 15] launch,” he added.

Apple last updated the ‌iPad Air‌ in March 2022 with the M1 chip, an upgraded 12-megapixel front camera with Center Stage support, a faster USB-C port, 5G support on mobile models, and new color options. Prices start at $599 in the US for 64GB of storage. It’s unclear what new features the next-generation iPad Air will offer, but options include the M2 chip, a Thunderbolt port like the iPad Pro, Apple Pencil pointing, and new color options.