Apple updates iPad Air with 10.9" edge-to-edge display, iPad Pro-like design, Touch ID in power button, USB-C, and A14 chip, shipping next month from $599
The VergeTom Warren
Context & Ripple Effects
This is the payoff of a design trickle-down Apple started two years ago, when it moved the iPad Pro to nearly edge-to-edge screens and USB-C. The 2020 iPad Air brings that exact industrial design — flat sides, Touch ID relocated into the power button, no Home button — to a $599 tier, running the A14 that debuts here before reaching other iPads.
Buyers at $599 get Pro-class hardware — edge-to-edge display, USB-C, power-button Touch ID — collapsing the visual distinction between iPad Air and iPad Pro on day one.
Apple uses the Air launch to introduce the A14 chip, making the mid-tier iPad the first ship vehicle for its newest silicon rather than the Pro.
Second-order effects
The base iPad and mini are squeezed into following suit, which they do within two years with their own Touch-ID-button, USB-C redesigns, forcing Apple to differentiate tiers by chip class (the Air jumps to M1 in its next refresh) and accessory support instead of shape.
Third-order effects
If the pattern holds, iPad segmentation stops being about industrial design entirely — every model shares the edge-to-edge look — and pricing power shifts to silicon tiering, 5G/cellular options, and Pencil/keyboard attach.
The trend: Apple is systematically cascading the iPad Pro's industrial design down its tablet lineup, leaving chip class and accessories as the only real tier boundaries.
Apple Silicon 2018 A12 7nm = 6.9b transistors 2019 A13 7nm = 8.3b transistors 2020 A14 5nm = 11b transistors Apple + TSMC may most closely be following Moore's Law than any other company. If only we knew the economics to confirm.
The first Apple device with the A14 chip, it turns out, will not be the new iPhones. First time I believe the iPad will beat the iPhone to an all new chip architecture.
I don't find really ProMotion, LiDAR, an extra camera, Face ID, and 0.3-inches of extra screen worth an extra $200. Especially when I think Touch ID in the power button is going to be sweet + the blue color option is very cool. The new iPad Pro in 2021 needs to be a leap.
Apple's new iPad Air looks great for $599. It supports the new Magic Keyboard, has an iPad Pro design, and has a super fast CPU / GPU inside. It even has USB-C now. Not sure why you'd buy an iPad Pro now https://www.theverge.com/... https://twitter.com/...
this makes me think apple might kill the 11-inch iPad Pro and simplify the iPad line to: Mini, Regular, Air and a 13-inch Pro. https://www.theverge.com/...
Also interesting that the iPad Air was announced today and is shipping in October, whereas the iPhone wasn't announced today because it is not shipping until... October. So Perhaps the Air is earlier than later in the month.
A14, likely destined for iPhone also, makes the first device on TSMC 5nm. By my calculations each node jump Apple takes keeps gaining them ~20% performance gains.
Thinking more about iPad Air vs. iPad Pro.. I wonder if the smaller iPad Pro is being phased out. iPad Air seems to fill that slot. Perhaps paving way for Arm based Mac.
Biggest news saved for last: iPad Air priced at $599 is up from previous $499 price. Evidence that Apple continues to experience huge iPad demand and company confident that the 20% price increase won't slow that down. We estimate iPad is 11% of total revenue and iPad Air is 4%.
iPad Air Apple CPU: 11.8bn transistors Mac, 1984: 68k. Mac units sold, 1984: 372k -> 25.3bn transistors So, as a very crude and silly comparison, two iPad Airs have roughly the same compute power as ALL the Macs sold in the first year.