Apple Suppliers Preparing for New iPad Air, MacBook Air, and iPad 11

Apple's supply chain is gearing up for the upcoming launch of new iPad Air, MacBook Air, and entry-level iPad models, according to DigiTimes.

Apple's supply chain began shipments of the new devices in December, according to the report. The new iPad Air, MacBook Air, and entry-level iPad models are "coming soon," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, but it is unclear exactly when. Gurman said a new iPhone SE will be announced this week, and the new Mac and iPad models should follow by March or April at the absolute latest, but perhaps much sooner.

In a paywalled report today, the Taiwanese supply chain publication vaguely said that the new devices will be "transitioning to Apple's own chips." Given that Macs and iPads already use Apple-designed processors, the report could be referring to Apple's rumored Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip. However, Gurman previously reported that the chip would come to Macs and iPads "by 2026," so the exact timing of this shift remains to be seen.

Gurman said Apple's planned Wi-Fi chip supports Wi-Fi 6E, but it is unclear if it would have any consumer benefits compared to existing Wi-Fi chips in Apple devices, supplied by Broadcom. One benefit of Apple's chip could be power efficiency.

The new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models are expected to be equipped with the M4 chip, while the iPad Air is rumored to get the M3 chip and the iPad 11 is said to gain either the A16 chip or A17 Pro chip. Beyond chips, no major changes are expected.