iPad Air 2020: Sub-US$600 tablet could be the first outing for the Apple A14 Bionic

Today's Apple event is almost upon us, where Apple is expected to announce upgraded iPads and smartwatches. Details about one iPad, the fourth-generation iPad Air, have been gathering for a while now, including a supposed product manual of the device. Until now, the new iPad Air was believed to be sporting an A13 Bionic chipset, a USB Type-C port and an 11-inch Liquid Retina display. However, Evan Blass has delivered a surprise just a few hours before the start of today's event.

Tweeting last night, Blass claimed that the fourth-generation iPad Air would feature an A14 Bionic SoC and a USB Type-C port. Moving from the A12 Bionic to the A14 Bionic in one generation would, presumably, be a huge leap in performance for the iPad Air. Apple is believed to have manufactured the A14 Bionic on a 5 nm process, and it may offer upwards of 40-50% performance gains on last year's A13 Bionic.

Apple typically releases new Bionic chipsets on iPhones first, save for the X and Z Bionic chips that it uses on iPad Pros, which makes this rumour seem unlikely. However, Blass has an excellent reputation for publishing accurate leaks, presuming he isn't poking fun at other leakers as he alluded to.

Separately, @L0vetodream has hinted that the next iPad Air will start at between US$569 and US$599. If this is the case, then that would mean that the price of the iPad Air has risen by 14-20% in just one generation. Still, a larger display, significantly improved performance and USB Type-C charging may be a salve for iPad fans.