An instruction manual for what’s claimed to be the iPad Air 4 has been shown in new images published by @DuanRui on Twitter today. It shows a major new design upgrade with thinner bezels and new hardware features.
The design resembles the iPad Pro, with its all-screen, thin bezel front and aluminium, squared-off chassis. It also has a USB-C port rather than Lightning, which Apple first showed off with the iPad Pro. The Air 4 will be the first non-Pro iPad to receive the port, indicating Apple could be phasing out the Lightning connector.
Like the iPad Pro, the Air 4 has a side connector for the Apple Pencil 2 and Smart Connector for connecting keyboard cases and alike to the iPad. However, it doesn’t have a TrueDepth camera system to enable Face ID, and instead has a Touch ID sensor embedded into the top power button.
This move means Apple can keep the cost down whilst updating the dated home button design with an all-screen version. It could mean Apple discontinues the smaller 11-inch iPad Pro and replaces it with an all-new model, although it’s unclear what that could be at this time.
