Apple has given the iPad Air a performance-focused refresh, updating its mid-tier tablet with its M4 chipset, extra memory, and new connectivity chips.
Apple says the M4 chipset makes the new iPad Air up to 30% faster than last year's model, or as much as 2.3 times faster than an iPad Air with an M1 chipset. Memory has been boosted from 8GB to 12GB, and new connectivity chips enable WiFi 7 compatibility.
Otherwise, the new iPad Air is largely unchanged: it features the same design Apple has used for the last few years, and still comes in a choice of an 11-inch model or a 13-inch, both with a 60Hz refresh rate. There's still. single rear camera on the back, and support for the Apple Pencil Pro.
Just note that the second-generation Apple Pencil isn't compatible with the new iPad Air, so that may be an extra cost to factor in for upgrades. Previous iPad Air Magic Keyboards continue to work, however.
The iPad Air with M4 still starts at $999 for an 11-inch model with 128GB of storage, or $1,349 for a 13-inch model with 128GB. Adding cellular connectivity bumps up that price by $250. Just note that iPads now use eSIM for mobile connectivity; physical SIM cards won't work.
Pre-orders for the iPad Air with M4 kick off on March 5 ahead of a March 11 release date.
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Alex Choros
