Today, Apple unveiled the M3 chip-equipped 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air models, as well as an upgraded Magic Keyboard. With the M3 chip and designed for Apple Intelligence, Apple today unveiled the faster and more powerful iPad Air. The iPad Air with M3 elevates the iPad Air’s remarkable combination of portability and power-efficient performance by introducing Apple’s cutting-edge graphics architecture to the device for the first time. The iPad Air with M3 is up to 3.5x times faster than the iPad Air with A14 Bionic and almost 2x as fast as the iPad Air with M1.
The new iPad Air with the M3 chip is expected to operate up to 20% faster than the previous generation model with the M2 chip, which came out in May 2024. Furthermore, the M3 chip improves gaming graphics rendering by introducing hardware-accelerated ray tracing to the iPad Air for the first time.
The iPad Air’s new Magic Keyboard has a bigger trackpad and function keys that make it simple to reach settings like volume and display brightness. The iPad Air can be magnetically connected to the new Magic Keyboard, and the Smart Connector instantly connects data and power without the need for Bluetooth. Additionally, the keyboard has a USB-C port on its hinge that allows other accessories to be charged through it.
From playing challenging, graphics-intensive games to producing captivating content more quickly than before, users will experience the speed of M3 in everything they do. The 11-inch iPad Air, which comes in two sizes and four stunning finishes that users love, is incredibly portable for on-the-go use, while the 13-inch model offers an even larger display for more space for creativity and productivity.
The new Magic Keyboard, made specifically for the iPad Air, increases its functionality and offers more features at a reduced cost. The new iPad Air provides an unparalleled experience with iPadOS 18, support for Apple Intelligence, sophisticated cameras, fast wireless 5G connectivity, and compatibility with the Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C).
The M3 chip and the upgraded Magic Keyboard are the only changes we have found for the new iPad Air.
The 12-megapixel Center Stage front and 12-megapixel Wide rear cameras, Touch ID power button, USB-C port with 10 Gbps data transfer speeds, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.3 are all still features of the new 11-inch and 13-inch models.
Battery life remains the same as with the previous model, and storage sizes remain in the 128GB to 1TB range.
Any iPad Air model with the M1 processor or later can include Apple Intelligence.
Pre-orders for the new iPad Air are open starting today, and it will go on sale on March 12. The 11-inch and 13-inch models still start at $599 and $799, respectively, in the United States. The same Space Gray, Starlight, Blue, and Purple color options that were available for the prior model are still available for the gadget.
White is the color of the new Magic Keyboard. The 11-inch iPad Air costs $269, and the 13-inch iPad Air costs $319 in the United States.