Apple has introduced a minor replace to its iPad Air line up nearly precisely a yr after the final model was launched. Immediately, the iPad Air positive factors the agency’s M4 processor, the identical chip discovered within the present MacBook Air.
The pill additionally has extra reminiscence than the earlier technology, with Apple confirming 12GB RAM in these new fashions. It’s uncommon for Apple to disclose how a lot RAM its iPhones and iPads have, however within the age of demanding apps and Apple Intelligence, Apple AI instruments, our devices want all of the RAM they’ll get.
The brand new iPad Air will probably be accessible to pre-order on Wednesday, March 4, and can value from £599, the identical beginning value because the outgoing M3 model. Contemplating Samsung simply launched its Galaxy S26 telephones with noticeable value will increase, that’s no imply feat.
£599 will get you 128GB storage on the 11-inch model, with Apple persevering with to promote a 13-inch model of the iPad Air from £799. Each fashions can be found with storage choices as much as 1TB and with mobile eSIM capabilities.
The pill stays accessible in 4 colors: area gray, blue, purple, starlight.
Apple says the M4 iPad Air is as much as 30 % quicker than the M3 model, and as much as 2.3 instances quicker than the M1 model.
In sensible use, chances are you’ll not discover these positive factors relying in your utilization, however it’s actually good to see Apple provide a year-over-year chip improve with out elevating costs.
Immediately Apple additionally launched the iPhone 17e, changing the iPhone 16e, and notably priced it on the similar £599 however doubled the bottom storage to 256GB from 128GB, a perk not afforded to the brand new iPad Air.
“iPad Air provides customers extra methods than ever to be inventive and productive, providing highly effective efficiency and unimaginable versatility to assist them flip their concepts into actuality,” stated Bob Borchers, Apple’s vice chairman of Worldwide Product Advertising. “With its blazing efficiency because of M4, unimaginable AI capabilities, and game-changing iPadOS 26 options, there’s by no means been a greater time to decide on or improve to iPad Air.”
The iPad Air sits between Apple’s entry-level £329 iPad, which has the ageing A16 chipset, and the iPad Professional, which begins at £999 and has the M5. The iPad Air is geared in the direction of those that need extra efficiency than simply having a Netflix machine – say for modifying pictures or to be used with Apple’s extra superior Apple Pencil Professional – however don’t want the complete bells and whistles of the iPad Professional, which can be costly as a result of its razor-thin design.
That is additionally the primary technology of iPad Air to make use of Apple’s personal connectivity chips, the N1 and C1X, as Apple strikes to make use of its personal in-house silicon for Wi-Fi and modem chips, somewhat than shopping for elements from companions like Qualcomm.
As you’d count on, these slates additionally run iPadOS 26, Apple newest model of its iPad software program. Notably, it introduced correct desktop windowing to iPad for the primary time, in addition to Apple’s considerably controversial Liquid Glass UI designs, which makes use of plenty of clear components in comparison with the older iOS 18.
