Apple has announced its new iPad Air lineup, with 11-inch and 13-inch models driven by the M3 chip. The new tablets are up for preorder today with a launch date set for March 12, 2025. The 11-inch iPad Air begins at US$599, while the 13-inch model will be priced at US$799. Both devices will sport four colour variants, blue, purple, starlight, and space gray. The storage will range from 128GB to 1TB.
Apple argues that the M3-powered iPad Air provides close to 2x the performance of the M1 model and up to 3.5x the speed of the previous A14 Bionic model. The iPad has a 9-core GPU, which delivers up to 40% faster graphics performance compared to the M1 iPad Air.
Apple iPad Air M3 also comes with a 60% faster Neural Engine for AI-based workloads. Interestingly, Apple did not pit the new iPad Air against its predecessor with the M2 chip, which arrived last year.
Apple is also launching a new Magic Keyboard with a bigger trackpad and a 14-key function row to rapidly access brightness and volume controls. It attaches magnetically to the iPad and gets powered through the Smart Connector, removing the requirement for Bluetooth. The new Magic Keyboard is US$269 for the 11-inch and US$319 for the 13-inch model.
Along with the iPad Air, Apple has also refreshed the base iPad with the A16 chip and doubled its initial storage. Apple says this provides a 30% increase in speed over the last generation and a 50% boost in performance compared to the A13 Bionic-powered iPad. Apple also says the A16-driven iPad is up to six times faster than the top-selling Android tablet.
Apple VP of Worldwide Product Marketing Bob Borchers pointed to the flexibility of the new iPad Air. He commented, "For everyone from college students using Apple Pencil Pro to take notes, to travelers and creators who require intense productivity on-the-go, iPad Air with M3, Apple Intelligence, and new Magic Keyboard raise versatility and value to new heights."
Better performance and added accessories will position the M3 iPad Air as an appealing choice for users seeking the power-portability balance.