Apple on Tuesday followed up on its promise to release new products this week by unveiling the new iPad Air less than 10 months after last year’s model. It has a new M3 chip and, well, that’s it.
Seriously, that’s it. The colors are the same, the screen is the same, the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are the same, the cameras are the same, even the wallpaper is the same. You get a very slightly faster chip for the same prices as the M2: $599 for the 11-inch model and $799 for the 13-inch model. The only other difference in the spec sheet has to do with the eSIM, which now “supports advanced eSIM technology for more convenience and security.” Otherwise, they’re identical.
Apple says the new M3 chip will deliver a 20 percent performance boost over the M2, which is nearly impossible to measure in day-to-day tasks. So if you bought an M2 model, you’re not missing out on anything.
The upgrade to an M3 in itself is interesting because Apple has documented issues with the production of the chip. The Mac mini skipped it altogether and Apple never made an Ultra version for the Mac Studio and Mac Pro. It’s notable, however, that this version has a 9-core GPU, which could be a stockpile of “binned” chips that didn’t have the full 10-core GPU. The base model of the M3 MacBook Air has an 8-core GPU while all other versions have a 10-core GPU.
There’s also a new Magic Keyboard (11-inch, $269/13-inch, $319) built specifically for the iPad Air with all of the features from the Pro model: a larger trackpad, 14-key function row, “machined aluminum hinge” and USB-C pass-through for charging. It’s the first time a Magic Keyboard was made specifically for the iPad Air; previous models were made for the iPad Pro but still fit the iPad Air.
Prices for the new iPad Air start at $599 for the 11-inch model and $799 for the 13-inch model with 128GB of storage. You can preorder the new tablets now for delivery March 12.