Apple Unveils M4-Powered iPad Air: 30% Faster Performance at the Same Price

Apple kicked off its product launch week by announcing the new iPad Air powered by the M4 chip, marking a significant upgrade for its mid-range tablet lineup. Retaining the familiar 11-inch and 13-inch designs with Touch ID, Apple Pencil Pro support, and a modern LCD display, the device focuses on internal enhancements. The M4 chip features an 8-core CPU, 9-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine, paired with 12GB of unified memory—a 50% increase over the M3 model's 8GB—while boosting memory bandwidth to 120GB/s.

Performance leaps are substantial: Apple claims up to 30% faster multi-core CPU speeds compared to the M3 iPad Air and 2.3x faster than the M1 version from 2022. This powers demanding tasks like video editing, 3D rendering, gaming with hardware-accelerated ray tracing, and on-device AI processing, such as background removal in Final Cut Pro. Connectivity sees major advancements too, with the new N1 chip enabling Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and improved AirDrop reliability, plus the C1X modem in cellular models offering 50% faster 5G speeds at 30% less power than prior Qualcomm modems.

Priced identically to its predecessor at $599 for the 11-inch Wi-Fi model and $799 for the 13-inch, with 128GB base storage, the iPad Air remains accessible while closing the gap to Pro-level capabilities. It supports iPadOS 26's multitasking and Apple Intelligence features, positioning it as a versatile tool for creators and professionals.

Pre-orders begin March 4, with shipping starting March 11. This annual refresh targets M1 owners and mainstream users seeking pro-grade power without Pro pricing, signaling Apple's push toward fully in-house silicon across its ecosystem.