Apple has launched its major product announcement week today, revealing a new iPad Air equipped with the M4 chip. Here are the specifics.
## M4 iPad Air Update Highlights Enhanced Apple Silicon
Today, Apple has introduced a completely new iPad Air driven by the M4 chip.
The M4 is the most significant advancement in this new iPad Air, which retains numerous features from the previous M3 model released last year.
> “iPad Air provides users with more ways than ever to express creativity and enhance productivity, delivering strong performance and amazing versatility to help bring their ideas to life,” stated Bob Borchers, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “With its lightning-fast performance thanks to M4, remarkable AI capabilities, and transformative iPadOS 26 features, there’s never been a more opportune moment to select or upgrade to iPad Air.”
The primary fresh features Apple emphasizes with this new iPad Air are entirely linked to Apple silicon.
M4 represents a substantial enhancement for the main processor, boasting 50% more unified memory compared to the M3 model.
For cellular users, the iPad Air also transitions to Apple’s proprietary 5G modem: the C1X.
Apple first introduced C1X last autumn in the iPhone Air, and it subsequently appeared in the M5 iPad Pro as well.
One of the main advantages of C1X will manifest in battery efficiency if you are a heavy cellular user. Apple claims that C1X delivers “30 percent less modem energy consumption than the iPad Air with M3.”
The N1 wireless chip rounds out the trio of Apple silicon enhancements. It supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread. Apple also asserts that N1 “provides improved performance when connected to 5GHz Wi-Fi networks, and enhances the overall performance and reliability of features like Personal Hotspot and AirDrop.”
The new M4 iPad Air is offered in the same 11-inch and 13-inch sizes as earlier, and the same four colors: Space Gray, Blue, Purple, and Starlight.
Pricing begins at $599 for the 11-inch variant and $799 for the 13-inch, with additional charges for cellular compatibility.
Pre-orders will commence on Wednesday, March 4 at 6:15 a.m. PT. It will reach customers starting one week later, on Wednesday, March 11.
Are you planning to upgrade to an M4 iPad Air? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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