Apple Gives iPad Air an M3 Chip and Launches New Magic Keyboard
Apple introduced a more powerful iPad Air today with an M3 chip, up from the M2-powered iPad Air Apple released less than a year ago.
Refreshed iPad Air Moves to M3 and Gets a New Magic Keyboard
It’s a surprising move for Apple to refresh its iPad Air, especially when the M2-powered model launched last year was already able to support Apple Intelligence, the company’s new AI platform. So, while the M2 chip supported all of Apple’s key iPad features, the move to M3 does promise improved performance across the board. The M3 chip features an eight-core CPU and a nine-core GPU.
Not that the M2 chip lacks power, but users may appreciate the bump to M3, especially if they are moving from an older iPad Air with an M1 chip or perhaps even an Apple A14 Bionic. Apple says the new iPad Air with M3 is nearly twice as fast as the iPad Air with M1 and up to 3.5 times faster than the iPad Air with A14 Bionic.
The new iPad Air remains available in two sizes, 11-inch and 13-inch, and comes in various color finishes. It also sticks with the same starting price of $599 for the 11-inch iPad Air and $799 for the larger 13-inch version.
“iPad Air is so popular because of its unmatched combination of powerful performance, portability, and support for advanced accessories, all at an affordable price,” says Bob Borchers, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing.
“For everyone from college students taking notes with Apple Pencil Pro, to travelers and content creators who need powerful productivity on the go, iPad Air with M3, Apple Intelligence, and the new Magic Keyboard take versatility and value to the next level.”
As Borchers mentions, Apple introduced an all-new Magic Keyboard today alongside the iPad Air with M3. The new Magic Keyboard features a larger built-in trackpad and a new 14-key function row (which provides direct access to features like screen brightness and volume). The Magic Keyboard costs $269 for the 11-inch version, while the larger 13-inch model is $319. While these prices may still seem relatively high for a tablet keyboard attachment, they are $30 less than the prior-generation Magic Keyboard across the board.
The iPad Air with M3 starts at $599 for the 11-inch version and comes in Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + Cellular models. The base models feature 128GB of storage, with higher-priced models offering up to 1TB. The iPad Air models and new Magic Keyboard can be pre-ordered starting today and will be released on March 12.
New Standard iPad
Apple also released an updated standard iPad model. This tablet moves to the A16 Bionic chip and comes equipped with twice the starting storage — 128GB versus 64GB. It also now comes with up to 512GB of storage, whereas the prior iPad topped out at 256GB.
The iPad starts at $349 and comes in blue, pink, yellow, and silver colorways.
Image credits: Apple
