Overview
- Apple’s 11‑inch and 13‑inch iPad Air now run the M4 with an 8‑core CPU, 9‑core GPU and 16‑core Neural Engine, delivering up to 30% faster performance than M3 and up to 2.3x over M1.
- The refresh increases unified memory to 12GB and boosts bandwidth to 120GB/s to better handle on‑device AI workloads and pro apps in iPadOS 26.
- Connectivity moves to Apple’s N1 chip for Wi‑Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread, while cellular models add the C1X modem that Apple says is more efficient and faster than the prior generation.
- Starting prices remain $599 for 11‑inch and $799 for 13‑inch in the US, with preorders on March 4 and general availability on March 11; India pricing starts at ₹64,900 (11‑inch) and ₹84,900 (13‑inch).
- Retailers are clearing outgoing stock, with Amazon offering about $150 off several M3 iPad Air cellular configurations and $100 off iPad mini 7 models.