The iPad Air lineup doubles the base storage, welcomes a new 13-inch model
The refreshed iPad Air lineup comes in two sizes with double the base storage, runs the Apple M2 chip, brings faster Wi-Fi and supports the new Apple Pencil Pro.
Apple reshuffled its iPad Air lineup at its “Let Loose” event today, with a new 13-inch model joining the 11-incher and both models powered by the M2 chip.
The tablets feature a landscape FaceTime camera that debuted on the tent-generation iPad, so you’ll no longer look sideways on video calls. Like on the 10.5-inch iPad Air, this ultra-wide camera works with Center Stage, an AI-powered feature that applies automatic cropping on video calls to keep everyone in the frame.
The iPad Air comes in two new colors and more storage options. You can order it from Apple starting today, and it will ship next week.
The new iPad Air runs M2 and comes in two sizes
The 11-inch model weighs the same, but the 13-inch one is about one-third heavier (617 grams). Existing cases should fit as the 11-inch model has the same dimensions (178.5mm x 247.6mm x 6.1mm) as the 10.5-inch iPad Air.The screen resolution hasn’t changed (2360×1640), but the new 13-inch model provides a 30 percent bigger canvas at 2732×2048 pixels and a 20-percent brightness boost at 600 nits max instead of 500.
The Liquid Retina display is still an LED-backlit IPS LCD. Apple just brought OLED to the iPad Pro, but the iPad Air likely won’t get this technology for a few years. These iPad Airs still use Touch ID in the power button instead of Face ID and have landscape stereo speakers and USB-C like the previous model.
However, you get upgraded wireless performance with Wi-Fi 6E, which delivers up to 2x increased performance if you have a compatible router. Of course, the new Airs support both the new Apple Pencil Pro and the existing USB-C Apple Pencil.
The M2 chip brings a much faster performance
The previous 10.5-inch iPad Air used the Apple M1 chip with eight processing cores, eight graphics cores and a 16-core Neural Engine. The M2 chip in the new models has two more GPU cores and the same 8GB RAM as the M1 in the 10.5-inch iPad Air but uses the faster 100GB/s memory bandwidth, which Apple says makes it nearly 50 percent faster than its M1 predecessor.
The Neural Engine has the same sixteen cores as the 10.5-inch iPad Air but now runs forty percent faster. You’ll notice this speed when using AI features in apps, like magic background removal in Photomator, Pixelmator, Photoshop, etc.
For further information, read the Apple Newsroom announcement, visit apple.com/ipad-air and check out Apple’s Compare iPad page.
Pricing and availability
The new iPad Air with M2 is available in the starlight, space gray, blue and purple color finishes. They now start at twice the storage (128GB) instead of 64GB.
Apple has added the 512GB and 1TB options for those who need more than the previous model’s 256GB max storage. The 11-incher starts at $599, and its bigger brother at $799. 5G cellular support vie eSim is an extra $150. Education customers shopping via apple.com/us-hed/shop have a $50 discount.
You can order your iPad Air on apple.com/store and in the Apple Store app in the United States and other countries. You can also buy the new tablets at Apple’s stores and from resellers starting Wednesday, May 15.
The new Apple Pencil Pro is $129, while the redesigned 11 and 13-inch Magic Keyboards will set you back $279 and $329, respectively. The new Pencil and the revamped keyboard work with the new iPad Air and Pro models.
Apple has also updated its Smart Folio for the new iPad Air. It now attaches magnetically and lets you adjust the viewing angle. Unlike the 10.5-inch iPad Air, the new Airs don’t work with Apple’s Smart Keyboard Folio.
The 11-inch Smart Folio is $79 and the 13-inch one is $99. They come in four color finishes, which complement the finishes of the new iPad Air.
Source link: https://www.idownloadblog.com/2024/05/07/apple-unveils-m2-ipad-air-13-inch-model-landscape-facetime-camera/
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