Apple refreshes the iPad Air with the M3 chip for a 20 percent faster performance

Apple today announced the updated 11 and 13-inch iPad Air tablets featuring the company’s M3 chip. There’s also a refreshed Magic Keyboard.

The M3 chip brings one-fifth faster performance than the M2 in the previous Air, which was released in May 2024. Contrary to some rumors, Apple hasn’t equipped the updated iPad Air with its latest M4 chip. The iPad Air is Apple’s most popular consumer tablet and the M4 chip would be an overkill given the target audience.

The M3 iPad Air is available to pre-order via Apple’s website, with pricing unchanged from the previous M2 iPad Air: $600 for the 11-inch model, and $800 for the 13-incher. The tablets come in the same four color finishes and storage capacities as the M2 iPad Air lineup: Space Gray, Blue, Purple and Starlight in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB capacities. Cellular models are an extra $150.

The new M3 iPad Air brings 20% faster performance

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CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today introduced the faster, more powerful iPad Air with the M3 chip and built for Apple Intelligence. iPad Air with M3 brings Apple’s advanced graphics architecture to iPad Air for the first time — taking its incredible combination of power-efficient performance and portability to a new level. iPad Air with M3 is nearly 2x faster compared to iPad Air with M1,¹ and up to 3.5x faster than iPad Air with A14 Bionic.² Users will feel the speed of M3 in everything they do, from creating engaging content faster than ever to playing demanding, graphics-intensive games. Available in two sizes and four gorgeous finishes that users love, the 11-inch iPad Air is super portable while on the go, and the 13-inch model provides an even larger display for more room to be creative and productive. Designed for iPad Air, the new Magic Keyboard enhances its versatility and delivers more capabilities at a lower price. With iPadOS 18, support for Apple Intelligence, advanced cameras, fast wireless 5G connectivity, and compatibility with Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C), the new iPad Air offers an unrivaled experience.

With the same starting price of just $599 for the 11-inch model and $799 for the 13-inch model, the new iPad Air is a fantastic value. And for education, the 11-inch iPad Air starts at just $549, and the 13-inch model starts at just $749. Customers can pre-order the new iPad Air with M3 and Magic Keyboard for iPad Air starting today, with availability beginning Wednesday, March 12.

“iPad Air is so popular because of its unmatched combination of powerful performance, portability, and support for advanced accessories, all at an affordable price,” said 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.”

Supercharged Performance with M3

iPad Air with M3 empowers users to be productive and creative wherever they are, from aspiring creatives using demanding apps and working with large files, to travelers editing content on the go. The powerful M3 chip offers a number of improvements over M1 and previous-generation models. Featuring a more powerful 8-core CPU, M3 is up to 35 percent faster for multithreaded CPU workflows than iPad Air with M1. M3 features a 9-core GPU with up to 40 percent faster graphics performance over M1. M3 also brings Apple’s advanced graphics architecture to iPad Air for the first time with support for dynamic caching, along with hardware-accelerated mesh shading and ray tracing. For graphics-intensive rendering workflows, iPad Air with M3 offers up to 4x faster performance than iPad Air with M1, enabling more accurate lighting, reflections, shadows, and extremely realistic gaming experiences.³

The faster Neural Engine in M3 means iPad Air users can enjoy even more AI capabilities in iPadOS. Compared to M1, the Neural Engine in M3 is up to 60 percent faster for AI-based workloads. Other improvements over iPad models with A-series chips include support for Apple Intelligence, the choice of 11- and 13-inch sizes, and support for advanced accessories, including the new Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil Pro.

iPad Air: Built for Apple Intelligence

iPad Air is built for Apple Intelligence, the personal intelligence system that delivers helpful and relevant intelligence.⁴ In Photos, the Clean Up tool makes it easy to remove distracting elements in images, and natural language search allows users to search for just about any photo or video by simply describing what they are looking for. With Image Wand in the Notes app, users can make notes more visually engaging by turning rough sketches into delightful images, just by drawing a circle around the sketch with their Apple Pencil. Users can even circle empty space within a note, and Image Wand will gather context from the surrounding area to create a relevant image that complements the note and makes it more visual.

Apple Intelligence helps users explore creative new ways to express themselves visually with Image Playground, create the perfect emoji with Genmoji, and make their writing even more dynamic with Writing Tools. Users can now type to Siri, and Siri is more conversational with the ability to follow along if users stumble over their words. Siri can also maintain context from one request to the next, and with extensive product knowledge, Siri can answer thousands of questions about the features and settings of Apple products, so users can learn how to do things like take a screen recording.

With ChatGPT seamlessly integrated into Writing Tools and Siri, users can tap into ChatGPT’s expertise without jumping between applications, so they can get things done faster and easier than ever before. In addition, users can access ChatGPT for free without creating an account, and privacy protections are built in — their IP addresses are obscured and OpenAI won’t store requests. Users can choose whether to enable ChatGPT integration, and are in full control of when to use it and what information is shared with ChatGPT.

Designed to protect users’ privacy at every step, Apple Intelligence uses on-device processing, meaning that many of the models that power it run entirely on device. For requests that require access to larger models, Private Cloud Compute extends the privacy and security of iPad into the cloud to unlock even more intelligence. When using Private Cloud Compute, users’ data is never stored or shared with Apple; it is used only to fulfill their request.

All-New Magic Keyboard for iPad Air

The all-new Magic Keyboard for iPad Air expands what users can do at an even lower price. The larger built-in trackpad brings greater precision for detail-oriented tasks, and a new 14-key function row allows easy access to features like screen brightness and volume controls. The new Magic Keyboard attaches magnetically, and the Smart Connector immediately connects power and data without the need for Bluetooth; a machined aluminum hinge also includes a USB-C connector for charging. Now starting at just $269 for the 11-inch model and $319 for the 13-inch model, the new Magic Keyboard for iPad Air features the magical floating design customers love and comes in white.

iPad Updated with Double the Starting Storage and the A16 Chip

Apple today also updated iPad with double the starting storage and the A16 chip, bringing even more value to customers. The A16 chip provides a jump in performance for everyday tasks and experiences in iPadOS, while still providing all-day battery life. Compared to the previous generation, the updated iPad with A16 is nearly 30 percent faster.⁵ In fact, compared to iPad with A13 Bionic, users will see up to a 50 percent improvement in overall performance,⁵ and A16 makes the updated iPad up to 6x faster than the best-selling Android tablet.⁶

Powerful and Intelligent Features with iPadOS 18

iPadOS 18 offers powerful features that enhance the iPad experience, making it more versatile and intelligent than ever:⁷

• Designed for the unique capabilities of iPad, Calculator delivers an entirely new way to use Apple Pencil to solve expressions. With Math Notes, users are now able to write out mathematical expressions or type to see them instantly solved in handwriting like their own. They can also create and use variables, and add an equation to insert a graph. Users can access their Math Notes in the Notes app and use all of the math functionality in any of their other notes.

• In Notes, handwritten notes become more fluid and flexible. Smart Script unleashes powerful new capabilities for users editing handwritten text, allowing them to easily add space or even paste typed text in their own handwriting. And as users write with Apple Pencil, their handwriting will be automatically refined in real time to be smoother, straighter, and more legible.

• With new Audio Recording and Transcription, iPad can capture a lecture or conversation, and transcripts are synced with the audio, so users can search for an exact moment in the recording.

• Users now have even more options to express themselves through the Home Screen. App icons and widgets can take on a new look with a dark or tinted effect, and users can make them appear larger to create the experience that’s perfect for them. A redesigned Control Center provides easier access to many of the things users do every day, including the option to organize new controls from third-party apps.

Better for the Environment

The new iPad Air and updated iPad are designed with the environment in mind. As part of Apple 2030, the company’s ambitious goal to be carbon neutral across its entire carbon footprint by the end of this decade, Apple is transitioning to renewable electricity for manufacturing, and investing in wind and solar projects around the world to address the electricity used to charge all Apple products, including the new iPad Air and iPad. Today, all Apple facilities run on 100 percent renewable electricity — including the data centers that power Apple Intelligence.

To achieve Apple 2030, the company is designing products with more recycled and renewable materials, which further drives down the carbon footprint. The new iPad Air and iPad each feature at least 30 percent recycled content overall, including 100 percent recycled aluminum in the enclosure and 100 percent recycled rare earth elements in all magnets. The batteries contain 100 percent recycled cobalt and — in a first for iPad — over 95 percent recycled lithium. The new iPad Air and iPad meet Apple’s high standards for energy efficiency, and are free of mercury, brominated flame retardants, and PVC. The packaging is also entirely fiber-based, bringing Apple closer to its goal of removing plastic from its packaging by the end of this year.⁸

Pricing and Availability

• Customers can pre-order the new iPad Air with M3 starting today, March 4, on apple.com/store, and in the Apple Store app in 29 countries and regions, including the U.S. It will begin arriving to customers, and will be in Apple Store locations and Apple Authorized Resellers, starting March 12.

• The 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air with M3 will be available in blue, purple, starlight, and space gray, with 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB configurations.

• The 11-inch iPad Air starts at $599 (U.S.) for the Wi-Fi model, and $749 (U.S.) for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model. The 13-inch iPad Air starts at $799 (U.S.) for the Wi-Fi model, and $949 (U.S.) for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model.

• For education, the new 11-inch iPad Air starts at $549 (U.S.), and the 13-inch model starts at $749 (U.S.). Education pricing is available to current and newly accepted college students and their parents, as well as faculty, staff, and home-school teachers of all grade levels. For more information, visit apple.com/us-hed/shop.

• The new Magic Keyboard, available in white, is compatible with the 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air. The 11-inch Magic Keyboard is available for $269 (U.S.), and the 13-inch Magic Keyboard is available for $319 (U.S.). For education, the 11-inch Magic Keyboard is available for $249 (U.S.), and the 13-inch Magic Keyboard is available for $299 (U.S.).

• Customers can pre-order the new iPad with A16 starting today, March 4, on apple.com/store, and in the Apple Store app in 29 countries and regions, including the U.S. It will begin arriving to customers, and will be in Apple Store locations and Apple Authorized Resellers, starting March 12.

• The new iPad starts with 128GB of storage, and is also available in 256GB and a new 512GB configuration. Available in blue, pink, yellow, and silver, Wi-Fi models of the new iPad are available with a starting price of $349 (U.S.), and Wi-Fi + Cellular models start at $499 (U.S.). For education, Wi-Fi models of the new iPad are available with a starting price of $329 (U.S.), and Wi-Fi + Cellular models start at $479 (U.S.).

• Magic Keyboard Folio for iPad is available for $249 (U.S.) and comes in white. For education, the Magic Keyboard Folio is available for $229 (U.S.).

• Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C) are compatible with the new iPad Air. Apple Pencil (USB-C) and Apple Pencil (1st generation) are compatible with the new iPad. Apple Pencil Pro is available for $129 (U.S.), and $119 (U.S.) for education. Apple Pencil (USB-C) is available for $79 (U.S.), and $69 (U.S.) for education.

• Apple offers great ways to save on the latest iPad. Customers can trade in their current iPad and get credit toward a new one by visiting the Apple Store online, the Apple Store app, or an Apple Store location. To see what their device is worth and for terms and conditions, customers can visit apple.com/shop/trade-in.

• Customers in the U.S. who shop at Apple using Apple Card can pay monthly at 0 percent APR when they choose to check out with Apple Card Monthly Installments, and they’ll get 3 percent Daily Cash back — all up front. More information — including details on eligibility, exclusions, and Apple Card terms — is available at apple.com/apple-card/monthly-installments.

About Apple Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s six software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV+. Apple’s more than 150,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth and to leaving the world better than we found it.

1. Testing conducted by Apple in January and February 2025. See apple.com/ipad-air for more information.
2. Testing conducted by Apple in January and February 2025 using preproduction iPad Air 11-inch (M3) and iPad Air 13-inch (M3) units as well as production iPad Air (4th generation) units. Tested with Procreate Dreams v1.0.14 by exporting a 29-second project. Performance tests are conducted using specific iPad units and reflect the approximate performance of iPad Air.
3. Testing conducted by Apple in January and February 2025 using preproduction iPad Air 11-inch (M3) and iPad Air 13-inch (M3) units as well as production iPad Air (5th generation) units. Octane X 2024.1.01 for iPad tested using a scene with 770,000 meshes and 8 million unique primitives, utilizing hardware-accelerated ray tracing on M3-based systems and software-based ray tracing on all other units. Performance tests are conducted using specific iPad units and reflect the approximate performance of iPad Air.
4. Apple Intelligence is available on iPad mini (A17 Pro) and iPad models with M1 and later, in localized English for Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, the UK, and the U.S. Additional languages — including French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Chinese (simplified), English (Singapore), and English (India) — will be available in April, with more languages coming over the course of the year, including Vietnamese. Some features, applications, and services may not be available in all regions or all languages.
5. Testing conducted by Apple in January and February 2025 using preproduction iPad (A16) units as well as production iPad (10th generation) units. Tested with a selection of tasks using Microsoft Excel for iPad v2.93. Performance tests are conducted using specific iPad units and reflect the approximate performance of iPad.
6. Testing conducted by Apple in January and February 2025 using preproduction iPad (A16) units with Apple A16, as well as production Qualcomm SM6375-based Android tablet units with the latest version of Android 14 available at the time of testing. Best-selling Android tablet based on publicly available sales data over the last 12 months. Tested with common tasks in commercial applications and select industry-standard benchmarks. Performance depends on device settings, usage, environment, and many other factors. Performance tests are conducted using specific systems and reflect the approximate performance of iPad.
7. Some features may not be available for all countries or all areas. For more information on iPadOS 18, visit apple.com/ipados/ipados-18.
8. Based on retail packaging as shipped by Apple. Breakdown of U.S. retail packaging by weight. Adhesives, inks, and coatings are excluded from calculations of plastic content and packaging weight.

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