- Apple has released two new iPads: the iPad Air with an M3 chip and the 11th-gen iPad with an A16 Bionic processor.
- The iPad Air features a 20% performance boost and a new Magic Keyboard accessory.
- Pricing starts at $599 for the 11th-gen iPad and $799 for the 13-inch iPad Air.
After the disappointing release of the latest iPhone 16e with its more-than-average asking price, Apple is refreshing its iPad lineup by launching the new iPad Air, which has received a spec bump to the M3 processor and a new Magic Keyboard accessory to go along with it. Along with this, they are also releasing the 11th-generation iPad with an A16 Bionic CPU. Let’s take a quick look at their specs and pricing.
Apple iPad Air (M3) and Magic Keyboard
Aside from the M3, the new iPad Air doesn’t seem to feature any major differences from the previous year’s model. It comes with the same 11 and 13-inch sizes and comes with a 12MP center stage selfie camera at the front. On the back, there’s a 12MP wide-angle camera that supports 4K recording at 60FPS.
The new processor should give the iPad a 20% improvement in performance with its 8-core CPU and 9-core GPU architecture. This can be quite helpful in pushing more FPS in high-end games and improving graphics quality. The tablet also comes with Apple Intelligence support on board.
Other features include a Touch ID power button, a USB type-C port with 10 Gbps data transfer speeds, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.3.
Talking about the new Magic Keyboard, Apple has increased the trackpad area and added function keys at the top. This makes it easy to manage brightness and volume right from the keyboard. Its magnetic connector directly attaches to your iPad Air and pulls power through the tablet without the need for Bluetooth. It also comes with USB type-C port to charge other accessories via pass-through.
Apple iPad 11th Gen
Like the new iPad Air, Apple has also gone ahead and upgraded the internals of their 10th-generation iPad and called it a day. The iPad 11th gen now comes with an A16 Bionic processor, ditching the previous A13. According to the company, this should result in up to 50% improvements in performance. It should also help deliver better battery efficiency.
Apart from this, the new iPad 11th gen now starts at 128GB base storage, finally getting rid of the 64GB option. The rest of the specs remain pretty much identical, with an 11-inch Liquid Retina display, 12MP Wide camera rear shooter with 4K 60FPS video recording, 12MP front Center Stage camera, USB type C port, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3 and Touch ID power button.
Pricing and Availability
The new iPad Air (M3) is available in Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi + Cellular models, ranging from 128GB to 1TB storage options. The price for the 11-inch model starts at $599, and it is available for pre-order, with the sale starting on March 12th. The 13-inch model on the other hand starts at $799.
The new Magic Keyboard is available for purchase at $269 for the 11-inch iPad Air, and $319 for the 13-inch option.
Finally, you can also Pre-order the 11th Gen iPad with A16 starting from $349 for the Wi-Fi variant and $499 for the cellular option. It is available in Blue, Pink, Yellow, and Silver colors, same as the old one. All these devices can be picked up from the official Apple Store website, or other online outlets and retailers.
