Apple simply introduced the brand new iPad Air M4, which sits alongside the iPhone 17e and AirTag 2 as the corporate’s first new items of {hardware} for 2026. And, as has been the case with a number of current Apple product bulletins, the brand new iPad Air is all about under-the-hood adjustments. There’s additionally a superb piece of worth information that you simply may not have anticipated, particularly should you’ve been listening to higher tech traits. Let’s break down every thing that’s new and every thing that’s not, so you’ll be able to resolve if you wish to preorder on Wednesday, March 4, forward of the March 11 release date.
Apple’s new iPad Air is rated for as much as 2.4x quicker efficiency, and it is available in 11-inch and 13-inch sizes.
The iPad Air M4 seems to be all about getting extra of the iPad Air M3, which we predict is the best tablet for energy customers, with out spending extra. Apple stored the M3’s $599 entry-level worth for the 11-inch mannequin and $799 worth for the 13-inch mannequin, which supplies me hope for some other imminent bulletins from the corporate. In a second the place generative AI-related memory shortages are anticipated to spike costs throughout the board, and we simply noticed the Samsung Galaxy S26 debut at $100 greater than earlier than, it is a large win.
Apple’s press release says the M4 chip makes this iPad as much as 30% quicker than the M3 iPad Air and as much as 2.3x quicker than the M1 iPad Air, so it positively seems future-proof on paper. That form of energy isn’t precisely wanted for making albums in Apple Photos or writing emails, so the corporate positions the M4’s efficiency as a win for creators, referencing its personal purposes such because the Pixelmator Pro picture editor and the Final Cut Pro video app. Those who wish to play demanding video games comparable to Death Stranding on their iPads can even be joyful to listen to Apple’s declare of 3D professional rendering with ray tracing that’s 4 occasions quicker than what the M1 iPad Air provides, which ought to permit for smoother graphics with higher lighting and reflections.
And since that is an Apple product, count on the iPad Air M4 to be slightly higher at generative AI than its predecessors. The firm’s announcement included information that the iPad Air’s now full of 12GB of higher-bandwidth 120GBps reminiscence for quicker AI mannequin efficiency, and that this pill’s Neural Engine is thrice as quick as that of the M1 iPad Air. Fortunately, these positive factors gained’t simply be for folks utilizing generative AI, as Apple claims you’ll additionally get higher efficiency when trying to find topics and texts in images.
The M4 iPad Air additionally positive factors higher cell and Wi-Fi connectivity from the Apple N1 and C1X chips, together with Wi-Fi 7 assist to reap the benefits of the newest Wi-Fi routers and mesh routers. Previously, you needed to get an iPad Pro M5 to get Wi-Fi 7, because the M3 iPad Air packs Wi-Fi 6E, which has decrease information bandwidth.
Just like earlier than, the iPad Air M4 is available in 11-inch and 13-inch designs, with each nonetheless measuring a mere 0.24 inches thick. The bigger mannequin is a very powerful for these customers who don’t push the common iPad 11 to its efficiency, however desire a larger show for multitasking with out spending iPad Pro cash.
These new iPad Airs even have all the opposite dimensions as earlier than, so previous instances and equipment ought to nonetheless work given the dearth of adjustments to the scale and weight. Similarly, Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard house owners might be joyful to study that the M4 iPad Air doesn’t change something on compatibility there, both.
The iPad Air M4 can also be bought in the identical shade finishes as earlier than: blue, purple, Starlight and Space Gray, all of that are fairly faint on precise shade. Speaking of shade, Apple’s nonetheless packing its very good Liquid Retina shows in these tablets, which have correct image high quality and a pointy 264 pixels-per-inch density, although the iPad Pro M5 nonetheless provides the highest iPad display with its tandem OLED panel. Apple’s additionally nonetheless utilizing a 12MP Center Stage front-facing selfie digicam that can regulate to maintain you in body on video calls.
The new iPad Air M4 is rather like the iPad Air M3 in that it’s for iPad customers who really feel restricted by the common iPad 11’s efficiency or show dimension. All that mentioned, should you’re an iPad Air M3 proprietor, I’m undecided you’ll really feel the necessity to go seize a brand new mannequin for that 30% pace increase, since not a lot else has really modified. This has been the story with lots of Apple’s Mac and iPad releases in the previous few years, so I can’t wait to get the iPad Air M4 in my palms to see the way it feels to make use of. I’m simply joyful it has the identical worth because the earlier mannequin, and I hope Apple continues that pattern all through 2026.
The M4 iPad Air will hit shops on March 11, per week after it’s accessible for preorder on March 4.
The M4 chip’s efficiency increase and the 50% improve in unified reminiscence are essentially the most notable upgrades.
NCS Underscored has a workforce of expert writers and editors who’ve a few years of expertise testing, researching and recommending merchandise, and we guarantee every article is fastidiously edited and merchandise are correctly vetted. We discuss to high consultants when related to make sure our product testing is correct as we communicate to the professionals and cons of every merchandise.
NCS Underscored tech author Henry T. Casey has written product reviews of tech devices for over 10 years, and has been overlaying the extensive world of Apple all through that decade. He’s all the time able to see how lengthy a pill’s battery life lasts, since you deserve full-flight endurance.