Apple is bringing the M4 silicon to the iPad Air, expanding its latest chip architecture into the mid-tier segment. While the chassis carries over from the previous generation, the internal upgrade delivers meaningful performance gains without altering the entry price.
Bringing the M4 to this lineup is a big deal since it used to be limited to the pricier iPad Pro. Apple claims it’s up to 30 percent faster than the M3, and if you’re coming from a device with the Apple M1, you could see performance that’s more than double, around 2.3 times better.
On the graphics side, the M4 features a 9-core GPU with support for second-generation hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading. Apple says users upgrading from an M1-based iPad Air could see more than four times faster 3D rendering performance, with the gains likely most evident in games and demanding creative applications.
It’s not just the processor getting attention. Alongside the new chip, Apple has increased unified memory by 50 percent. The iPad Air now includes 12GB of RAM and delivers 120GB/s of memory bandwidth. Although iPadOS 26 is optimized for efficient memory use, the additional capacity is expected to support future on-device AI workloads and improve the performance of the 16-core Neural Engine for local machine learning.
For the first time, Apple is equipping the iPad Air with its own in-house wireless silicon. The device now includes the N1 wireless chip and the C1X cellular modem, enabling support for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and compatibility with Thread networking.
Apple claims the C1X modem offers up to 50 percent faster mobile data performance, along with power savings of up to 30 percent compared to the previous hardware.
The tablet comes with iPadOS 26 pre-installed, introducing a revamped window management system aimed at making multitasking feel more like it does on a laptop.
Despite rising memory and component costs across the industry, Apple has left pricing unchanged. The 11-inch model starts at $599, while the 13-inch version is set at $799. Students and educators are eligible for a $50 discount on either configuration.
These hardware upgrades might matter even more down the line, especially when Apple Intelligence finally arrives in full through future updates from Apple.
Apple will open pre-orders for the latest iPad Air on March 4 across the United States and other primary markets, with retail availability and shipments commencing on March 11.
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