Key Takeaways
1. Apple introduced a new M3-powered iPad Air available in 11-inch and 13-inch sizes, maintaining a similar design to the previous model.
2. The new iPad Air features 8 GB of RAM, supports Apple Intelligence, and offers storage options from 128 GB to 1 TB.
3. The M3 chip in the iPad Air has nine GPU cores, one less than the full version of the M3 chip.
4. Pricing starts at $599 for the 11-inch model and $799 for the 13-inch model, with no price increase from previous versions.
5. New Magic Keyboards for the iPad Air are available, priced at $269 for the 11-inch and $319 for the 13-inch models, with availability starting March 13.
Contrary to Mark Gurman’s expectations, Apple has made a surprising move by introducing a new M3-powered iPad Air along with the budget-friendly iPad 11th-gen. As the name indicates, this updated iPad Air utilizes Apple’s previous generation M3 System on a Chip (SoC), while the overall design and features of the compact tablet remain mostly unchanged.
New Size Options
The M3 iPad Air is offered in two sizes – 11-inch and 13-inch. However, it’s important to note that the Apple M3 included here has only nine GPU cores, in contrast to the ten cores available in the complete version. On the positive side, both models come with a minimum of 8 GB of RAM, as they support Apple Intelligence. Storage options start at 128 GB and can go up to 1 TB. Besides these updates, not much has altered compared to the previous iPad Air. The new M3 iPad Air comes in four color choices: blue, purple, starlight, and space gray.
Pricing and Availability
Pre-orders for the iPad Air can be made now, with prices beginning at $599 for the 11-inch model and $799 for the 13-inch version. Fortunately, there hasn’t been a price hike this time around. The 5G-capable versions start at $749 and $949, respectively. Additionally, Apple has unveiled two new Magic Keyboards designed for the iPad Air, priced at $269 for the 11-inch and $319 for the 13-inch models. Both the iPad Air variants and their accompanying keyboards will be available for purchase in stores starting March 13.
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