Apple launches new M4-powered iPad Air starting at $599

On Monday, Apple unveiled a new iPad Air powered by its M4 chip, introducing performance upgrades. The company stated that the device is designed to be faster due to an updated neural engine and more memory, making it better suited for artificial intelligence applications. According to the company, the new iPad Air is said to be 30% faster than the M3 iPad Air, and it is 2.3x faster than the older M1 version. Despite these hardware upgrades, Apple is keeping its retail pricing unchanged from previous models. The 11-inch model starts at $599, and the 13-inch model starts at $799. For educational buyers, the discount brings the price down to $549 for the 11-inch model, while the 13-inch model starts at $749.

The updated tablet features several key technical specifications:

• Processing Power: The device is equipped with an 8-core CPU and a 9-core GPU, making it suitable for gaming or image and photo editing.
• Memory Architecture: Unified memory has increased by 50% to 12GB, with memory bandwidth reaching up to 120GB/s, which is designed to help users run AI models faster.
• AI Hardware: The 16-core Neural Engine is also supposed to be 3x faster than the one in the M1, which helps with running on-device AI models.
• Camera System: The tablet includes a 12MP front-facing Center Stage camera and a 12MP Wide camera on the back.

Preorders for the new iPad Air will begin on Wednesday, March 4, on Apple’s website and via its store application in 35 countries and regions, including the U.S. The tablet’s release is part of a broader series of hardware announcements Apple has planned for the week, which are launching alongside other products. This rollout coincides with Mobile World Congress, the mobile industry’s largest trade show, held in Barcelona. While competitors like Samsung, Xiaomi, and Honor showcase their latest hardware and innovations at the exhibition, Apple is maintaining its traditional approach of avoiding third-party trade shows. Instead of participating in Mobile World Congress, the company is launching its new devices independently, relying on its own digital storefronts and hosting select hands-on events in various cities.

Why it matters

Apple is upgrading the iPad Air with the M4 chip to boost performance, specifically targeting AI capabilities and faster memory speeds, while maintaining previous price points.