Apple has officially opened a multi-day streak of product announcements, starting with a refreshed iPad Air. While the physical chassis remains identical to the version released last year, the internals receive a significant performance boost via the M4 chip. This marks an unusually rapid update cycle for Apple’s mid-range tablet, especially considering that the previous M2 and M3 models remain more than powerful enough for the average user’s needs.
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The most notable upgrades are centred on performance and connectivity. By leaping to the M4, Apple continues to bridge the gap between the Air and the Pro lineups. Supporting this power is a bump in standard memory to 12GB of RAM, up from the 8GB found in the prior model. Additionally, the new Air features Apple’s proprietary N1 and C1X networking chips, which enable Wi-Fi 7 support for the first time alongside improved Bluetooth, Thread, and cellular performance.
Aside from the internal silicon, the hardware remains largely unchanged. The iPad Air is still available in 11-inch and 13-inch configurations, featuring the same Liquid Retina LCD panels found in previous generations. These displays top out at 500 nits of brightness with a standard 60Hz refresh rate. Storage options also remain static, starting at 128GB and scaling up to 1TB, while the dual stereo speaker setup and camera array are identical to the 2024 model.
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The M4 Air runs iPadOS 26, which remains the most significant software overhaul in the tablet’s history. While the “Liquid Glass” visual redesign has been somewhat divisive among enthusiasts, the functional improvements—specifically the flexible window management and enhanced background tasking—transform the 13-inch model into a much more viable productivity tool.
Apple is holding the line on pricing, offering these updated specs at the same entry points as before. The 11-inch model starts at $599, while the 13-inch display starts at $799. Pre-orders open this Wednesday, March 4, with full retail availability beginning on March 11.
