Apple announced the new iPad Air, powered by M4, on March 2, and touts its "blazing performance." So, what makes the M4 Air different from the M3, and is it the iPad for you? Here's what you need to know to make a decision.
iPad Air M4 Release Date & Pricing
Availability:
- Pre-order March 4
- Available March 11
Pricing:
- 11-inch model: Starting at $599
- 13-inch model: Starting at $749
Pro Tip
Customers purchasing through Apple in the USA can get up to $670 off when they trade in their old iPads. Your carrier may have even better options for trade-in.
Image Courtesy of Apple
The iPad Air M4 at a Glance
- Comes in blue, purple, starlight, and space gray.
- Offers up to 10 hours internet use via Wi-Fi, 9 hours via cellular network.
- The same Liquid Retina display, P3 wide color, True Tone, and Antireflective coating as the iPad Air M3.
- Has the M4 chip, an upgrade from the M3 in the last generation of iPad Air, making it up to 30 percent faster.
- The same 8-core CPU, 9-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine as the iPad Air M3.
- The latest N1 and C1X connectivity chips for faster Wi-Fi and cellular connections.
- Supports Wi-Fi 7, a step up from Wi-Fi 6E in the past generation.
- 12MP Wide camera, 4K video, Landscape 12MP Center Stage camera.
- Landscape stereo speakers, two microphones.
- Supports Apple Pencil Pro, Apple Pencil, and Magic Keyboard.
What's New with the M4 iPad Air?
Image Courtesy of Apple
As you can see from the section above, many of the features of the iPad Air M4 are identical to those available in the iPad Air M3. So, what are the differences?
The biggest difference is, of course, the M4 chip. The M4 chip features an 8-core CPU and a 9-core GPU, and makes the latest iPad Air up to 30 percent faster than the iPad Air with the M3 chip. This means that gaming on the M4 Air will be smoother and less prone to lagging. According to Apple, users can look forward to "more accurate lighting, reflections, and shadows for extremely realistic gaming experiences."
Creating and editing with programs like Apple Creator Studio, Pixelmator Pro, and Final Cut Pro will be faster and smoother, as well.
The M4 chip also speeds up the Neural Engine and increases memory bandwidth (the rate data can be read or stored in memory), improving user experience with AI. So, any task you can imagine tackling with AI will be faster. Taking notes, creating images, getting editing suggestions: the possibilities are endless.
Connectivity is the final difference between the iPad Air M4 and Air M3. The latest iPad Air features the N1 wireless networking chip, which enables Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. This means improved speed and performance when your iPad Air is connected to a 5 GHz Wi-Fi network, as well as improved connectivity for Personal Hotspot use, and faster AirDrop sharing.
The C1X modem in the cellular iPad Air M4 is up to 50 percent faster than the iPad Air M3's modem. It also uses up to 30 percent less modem energy, which translates to a longer battery life for your new iPad.
Who Should get the iPad Air M4?
Now that we've gone over the distinctive features of the iPad Air M4, and how it differs from the Air M3, do you think it's the upgrade you've been waiting for? For me, it's a no. I currently own an iPad Air M2, 13-inch, and am happy with its performance and features.
Image Courtesy of Apple
Then again, I'm not a gamer and don't use my iPad for music or video editing the way that some of you might. For iPad users who want a smooth, seamless gaming experience, the Air M4 is a great buy, particularly because it's the same price as the Air M3. Ditto for hardcore hobbyists or professional digital artists and editors who are looking for an upgrade.
If faster connectivity and processing speed aren't important to you, though, it's fine to sit this one out until the next iPad Air generation is announced. Or, you may want to wait for one of the other rumored iPads that we didn't get this announcement. We read hints that the entry-level A19 iPad was going to be announced this week, as well as the A19 iPad mini Pro. Sadly, neither of these was released, but we expect them later this year. The A19 iPad is rumored to include many of the key features of the latest iPad Air, including the N1 chip and C1X modem in cellular models. At a price that should be around $349, this could be a great option for iPad users who value a great deal over all the bells and whistles. The A19 mini is rumored to feature OLED, be more water resistant, and start around $499.
So, what's your take? Are you going to upgrade to the iPad Air M4, or wait to see if a different model checks all your boxes? Let me know in the comments.
