Apple today unveiled the faster, more powerful iPad Air with the M3 chip built specifically for Apple Intelligence. iPad Air with M3 marks Apple's introduction of advanced graphics architecture into its portable computing solution for the first time - further expanding upon its amazing combination of power-efficient performance and portability. iPad Air with M3 is nearly two times faster compared to iPad Air with M1,1 and up to 3.5x faster than A14 Bionic2. Users will appreciate M3's lightning-fast performance in all aspects of their lives - from creating engaging content more quickly than ever to playing graphics-intensive games more seamlessly than ever.
Available in two sizes and four beautiful finishes that users love, the 11-inch iPad Air is extremely portable for on-the-go use while its 13-inch counterpart provides more room to be creative and productive. Built specifically for iPad Air, the new Magic Keyboard enhances its versatility and provides more capabilities at an unbeatably affordable price. Compatible with iPadOS 18, Apple Intelligence features such as advanced cameras and fast wireless 5G connectivity speeds; plus compatibility with Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C), providing an unrivalled experience - the new iPad Air offers unmatched experiences!
With starting prices of £467 for the 11-inch and £624 for 13-inch iPad Air models, customers will find great value in pre-ordering an M3 and Magic Keyboard for iPad Air now; availability begins Wednesday, March 12th. Customers can pre-order now!
"iPad Air's unparalleled combination of powerful performance, portability, and support for advanced accessories makes it so wildly popular," according to Bob Borchers, Apple's vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. For college students taking notes with Apple Pencil Pro as well as travelers and content creators who need powerful productivity on the go - M3 Apple Intelligence, as well as Magic Keyboard, extend versatility and value beyond measure!
Supercharge Your Performance with M3
iPad Air with M3 empowers users to be productive and creative wherever they are - from creative professionals using demanding apps or working with large files, to travellers editing content on the move. M3 offers several significant improvements over M1 and earlier-generation iPad models. Boasting an 8-core CPU, M3 is up to 35 percent faster for multithreaded CPU workloads compared with iPad Air using M1. Furthermore, its 9-core GPU provides up to 40% greater graphics performance compared with M1. M3 also brings Apple's advanced graphics architecture to iPad Air for the first time with support for dynamic caching, hardware-accelerated mesh shading, and ray tracing. In terms of graphics-intensive rendering workflows, iPad Air with M3 delivers up to four times faster performance than iPad Air with M1, providing more accurate lighting, reflections, shadows, and creating highly realistic gaming experiences3.3
There's an old saying that goes: if it ain't broke don't fix it. In that vein of thought is lies "Wanting" iPad Air: Built for Apple Intelligence
The iPad Air was designed to take full advantage of Apple Intelligence, the personal intelligence system that provides valuable and relevant intelligence. Photos offers users easy ways to remove distracting elements in images with the Clean Up tool; natural language search enables searching of photos or videos by simply speaking aloud what they are searching for. Image Wand allows users to add visual appeal to their notes by turning rough sketches into engaging images by drawing a circle around it with Apple Pencil. Users can even circle empty space within notes; Image Wand will use contextual data gathered from its surroundings to produce an appropriate image that complements it and makes the note more visually stimulating.
Now, with ChatGPT seamlessly integrated into Writing Tools and Siri, users can take full advantage of ChatGPT's expertise without jumping between applications, making things faster and simpler than ever before. Not only is ChatGPT available free without creating an account, but privacy protections are built in as IP addresses are obscured and OpenAI won't store requests; users also have full control of when and what information is shared with ChatGPT.
This all-new Magic Keyboard for iPad Air expands what users can do at an even lower price, providing greater precision for detailed tasks and easier access to features such as screen brightness and volume controls. Attaching magnetically, the Smart Connector immediately connects power and data without using Bluetooth; additionally, there is also a machined aluminum hinge with USB-C charging support; starting at £210 for 11-inch models and £249 for 13-inch models, the Magic Keyboard now features its iconic floating design customers love and comes in white hue.
Apple today also updated iPad with double the starting storage and an A16 chip, providing customers with even more value. The A16 chip offers improved performance for everyday tasks and experiences in iPadOS while still providing all-day battery life, nearly 30 percent faster compared to its predecessor and up to 50% better overall performance when compared with A13 Bionic-equipped devices, making A16 even faster than any top Android tablet on sale today6.
iPadOS 18 Offers Powerful and Intelligent Features
The new iPad OS 18 delivers advanced features to enhance the iPad experience, making it more versatile and intelligent than ever.7
Calculator was specifically created to take advantage of iPad's unique capabilities, offering an entirely new way for Apple Pencil users to solve expressions. Utilizing Math Notes, users are now able to write out mathematical expressions or type to see them instantly solved using handwriting similar to their own handwriting. They can also create variables and use equations to insert graphs; access Math Notes via Notes app and use its functionality across other notes.
Notes makes handwritten notes more fluid and flexible with Smart Script's powerful new capabilities for editing handwritten text - such as adding space between words or pasting typed text into handwriting - while as users write with Apple Pencil their handwriting will automatically refine itself to be smoother, straighter, and legible in real-time.
iPad now features Audio Recording and Transcription, enabling users to capture lectures or conversations and synchronize transcripts with audio so that users can search for specific moments within recordings.
Users now have more ways than ever before to express themselves on the Home Screen, with app icons and widgets now featuring dark or tinted effects and larger sizes to personalize the experience for themselves. In addition, a newly redesigned Control Center gives easier access to many things they use daily including organizing controls from third-party apps.
Apple 2030, an ambitious goal to become carbon neutral across its entire carbon footprint by the end of this decade, requires Apple products like iPad Air and updated iPad to use 100% renewable electricity during production and charging processes. All Apple facilities currently run on 100 percent renewable electricity including data centres that power Apple Intelligence.
As part of Apple 2030, the company is designing products with more recycled and renewable materials to further reduce carbon emissions. Both iPad Air and iPad each contain at least 30 percent recycled content overall - 100 per cent recycled aluminum in the enclosure and 100 per cent recycled rare earth elements in all magnets; 100 percent recycled cobalt batteries contain over 95 percent recycled lithium; meeting Apple's stringent energy efficiency standards by being mercury, brominated flame retardants and PVC free; their packaging is entirely fibre based, moving Apple closer towards reaching their goal of eliminating plastic packaging by December 8