2023 saw no upgrades to Apple’s iPad line-up, but the tech giant has come out swinging with its newest release. The iPad Air is Apple’s middle-child tablet, offering top performance in a package that’s slimmer and focused on your average user. And the latest model packs plenty of changes, including a performance boost thanks to M2, and a new larger display.
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Things are getting bigger with this redesign. You can now pick between an 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air model. The larger display gives you 30% more screen real estate to play with. Inside, it’s powered by the M2 processor from some of the latest MacBooks. It promises top-tier performance and is ready for AI. This upgraded chip also supports the Apple Pencil hover feature. Plus, it supports Wi-Fi 6E and 5G, for the latest connectivity.
You’ll also find the 12MP front-facing camera on the side now, just like iPad (10th-gen). This can be an issue if you hold the iPad in portrait, but obviously, the huge majority of us would do a video call with the iPad in landscape. It also packs Apple’s Centre Stage so you’re kept in the frame as you move around.
One of our favourite Apple slate, the 5th-gen iPad Air was launched back in March 2022, packing the M1 chipset and 5G connectivity. Design-wise, it looked pretty similar to the previous model from 2020. But the M1 chipset was a surprise inclusion, and made this one of the most desirable iPad options in Apple’s line-up.
It’s available in a bunch of new colours: blue, purple, starlight, and space grey. Both models start at 128GB, but you can spec them up to 1TB. It still starts at $599, while the 13-inch option starts at $799. You can pre-order from today, and they’ll be avaialble next week.
Developing story, more to follow…
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