Apple has expanded its tablet product line in India with the launch of the new iPad Air powered by M4 chip. The device comes in two display sizes and brings changes in performance, memory, and wireless connectivity. Pre-orders will begin on March 4 and sales will begin on March 11 in select markets like India.
M4 iPad Air: Price, models and pre-order details
The iPad Air 11-inch Wi-Fi model starts at Rs. 64,900. Interested buyers can choose between 11-inch and 13-inch sizes. Storage options include 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. The tablet is available in blue, purple, starlight, and space gray. It will be available in both Wi-Fi and cellular versions.
iPad Air, powered by M4: What’s new this year
The new iPad Air is powered by Apple’s M4 chip, which has an eight-core CPU and a nine-core GPU. Apple says the device’s performance is 30 percent better than previous M3-based models and 2.3 times faster than the M1 version.
The GPU supports hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading, which improves graphics rendering in supported applications and games. The tablet now comes with 12GB of unified memory, an increase from the previous generation. Apple claims memory bandwidth of up to 120GB per second.
The M4 chip also includes a 16-core Neural Engine. According to the company, it’s three times faster than the neural engine in the M1 chip. This is expected to improve on-device processing of artificial intelligence capabilities and other machine learning tasks.
Connection upgrade
Apple has added the N1 wireless network chip to the new iPad Air. This will support Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread. Cellular models include C1X modem. Apple claims this modem can increase cellular data speeds by 50% while using less power than the previous generation. The device supports 5G and eSIM.
Camera, audio and software
The iPad Air continues to feature a 12MP front-facing camera along the horizontal edges. It supports Center Stage to keep users in the frame during video calls. Apple also said it improved stereo speaker performance, a change that’s more noticeable on the 13-inch model.
The tablet runs iPadOS 26. The update introduces a redesigned interface and a new window system designed to improve multitasking. The Files app has been updated, and a new Preview app allows users to view and edit PDFs and images. The software also adds support for background tasks.
Apple is adding Apple Intelligence capabilities in the new update and integrating on-device artificial intelligence tools into supported apps.
Accessories support
iPad Air supports Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C). It’s also compatible with the Magic Keyboard, which connects magnetically and includes a built-in trackpad and shortcut key row.
