It may not be the Apple announcement that fans expected following CEO Tim Cook’s cryptic tweet about something “in the air”, but the Cupertino giant is back with an upgraded iPad Air. Less than a year after the rollout of its M2-equipped predecessor, the tablet now runs on the M3 chip and can be attached to an all-new Magic Keyboard.
Like before, the new iPad Air is available in 11- and 13-inch models in the same four colour options: blue, purple, starlight, and space grey. Display tech remains unchanged, featuring a Liquid Retina resolution of 2360 x 1640 and 2,048 x 2,732 pixels at 264 ppi, respectively. Touch ID is also integrated into the top button, and the camera setup comprises a 12-megapixel (MP) rear shooter and a 12-megapixel landscape selfie camera.
Under the hood, the M3 processor touts an 8-core CPU and 9-core GPU, which Apple claims is up to 35 percent faster than the iPad Air with M1, with graphics up to 40 percent faster. The tablet also offers features like mesh shading, ray tracing, and dynamic caching for GPU-intensive tasks, including gaming.
As with other devices in the ecosystem, the iPad Air (2025) supports Apple Intelligence and will bring various AI-powered tools to users, such as Mail Summaries, Smart Replies, Cleanup in Photos, and more. Notable iPadOS 18 features include Calculator, Smart Script in Notes, Audio Recording and Transcription, as well as a redesigned Control Centre.
Separately, the new Magic Keyboard attachment now boasts an extra row of function keys and a larger built-in trackpad that was previously only available on the Pro. The 11-inch model retails for S$399, while its 13-inch counterpart is priced at S$449.
Meanwhile, the iPad Air with M3 is available in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB configurations, with the base model starting at S$899 for the Wi-Fi model and S$1,129 for the Wi-Fi+ Cellular iteration. The 13-inch version starts at S$1,199 and S$1,429, respectively. Pre-orders are now open, and customers can expect to receive the tablet from 12 March onwards.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
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Kevin Low
