March 2, 2026
PRESS RELEASE
Apple introduces the brand new iPad Air, powered by M4
With blazing efficiency, extra reminiscence, enhanced connectivity, and game-changing iPadOS 26 options, iPad Air is a incredible worth
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple in the present day introduced the brand new iPad Air that includes M4 and extra reminiscence, giving customers a giant leap in efficiency on the similar beginning worth. With a sooner CPU and GPU, iPad Air boosts duties like enhancing and gaming, and is a robust system for AI with a sooner Neural Engine, larger reminiscence bandwidth, and 50 p.c extra unified system reminiscence than the earlier era. With M4, iPad Air is as much as 30 p.c sooner than iPad Air with M3,1 and as much as 2.3x sooner than iPad Air with M1.2 The new iPad Air additionally options the newest in Apple silicon connectivity chips, N1 and C1X, delivering quick wi-fi and mobile connections — and help for Wi-Fi 7 — that empower customers to work and be inventive anyplace.3 Available in two sizes and 4 attractive finishes that customers love, the 11-inch iPad Air is tremendous transportable, and the 13-inch mannequin gives a good bigger show for many who need extra space to multitask. With game-changing iPadOS 26 capabilities, superior cameras, all-day battery life, a robust app ecosystem, and help for equipment like Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard, iPad Air delivers a outstanding and versatile expertise for anybody who desires to do extra on iPad, from college students and creators, to enterprise customers and players.4
With the identical beginning worth of simply $599 for the 11-inch mannequin and $799 for the 13-inch mannequin, the brand new iPad Air is an unimaginable worth. And for schooling, the 11-inch iPad Air begins at $549, and the 13-inch mannequin begins at $749. Customers can pre-order iPad Air beginning Wednesday, March 4, with availability starting Wednesday, March 11.
“iPad Air gives users more ways than ever to be creative and productive, offering powerful performance and incredible versatility to help them turn their ideas into reality,” stated Bob Borchers, Apple’s vp of Worldwide Product Marketing. “With its blazing performance thanks to M4, incredible AI capabilities, and game-changing iPadOS 26 features, there’s never been a better time to choose or upgrade to iPad Air.”
Even More Performance with M4
M4 brings a major increase in efficiency to the brand new iPad Air, empowering customers to be productive and inventive wherever they’re — from aspiring creatives working with giant information to vacationers enhancing content material on the go. Featuring an 8-core CPU and a 9-core GPU, iPad Air is as much as 30 p.c sooner than iPad Air with M3 and as much as 2.3x sooner than iPad Air with M1.5 Users will discover the blazing pace of M4 in all the things they do — with Apple Creator Studio, compositing pictures in Pixelmator Pro or enhancing video in Final Cut Pro is faster than ever. With the 9-core GPU of M4, iPad Air helps second-generation hardware-accelerated mesh shading and ray tracing for unimaginable graphics efficiency. M4 delivers over 4x sooner 3D professional rendering with ray tracing efficiency in comparison with iPad Air with M1, providing extra correct lighting, reflections, and shadows for very reasonable gaming experiences.2
Next-Level Power for AI
M4 can be highly effective for AI, with sooner reminiscence bandwidth and an extremely quick Neural Engine — benefiting everybody from school college students transcribing lecture notes, to creators storyboarding a brand new venture, to enterprise customers sprucing emails. With the brand new iPad Air, unified reminiscence jumps 50 p.c, to 12GB, and reminiscence bandwidth will increase to 120GB/s, serving to customers run AI fashions sooner. The 16-core Neural Engine is 3x sooner than that of M1 and is ideal for on a regular basis duties that use on-device AI, like looking for topics and texts in pictures, or leveraging highly effective AI options in apps like Goodnotes and Onform: Video Analysis App.2 The Neural Engine additionally powers capabilities in Apple Creator Studio apps, like eradicating the background of video footage with Scene Removal Mask in Final Cut Pro.
N1 and C1X Come to iPad Air for Faster Connectivity
iPad Air options N1, an Apple-designed wi-fi networking chip that permits Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread.3 N1 brings higher efficiency when related to 5GHz Wi-Fi networks, and improves the general efficiency and reliability of options like Personal Hotspot and AirDrop. Cellular fashions of iPad Air additionally function C1X, a mobile modem designed by Apple that gives as much as 50 p.c sooner mobile knowledge efficiency — and for energetic mobile customers, C1X gives as much as 30 p.c much less modem vitality utilization than iPad Air with M3.1 Cellular fashions of iPad Air permit customers to get pleasure from GPS capabilities, to allow them to navigate with much more confidence. Users also can get pleasure from 5G mobile help, serving to them keep related for work or leisure all around the globe.6 And with eSIM, customers can shortly and securely add a brand new plan, join and switch present mobile plans digitally, and keep in contact with household and buddies no matter Wi-Fi availability — ultimate for enterprise vacationers, college students on campus, and anybody engaged on the go.
iPadOS 26 Supercharges the iPad Experience
iPadOS 26 gives highly effective options that assist customers deal with inventive {and professional} duties with ease, pushing the capabilities of iPad even additional.
- The lovely new design is crafted with Liquid Glass, a translucent materials that displays and refracts its environment whereas reacting to customers’ enter, and dynamically reworking to carry higher focus to the content material they care about most.
- An fully new, highly effective, and intuitive windowing system helps customers management, manage, and change between apps, all whereas sustaining the simplicity of iPad. And with a brand new menu bar, customers can entry the instructions out there in an app with a easy swipe down from the highest of the show, or by transferring their cursor to the highest.
- Users can handle, entry, and manage information with a supercharged Files app that options an up to date List view and new folder customization choices. With folders within the Dock, customers can conveniently entry downloads, paperwork, and extra from anyplace. Additionally, they’ll set a default app for opening particular information or file sorts.
- The Preview app on iPad provides customers a devoted app for creating a fast sketch, in addition to viewing, enhancing, and marking up PDFs and pictures with Apple Pencil or by contact.
- Taking benefit of Apple silicon, iPadOS 26 unlocks new capabilities for customers with management over their audio enter, the power to seize high-quality recordings with native seize, and Background Tasks.
Advanced Accessories for iPad Air
From sketching concepts to getting work carried out, Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard unlock new ranges of creativity and productiveness on iPad Air.4 Apple Pencil (USB-C) and Apple Pencil Pro provide customers two unimaginable choices. Apple Pencil (USB-C) is a good worth for important duties like notice taking and sketching, and Apple Pencil Pro delivers the last word expertise, enabling customers to benefit from capabilities comparable to squeeze and barrel roll to carry their concepts to life in fully new methods. Apple Pencil Pro additionally helps Find My, serving to customers find it if misplaced.
Magic Keyboard for iPad Air gives a tremendous typing expertise and expands what customers can do, with a built-in trackpad ultimate for precision duties like choosing textual content, and a 14-key operate row that enables easy accessibility to options like display brightness and quantity controls. It attaches magnetically, and the Smart Connector instantly connects energy and knowledge with out the necessity for Bluetooth; a machined aluminum hinge additionally features a USB-C connector for charging. Magic Keyboard for iPad Air has a magical floating design prospects love, and is available in black and white.
Ideal for iPad and iPad Air Upgraders
With game-changing enhancements over iPad and earlier iPad Air fashions, there’s by no means been a greater time to improve.
- Big efficiency positive factors: Upgraders will get pleasure from enhanced pace and responsiveness with 12GB of unified reminiscence and 120GB/s of reminiscence bandwidth, and can expertise much more seamless windowing in iPadOS 26. Users coming from iPad Air with M1 will see as much as 2.3x sooner efficiency, with over 4x sooner 3D professional rendering with ray tracing efficiency.5
- Advanced Center Stage digicam, mics, and audio system: Users coming from iPad Air with M1 will even get pleasure from a entrance 12MP Center Stage digicam positioned alongside the panorama edge, in addition to panorama stereo audio system. For upgraders coming from M1, the 13-inch mannequin delivers even higher sound high quality, which is nice for having fun with music and movies.
- Powerful Apple Intelligence capabilities: Built seamlessly into iPadOS with groundbreaking privateness, Apple Intelligence gives upgraders and new iPad customers with intuitive options that make their expertise much more useful and highly effective.7
- Even extra worth: Users coming from previous-generation iPad Air fashions will get sooner connectivity with N1 and C1X, and M1 upgraders will even get 128GB of beginning storage. iPad Air with M4 has the identical beginning worth at simply $599 for the 11-inch mannequin, and $799 for the 13-inch mannequin.
iPad Air and the Environment
Apple 2030 is the corporate’s bold plan to be carbon impartial throughout its whole footprint by the tip of this decade by lowering product emissions from their three greatest sources: supplies, electrical energy, and transportation. iPad Air is made with 30 p.c recycled content material,8 together with 100% recycled aluminum within the enclosure and 100% recycled cobalt within the battery. It is manufactured with 40 p.c renewable electrical energy, like wind and photo voltaic, throughout the availability chain. iPad Air is designed to be sturdy and repairable, and in addition gives industry-leading software program help, whereas assembly Apple’s excessive requirements for vitality effectivity and secure chemistry. The paper packaging is 100% fiber-based and will be simply recycled.9
Pricing and Availability
- Customers can pre-order the brand new iPad Air with M4 beginning Wednesday, March 4, at apple.com and within the Apple Store app in 35 international locations and areas, together with the U.S. It will start arriving to prospects, and can be in Apple Store areas and Apple Authorized Resellers, beginning Wednesday, March 11.
- The 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air with M4 can be out there in blue, purple, starlight, and house grey, with 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB configurations.
- The 11-inch iPad Air begins at $599 (U.S.) for the Wi-Fi mannequin, and $749 (U.S.) for the Wi-Fi + Cellular mannequin. The 13-inch iPad Air begins at $799 (U.S.) for the Wi-Fi mannequin, and $949 (U.S.) for the Wi-Fi + Cellular mannequin.
- With schooling financial savings, the 11-inch iPad Air begins at $549 (U.S.), and the 13-inch iPad Air begins at $749 (U.S.).
- Magic Keyboard, out there in black and white, is appropriate with the 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air. The 11-inch Magic Keyboard is offered for $269 (U.S.), and the 13-inch Magic Keyboard is offered for $319 (U.S.). With schooling financial savings, the 11-inch Magic Keyboard is offered for $249 (U.S.), and the 13-inch Magic Keyboard is offered for $299 (U.S.).
- Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C) are appropriate with the brand new iPad Air. Apple Pencil Pro is offered for $129 (U.S.), and $119 (U.S.) with schooling financial savings. Apple Pencil (USB-C) is offered for $79 (U.S.), and $69 (U.S.) with schooling financial savings.
- AppleCare delivers distinctive service and help, with versatile choices for Apple customers. Customers can select AppleCare+ to cowl their new iPad, or within the U.S., AppleCare One to guard a number of merchandise in a single easy plan. Both plans embody protection for accidents like drops and spills, theft and loss safety on eligible merchandise, battery alternative service, and 24/7 help from Apple Experts. For extra info, go to apple.com/applecare.
- Apple gives nice methods to save lots of on the newest iPad. Customers can commerce of their present iPad and get credit score towards a brand new one by visiting the Apple Store on-line, the Apple Store app, or an Apple Store location. To see what their system is price, and for phrases and situations, prospects can go to apple.com/shop/trade-in.
- Customers within the U.S. who store at Apple utilizing Apple Card will pay month-to-month at 0 p.c APR once they select to take a look at with Apple Card Monthly Installments, and so they’ll get 3 p.c Daily Cash again — all up entrance. More info — together with particulars on eligibility, exclusions, and Apple Card phrases — is offered at apple.com/apple-card/monthly-installments.
About Apple
Apple revolutionized private expertise with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s six software program platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — present seamless experiences throughout all Apple gadgets and empower individuals with breakthrough providers together with the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV. Apple’s greater than 150,000 workers are devoted to creating the perfect merchandise on earth and to leaving the world higher than we discovered it.
- Results are in comparison with 13-inch iPad Air (M3) models with 8-core CPU and 8GB of unified reminiscence.
- Results are in comparison with iPad Air (fifth era) models with 8-core CPU and 8GB of unified reminiscence.
- Wi-Fi 7 is offered in international locations and areas the place supported.
- Accessories offered individually.
- Testing was carried out by Apple in January and February 2026. See apple.com/ipad-air for extra info.
- Data plan is required. 5G is offered in choose markets and thru choose carriers. Speeds differ primarily based on website situations and service. For particulars on 5G help, contact service and see apple.com/ipad/cellular.
- Apple Intelligence is offered in beta with help for these languages: English, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Vietnamese, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (conventional), Japanese, and Korean. Some options is probably not out there in all areas or languages. For function and language availability and system necessities, see support.apple.com/en-us/121115.
- Product recycled or renewable content material is the mass of licensed recycled materials relative to the general mass of the system, not together with packaging or in-box equipment.
- Breakdown of U.S. retail packaging by weight. Adhesives, inks, and coatings are excluded from Apple’s calculations.
Press Contacts
Skylar Eisenhart
Apple
Tara Courtney
Apple
Apple Media Helpline
