The iPad Air will get an M1 chip in 2022.
Apple/Screenshot by Scott Stein/CNET
The iPad Professional, iPad and iPad Mini all acquired an replace final yr, however Apple forgot the iPad Air. That's, till Tuesday, when the corporate introduced a brand new iPad Air throughout its "Peek Efficiency" occasion. It appears prefer it was definitely worth the wait -- and, possibly, the very best iPad for its worth.
The Air has the M1 processor of the prevailing iPad Professional mannequin and up to date Macs, however an in any other case related design to the 2020 mannequin, with an eight-core GPU. It additionally provides an ultrawide, 12-megapixel Middle Stage digicam, much like present iPad fashions. 5G is onboard, too, for sooner cell knowledge. However the iPad Air nonetheless has the identical show as earlier than: no Mini-LED or OLED. It is available in a brand new blue colour, and begins at $599 (£569, AU$929), the identical as beforehand, with 64 and 256GB configurations, additionally the identical as earlier than. The brand new iPad Air is accessible March 18, the identical date as the brand new iPhone SE. Preorders open Friday.
Learn extra: iPad Air 2022 vs. iPad Professional 2021: Apple's 11-Inch Tablets In contrast
A brand new iPad Air was anticipated at this occasion; it is the iPad mannequin that was clearly most in want of an improve. Stories indicated that the Air would acquire the M1 chip, 5G, boosted entry-level storage (128GB as a substitute of 64GB), and a wider-angle front-facing digicam with the identical digital-zooming Middle Stage tech that is already on the opposite iPad fashions from 2021. All of those updates occurred, excluding the beginning storage increase.
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Apple Updates iPad Air With M1 Chip
7:35
The Air line has been around for years, and iPad Air models have tended to be midrange models that incorporate some of the iPad Pro's features at a lower price. The 2020 iPad Air looked and felt like a more affordable version of the iPad Pro, adding the Pro line's thinner-bezeled, curved-edge display, USB-C support, and compatibility with smart keyboard cases and the Pencil 2. But it started to feel a step behind Apple's other iPads last year: the 2021 iPad Mini looked like the iPad Air in a smaller size, but with its CenterStage camera and 5G, it had some features the larger Air lacked.
For more, take a look at everything else Apple announced Tuesday, including the iPhone SE 3 (here's how it compares to the 2020 model and why it's for people "who just want an iPhone"), new iPhone 13 colors and Apple's M1 Ultra processor, as well as the Mac Studio and Mac Studio Display. The products arrived alongside a release date for iOS 15.4, Apple's latest iPhone operating system update. You can check out everything Apple debuted at its "Peek Performance" event here.
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