The 2025 iPad Air refresh isn’t exactly exciting, and if you put an M2 iPad Air and an M3 iPad Air next to one another, you’re not going to be able to see much of a visual difference, though the back of the 2025 model no longer says “iPad Air.” In fact, Apple made no updates at all except for the chip inside. The design is the same, the colors are the same, and all other internal components are the same, too.
Apple’s upgraded M3 chip does bring some key improvements in performance that might matter to some users, though. The M3 isn’t a new chip, and it was previously used in the MacBook Air, iMac, and other machines, but it is the first 3-nanometer chip that’s come to the iPad Air. The M2 was built on a 5nm process comparatively, and the newer 3nm process brings speed and efficiency improvements, though Apple is using a binned version with an 8-core CPU and 9-core GPU.
In benchmarks, the M3 CPU is up to 21 percent faster than the M2, and GPU performance is up to 15 percent faster. The M3 brings new graphics architecture with support for Dynamic Caching, hardware-accelerated ray tracing, and mesh shading. Dynamic Caching improves performance for games and pro apps that need a lot of GPU power, while hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading make console quality gaming possible on the iPad Air.
The iPad Air isn’t Apple’s most affordable tablet, nor is it the most powerful. It’s akin to the MacBook Air, providing a balance between price and performance. If you need something for web browsing, gaming, and watching videos, you can get away with the more affordable iPad. The iPad Air, though, has the power to do a lot of what a computer can do. With the M3 chip, the iPad Air is basically as capable as the M4 iPad Pro, and differences come down to display technology, design, and authentication, as the iPad Air has Touch ID while the iPad Pro has Face ID.
You can get the iPad Air in 11-inch and 13-inch sizes, like the iPad Pro. The 11-inch model is more portable and is ideal for use on the couch or when traveling, while the 13-inch model is a better size for more work-oriented tasks.
Both models are compatible with Apple’s new Magic Keyboard for the iPad Air, which was updated this year. Compared to the prior version, it has a larger trackpad, function keys, a USB-C port for charging the iPad, and the iPad Pro Magic Keyboard hinge design, but it doesn’t have the same aluminum build. Apple’s keyboards are expensive, starting at $269 for the iPad Air, but the quality is generally worth it thanks to the super responsive Mac-like trackpad. If you have an M2 iPad Air, the new keyboard is compatible with it.
If you’re looking for a tablet that can do more than the iPad but don’t need the bells and whistles of the iPad Pro, the iPad Air is a solid middle ground, and a $599 starting price is not a bad deal for the M3 chip.
This article, “Hands-On With Apple’s New M3 iPad Air” first appeared on MacRumors.com
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