The latest edition of Apple’s iPad Air tablet line is on its way, and it appears to pack the most punch yet within the company’s ultrathin series.
Announced during Tuesday’s “Let Loose” event, the new iPad Air features 11-inch and 13-inch models powered by Apple’s proprietary M2 processor, the same chip that powered the last generation of iPad Pro. Apple claims that the addition of the M2 boosts processing speeds significantly over previous models powered by the M1 chip and up to three times faster than iPad Air models featuring the A14 Bionic chip.
Apple focused specifically on the M2’s ability to enhance various AI tools on the platform as well during the presentation, highlighting the chip’s NPU, or Neural Engine as Apple calls it, as a vital tool for improving AI tools within first and third-party apps available through iPadOS.
The most significant improvement beyond cranking up the processing power lies on the long edge of the device’s display. Apple made the decision to move the 12MP front camera to the landscape edge. This lets users take full advantage of the device’s display during video calls while making sure that they aren’t centered awkwardly. The new iPad Air’s front camera also adds Center Stage to make sure that figures always remain centered during video calls.
The new models feature improved speakers (Apple claims the 13-inch model doubles the bass output of the previous generation), bumps up the minimum storage capacity to 128GB (with a maximum of 1TB) and support Wi-Fi 6E. They are also compatible with the new Apple Pencil Pro, which was also announced during the event.
For the first iPad Air in over two years, the new generation of devices appear to be a sizable jump for tablets that weigh just over a pound. Users will get their chance to put that to the test soon though. Both iPad Air models are available to order today with them hitting store shelves next week. The 11-inch model starts at $599 and the 13-inch model starts at $799. Both are available in blue, purple, space gray and starlight finishes.