New iPad Air M4: Same Design, M4 Chip, 12GB RAM, Wi-Fi 7 Starting at $599
Apple has announced the new iPad Air powered by M4, bringing a significant performance boost to its mid-range tablet lineup. Starting at $599 for the 11-inch model and $799 for the 13-inch, the new iPad Air features the same M4 chip found in the iPad Pro, 50% more unified memory at 12GB, Wi-Fi 7 via Apple's N1 chip, and the C1X cellular modem. But if you were hoping for a design refresh, you'll be disappointed — it's the same chassis we've seen since 2022.
M4 Brings Real Performance Gains
The M4 chip delivers up to 30% faster performance than the M3 iPad Air and up to 2.3x faster than the M1 model. The 8-core CPU and 9-core GPU handle everything from photo compositing in Pixelmator Pro to video editing in Final Cut Pro with ease. The GPU supports second-generation hardware-accelerated mesh shading and ray tracing, delivering over 4x faster 3D rendering compared to the M1 iPad Air.
The jump to 12GB of unified memory (up from 8GB) with 120GB/s memory bandwidth is the real story here. It means better multitasking, smoother AI model execution, and more headroom for demanding creative workflows.
AI Gets a Boost with Faster Neural Engine
The M4's 16-core Neural Engine is 3x faster than the M1's, powering on-device AI tasks like searching photos for subjects, transcribing lecture notes, and running Apple Intelligence features. Apple is clearly positioning the iPad Air as a capable AI device, though most of these features are software-dependent and rolling out gradually through iPadOS 26.
Connectivity Upgrades: Wi-Fi 7 and C1X
The new iPad Air is the first in the lineup to feature Apple's N1 wireless chip with Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread support. Cellular models get the C1X modem — the same one in the iPhone 17e — offering up to 50% faster cellular data with 30% less energy consumption. These are genuine, meaningful upgrades for anyone who uses their iPad on the go.
iPadOS 26: Liquid Glass and Real Windowing
iPadOS 26 brings the new Liquid Glass design language and — finally — a more capable windowing system. Users can organize, resize, and switch between apps with a new intuitive interface. A new menu bar appears with a swipe from the top. The Files app gets an overhaul, and there's a new Preview app for PDFs and images. These are features that should have arrived years ago, but better late than never.
Same Design, Same Accessories
The exterior remains unchanged — same 11-inch and 13-inch sizes, same four colors (blue, purple, starlight, space gray), same aluminum build. Compatibility with Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard continues. The front camera sits on the landscape edge for better video calls. If you already have M3 iPad Air accessories, they'll work fine.
Pricing and Availability
The new iPad Air M4 is available in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB configurations:
- 11-inch Wi-Fi: $599
- 11-inch Wi-Fi + Cellular: $749
- 13-inch Wi-Fi: $799
- 13-inch Wi-Fi + Cellular: $949
Pre-orders start March 4, with availability beginning March 11. Education pricing starts at $549 for the 11-inch model.
The Bottom Line
The new iPad Air with M4 is a specs-only refresh that ticks all the right boxes — faster chip, more memory, better connectivity — without changing anything else. If you have an M1 or older iPad Air, the upgrade is compelling. If you bought the M3 model last year, there's little reason to switch. Apple's strategy remains the same: iterate on internals, keep the design, maintain prices, and let iPadOS 26 do the heavy lifting to make it feel new. It works, but it's getting predictable.