IPad Air (7th generation)

Hardware and Chip

The seventh-generation iPad Air is powered by Apple’s M3 chip, marking the first time that the company’s advanced graphics architecture has appeared in the Air lineup. The M3 system-on-chip features an 8-core CPU and a 9-core GPU, delivering significant performance gains over previous models. Compared to the M1, the M3 offers up to 35 percent faster multithreaded CPU performance and up to 40 percent faster graphics. Additionally, the M3 brings hardware-accelerated ray tracing, mesh shading, and dynamic caching to the iPad Air for the first time. This results in smoother, more realistic lighting, shadows, and reflections for demanding applications such as 3D rendering and high-end gaming.^[2] The M3’s faster Neural Engine is up to 60 percent faster than that of the M1, enabling improved AI and machine learning tasks within iPadOS.

The iPad Air (7th generation) continues to be offered in two sizes: an 11-inch model for portability and a larger 13-inch model that provides additional screen real estate for productivity and creative tasks. Both sizes feature a Liquid Retina display with P3 wide color, True Tone technology, and brightness levels ranging from 500 to 600 nits. Storage options include 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, and 1 TB, with all configurations equipped with 8 GB of unified memory.

Operating System

The iPad Air (M3) ships with iPadOS 18, which brings a wide range of new features. It is designed to take advantage of Apple Intelligence. This includes new capabilities like Image Wand in the Notes app, the Clean Up tool in Photos, Genmoji for custom emoji creation, and more advanced Siri interactions. Siri now supports typed input, improved contextual awareness between requests, and built-in ChatGPT integration with privacy protections. Most Apple Intelligence features run directly on the device, but larger language models can also use Private Cloud Compute for additional processing without storing user data.^[2]

Connectivity

The iPad Air (M3) supports Wi‑Fi 6E for high-speed wireless networking and Bluetooth 5.3 for modern accessory pairing. Cellular models use the Qualcomm SDX70M modem, which is the same 5G modem found in the previous iPad Air (M2), the iPhone 15, and the iPad Pro (M4). This modem supports sub‑6 GHz 5G networks, providing fast mobile data performance in supported regions.^[2]

Cameras

The device retains a 12-megapixel front-facing camera with Center Stage for video calls, and a 12-megapixel wide rear camera capable of capturing 4K video and high-resolution photos with Smart HDR 4.

Accessories

Alongside the new iPad Air, Apple introduced a redesigned Magic Keyboard branded specifically for the M3 model. Officially called the “Magic Keyboard for iPad Air (M3),” the accessory retains the familiar floating cantilever design but offers several refinements. The updated keyboard adds an improved viewing angle, a larger built-in trackpad for greater precision, and a new 14-key function row for quick access to controls like screen brightness and volume. To lower costs, Apple removed the backlit keys found on the previous generation and discontinued the black color option, with the new Magic Keyboard now only available in white. Despite these changes, the new keyboard is backwards compatible with all iPad Air models starting from the 4th generation. The new keyboard is priced at $269 for the 11-inch version and $319 for the 13-inch version, making it less expensive than the outgoing Magic Keyboard for iPad Air (M2), which was priced at $299 and $349, respectively.

The iPad Air (M3) remains compatible with the Apple Pencil Pro and the Apple Pencil (USB-C).