iPad Air gets a faster processor and a supersized 13-inch option

AppleInsider

Apple's iPad Air has been given a long-awaited update, with a new size option offered alongside the usual spec bump upgrade.

The 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air

The sixth generation of iPad Air is now a reality, arriving approximately two years after Apple's last update to the product line. The new generation also goes beyond a typical product update, with Apple bringing out new sizes of iPad Air for consumers to try.

Taking a leaf from the iPad Pro range, the iPad Air is now offered in two distinct sizes. The previous 10.9-inch iPad Air's screen has been upgraded to a full 11 inches, meanwhile a second model offers a much larger 13-inch workspace.

For resolutions, the 11-inch is 2,360 by 1,640, while the 13-inch is 2,732 by 2,048 pixels. While gaining the iPad Pro sizing, the iPad Air remains on its current Liquid Retina display technology, complete with LED backlighting.

There is Wide Color (P3) support and True Tone. While the 11-inch manages 500 nits of brightness, the 13-inch can go up to 600 nits.

The 13-inch iPad Air gives you more space to work with in Stage Manager

The FaceTime camera has been shifted over to a landscape orientation, complete with a 12-megapixel sensor and ultra-wide viewing angle. There are landscape stereo speakers too, with double the bass than the previous model in the 13-inch version.

On the back is a 12-megapixel wide camera with an f/1.8 aperture, a 5x digital zoom, and Autofocus with Focus Pixels. It's capable of 4K 60fps recording, a 240fps 1080p Slo-mo video, and cinematic video stabilization.

For 2024, Apple is continuing its use of the M-series chips in the iPad Air, shifting from the M1 to the M2. In terms of performance, it's approximately 15% faster for CPU performance, with its 10-core GPU also providing a performance boost of 25%, with the 16-core Neural Engine being 40% faster.

The construction of the iPad Air continues to borrow elements from the iPad Pro lineup, with flat edges and an industrial appearance overall. Touch ID continues to be used, located on a side button out of view.

The 11-inch model has a 28.93-watt-hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery, with the 13-inch using a 36.59-watt-hour version. Both can last up to 10 hours for web surfing and watching video on Wi-Fi, though cellular models go for up to 9 hours of web surfing on cellular.

The four colorways of the new iPad Air

Shipping next week and available now, the new iPad Air with Wi-Fi start from $599 for the 128GB capacity 11-inch model, $799 for the 13-inch. Cellular versions start from $749 for the 11-inch iPad Air, $949 for the 13-inch iPad Air.

There are also 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB capacity options, and a choice of four colors available: Blue, Purple, Starlight, and Space Gray.



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eightzero

More and more "trickle down" tech. Choices are great, and today's update is very welcome. The lineup is much more clear, and the pricing attractive at each level - and that will get better over the coming months as the sales hit.

Really interested in what WWDC will say about padOS now. While all the glamour is all at the top end, I really do hope they continue to work on making iPad easy to use for basic needs. Please add a "gramma mode" to turn off all the complex gestures. Or hey, if all that is built-in already (and hidden in various places) someone can offer a script for us family members that are the designated IT bitches when the call comes, "this damn thing is broken! I can't print any of my email anymore!"

brianjo

eightzero said:

More and more "trickle down" tech. Choices are great, and today's update is very welcome. The lineup is much more clear, and the pricing attractive at each level - and that will get better over the coming months as the sales hit.

Really interested in what WWDC will say about padOS now. While all the glamour is all at the top end, I really do hope they continue to work on making iPad easy to use for basic needs. Please add a "gramma mode" to turn off all the complex gestures. Or hey, if all that is built-in already (and hidden in various places) someone can offer a script for us family members that are the designated IT bitches when the call comes, "this damn thing is broken! I can't print any of my email anymore!"

While iPads are awesome, they SUCK for offering remote support.  Only Apple gets to control them remotely.  You can set up MDM to give yourself a little bit of control on settings remotely, but if they get stuck and you need to help them, it's not possible to take control like you can with a Mac.  Super frustrating!!

kkqd1337

The Air price needs to start $/£100 lower.

Or they should have increased base storage to 256.

Same old complaint.

eightzero

brianjo said:

eightzero said:

More and more "trickle down" tech. Choices are great, and today's update is very welcome. The lineup is much more clear, and the pricing attractive at each level - and that will get better over the coming months as the sales hit.

Really interested in what WWDC will say about padOS now. While all the glamour is all at the top end, I really do hope they continue to work on making iPad easy to use for basic needs. Please add a "gramma mode" to turn off all the complex gestures. Or hey, if all that is built-in already (and hidden in various places) someone can offer a script for us family members that are the designated IT bitches when the call comes, "this damn thing is broken! I can't print any of my email anymore!"

While iPads are awesome, they SUCK for offering remote support.  Only Apple gets to control them remotely.  You can set up MDM to give yourself a little bit of control on settings remotely, but if they get stuck and you need to help them, it's not possible to take control like you can with a Mac.  Super frustrating!!

Ayup. All the more reason for some sort of version of "moron mode." For me (and I'm admittedly not the targeted audience for these latest iPads) iPad is a consumption, not creative, device platform. I don't, never have, and likely never will, create anything on an iPad. Remember Steve sitting on the chair on stage reading the New York Times? Yes, that's me. It does travel well too, but my M1 MBA is the device I type on. Sure, you can maybe have the new magic keyboard on the iPad and reduce the number of devices you have to buy and maintain...but there's that pesky macOS/padOS difference. And if you never use a desktop or macOS - sure. The choices are there for consideration, and that's a good thing. 

There are people in the world that need a desktop to do very basic things. Elderly people *really* struggle with touchscreens, and when all they want to do is eMail, messages, and "print coupons for the store" that's not an iPad's forte. And even if it was, iPad can't be remotely managed when gramma has 200+ tabs on the safari open because "the coupons keep disappearing and I need to see this week's ad."

canukstorm

With the improved base storage, M2 and landscape camera (finally), the new iPad Air is a great value.

blastdoor

Nice to see that the prediction that the 13 inch iPad Air would approach pro prices was dead wrong. The 13 inch iPad Air is priced as one would expect 

nubus

canukstorm said:

With the improved base storage, M2 and landscape camera (finally), the new iPad Air is a great value.

Air is the only option if you want a better display than iPad 10. Now the gap just increased by another $100. That is a big step up for what is mainly a musclePad with a really big CPU and not much else. Do most users really need M2 in such a device? And iPad is the only portable device that can't use MagSafe + iPad Air is still not getting Face ID.