Apple Beefs Up New iPad Air with M4 Chip and Improved Connectivity

Apple’s week of rolling reveals includes a new iPad Air with M4 processor. I’m pretty fond of the iPad Air, but I’m really impressed with this year’s performance boost, which includes more unified memory, new wireless technology, and iPadOS 26. All that and still selling for A$999.

M4 Powered

The transition to the M4 silicon marks a turning point for the iPad Air. With an 8-core CPU and 9-core GPU, the device is now a legitimate mobile workstation for creators and power users.

• Speed Benchmarks: The M4 model is up to 30% faster than the previous M3 version and a staggering 2.3x faster than the M1 iPad Air.
• Pro Graphics: For the first time in the Air line, users gain access to hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading. This delivers 4x faster 3D rendering, bringing console-quality lighting and reflections to mobile gaming and professional CAD applications.
• Creative Workflow: Tasks in high-demand apps like Apple Creator Studio, Pixelmator Pro, and Final Cut Pro are now near-instantaneous, supported by 120GB/s of memory bandwidth.

AI Tablet

The iPad Air now features 12GB of unified memory as standard, specifically designed to handle the large language models (LLMs) and diffusion models integrated into iPadOS 26.

The 16-core Neural Engine is now 3x faster than the M1 generation. This hardware overhead enables complex tasks like “Scene Removal Mask” in video editing and real-time audio transcription to happen entirely on-device, preserving user privacy while maximising speed.

Connectivity

The new iPad Air is the debut platform for Apple’s proprietary networking silicon:

1. N1 Wireless Chip: Enables Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 support. It provides more stable connections on 5GHz bands and improves the efficiency of AirDrop and Personal Hotspots.
2. C1X Modem: A custom-designed cellular solution that boosts 5G data speeds by up to 50% while reducing modem power consumption by 30%, significantly extending battery life for users on the move.

iPadOS 26

• Advanced Windowing: A revamped multitasking system allows for more intuitive app resizing and overlapping, moving closer to a traditional desktop experience without losing touch-first simplicity.
• The New Menu Bar: Professional commands are now accessible via a simple swipe from the top or a cursor hover, mimicking the macOS menu bar for power users.
• The Preview App: A dedicated system app for PDFs and images, optimised for the Apple Pencil Pro, allowing for rapid markups and sketches without opening third-party software.

Accessories

The M4 iPad Air is more than just a tablet; it’s a high-performance canvas when paired with the right glass and keys. Whether you’re a digital illustrator or a mobile professional, Apple’s accessory ecosystem bridges the gap between touch and precision.

• Apple Pencil Pro: This is the definitive choice for creators. It introduces tactile interactions like Squeeze for quick tool switching and Barrel Roll for precise brush control, mimicking the feel of traditional media. Plus, with Find My support, misplacing your primary creative tool is a thing of the past.
• Apple Pencil (USB-C): For those focused on pure productivity—like annotating PDFs or taking lecture notes—this model offers an affordable, high-precision entry point into the iPad ecosystem.

Desktop Ergonomics, Mobile Footprint

The Magic Keyboard remains the gold standard for iPad productivity. Its iconic “floating” cantilever design isn’t just for aesthetics; it provides the perfect viewing angle for long coding or writing sessions.

Smart Integration: Forget Bluetooth pairing or charging cables. The keyboard snaps on magnetically and uses the Smart Connector for instant data and power. It even features a pass-through USB-C port in the machined aluminium hinge, keeping your iPad’s main port free for external drives or cameras.

Precision Trackpad: Essential for the new windowing system in iPadOS 26, allowing for pixel-perfect text selection and seamless app switching.

Function Row: A dedicated 14-key row gives you instant tactile control over brightness, volume, and media playback without diving into the Control Centre.

There’s no doubt you’ll notice the difference when you experience the key changes below:

Pricing and Availability

The new iPad Air is available in four finishes: Blue, Purple, Starlight, and Space Grey.

• Pre-orders: Thursday, 5 March

• In-store Availability: Wednesday, 11 March