Apple has announced the debut of the new M3 iPad Air along with a new baseline iPad with A16, and a new Magic keyboard. The new iPad Air with M3 is nearly 2x faster compared to the iPad Air with M1, and up to 3.5x faster than the iPad Air with A14 Bionic. “Designed for iPad Air, the new Magic Keyboard enhances its versatility and delivers more capabilities,” according to Apple.
Apple M3 iPad Air: India Price, Availability, Features
The 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air with M3 will be available in blue, purple, starlight, and space grey, with 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB configurations. The 11-inch iPad Air starts at Rs 59,900 for the Wi-Fi model, and Rs 74,900 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model. The 13-inch iPad Air starts at Rs 79,900 for the Wi-Fi model, and Rs 94,900 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model. The new Magic Keyboard starts at Rs 26,900 for the 11-inch model and Rs 29,900 for the 13-inch model.
Customers can now pre-order the M3 iPad Air on apple.com/in/store, and in the Apple Store app in 29 countries and regions, including India. It will begin arriving to customers, and will be in Apple Store locations and Apple Authorised Resellers, starting March 12.
The M3 chip offers a number of improvements over M1 and previous-generation models. Featuring a more powerful 8-core CPU, M3 is up to 35 percent faster for multithreaded CPU workflows than iPad Air with M1. M3 features a 9-core GPU with up to 40 percent faster graphics performance over M1.
M3 also brings advanced graphics architecture to iPad Air for the first time with support for dynamic caching, along with hardware-accelerated mesh shading and ray tracing. For graphics-intensive rendering workflows, iPad Air with M3 offers up to 4x faster performance than iPad Air with M1, enabling more accurate lighting, reflections, shadows, and extremely realistic gaming experiences.
Read More: Apple to Launch MacBook Air M4, AI Integration Expected
The faster Neural Engine in M3 means iPad Air users can enjoy even more AI capabilities in iPadOS. Compared to M1, the Neural Engine in M3 is up to 60 percent faster for AI-based workloads. Other improvements over iPad models with A-series chips include support for Apple Intelligence, the choice of 11- and 13-inch sizes, and support for advanced accessories, including the new Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil Pro.
As for the new Magic Keyboard, it gets a larger built-in trackpad that brings greater precision for detail-oriented tasks, and a new 14-key function row which allows easy access to features like screen brightness and volume controls. The new Magic Keyboard attaches magnetically, and the Smart Connector immediately connects power and data without the need for Bluetooth; a machined aluminum hinge also includes a USB-C connector for charging.
iPad with A16: India Price, Availability
The new iPad starts with 128GB of storage, and is also available in 256GB and a new 512GB configuration. Available in blue, pink, yellow, and silver, Wi-Fi models of the new iPad are available with a starting price of Rs 34,900, and Wi-Fi + Cellular models start atRs 49,900. For education, Wi-Fi models of the new iPad are available with a starting price of Rs 32,900, and Wi-Fi + Cellular models start at Rs 47,900.
The new baseline iPad now comes with double the starting storage and the A16 chip. The A16 chip provides a jump in performance for everyday tasks and experiences in iPadOS, while still providing all-day battery life. Compared to the previous generation, the updated iPad with A16 is nearly 30 percent faster. Further, compared to iPad with A13 Bionic, users will see up to a 50 percent improvement in overall performance.