The M4 iPad Air: What’s New and When It’s Coming
Apple plans to hold an “Experience” on March 4 for selected members of the media, and in the days before the event, we expect several product updates. The iPad Air is one of the new devices that could get an update, so we thought we’d highlight what’s coming.
Design and Display
There are no rumored design changes for the iPad Air, so we can expect similar 11-inch and 13-inch size options.
The iPad Air is thicker and heavier than the iPad Pro, and uses a standard LED display instead of OLED technology. The iPad Air will eventually be upgraded to OLED, but for now, the high-end display technology will remain limited to the iPad Pro. The iPad Air also does not support ProMotion, and there is no indication that Apple plans to add it.
The iPad Air will continue to feature USB-C, the top Touch ID button, and the same front and rear cameras.
It is possible that there will be a new color option, but it is not guaranteed with a minor update. No new accessories are rumored, and it will continue to work with the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil Pro.
The M4 Chip
Apple has been updating the iPad Air with an M-series chip that is a generation behind the chip in the iPad Pro. Since the iPad Pro was updated in October 2025 with the M5, the iPad Air is set to get the M4 chip.
The M3 in the current iPad Air and the M4 chip are both built on a 3-nanometer process, but the M4 has an updated process that brings improvements in speed and efficiency.
There are up to 10 CPUs instead of 8, the Neural Engine is faster, and there is more memory bandwidth. The GPU is also more powerful in terms of potential battery gain. The M4 CPU is up to 30 percent faster than the M3 CPU, while the GPU is up to 21 percent faster.
The iPad Air already supports Apple Intelligence, and the next-generation model will continue to do so. Apple has increased the RAM on the higher-end iPad Pro models, but there’s no word on whether that change will make it to the iPad Air. Current models have 8GB of RAM, the minimum for Apple Intelligence.
It’s charging
The iPad Pro got faster charging with the M5 update, and that’s something that could trickle down to the iPad Air.
N1 Networking Chip
The iPad Air is likely to use the N1 network chip that Apple introduced for the first time in the iPhone 17 models.
The N1 chip is an Apple-designed Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip that offers improved connectivity and performance compared to third-party chips that Apple has used in previous devices. The N1 supports the latest Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 technologies.
The current iPad Air offers Wi-Fi 6E support, so the next-generation model will see faster Wi-Fi speeds on Wi-Fi 7 compatible networks.
Apple Modem
Apple used the C1X in the M5 iPad Pro, and the mobile versions of the iPad Air will get that same modem chip. The C1X is an improved version of the C1, Apple’s first home modem.
It offers performance in line with Qualcomm chips, although the 5G connection is limited to sub-6GHz without mmWave 5G support. That’s not a problem on the iPad, because the current version of the iPad Air doesn’t support mmWave.
Apple’s modem chips are more efficient than Qualcomm’s modem chips, and can integrate better with other iPad components.
The price
There are no rumors of a price increase, so the 11-inch model is expected to continue starting at $599, while the 13-inch model will start at $799.
Effective Date
The iPad Air could be out as soon as next week, ahead of Apple’s Special Experience on March 4.
