M3 vs. M4 iPad Air Buyer’s Guide: All the Differences Compared
Apple’s latest iPad Air is a slight improvement over last year’s model, but there are still some changes to note beyond the new chip.
The eighth-generation iPad Air builds on the foundation of last year’s model with a series of improvements focused on performance, memory, and connectivity. While the overall design and information remains the same, the new model introduces the Apple M4 chip, more integrated memory, Apple-designed wireless hardware, and support for new communication standards. Here’s everything that’s different between the 2025 and 2026 iPad Air models:
| iPad Air (seventh generation, 2025) | iPad Air (eighth generation, 2026) |
|---|---|
| Episode M3 | Episode M4 |
| 8GB integrated memory | 12GB integrated memory |
| Broadcom wireless chip | Apple N1 wireless chip |
| Wi-Fi 6E connection | Wi-Fi connection 7 |
| Bluetooth 5.3 connection | Bluetooth 6 connection |
| Qualcomm SDX70M 5G modem | Apple C1X modem |
The biggest change between the two models is the change from the Apple M3 chip to the new M4 chip. Beyond the limited CPU performance benefits, the M4 introduces architectural improvements that increase transistor count, increase machine learning performance, improve memory bandwidth, and improve performance with updated processing technology and redesigned cores.
| The M3 Chip | The M4 Chip |
|---|---|
| Made using TSMC’s 3nm (N3) technology | Manufactured using TSMC’s advanced 3nm (N3E) technology |
| Based on iPhone 15 Pro’s A17 Pro chip (2023) | Based on iPhone 16’s A18 chip (2024) |
| 25 billion transistors | 28 billion transistors (+12%) |
| 8-core CPU (4 performance + 4 efficiency cores) |
8-core CPU (3 performance + 5 efficiency cores) |
| 4.05 GHz CPU clock speed | 4.3 GHz CPU clock speed |
| 16-core Neural Engine, 18 trillion operations per second | 16-core Neural Engine, 38 trillion operations per second (+111%) |
| LPDDR5 memory | LPDDR5X memory |
| 100 GB/s memory bandwidth | 120 GB/s memory bandwidth (+20%) |
| Dedicated display engine | |
| GPU with normal power | More energy-efficient GPU: Maintains performance with very little power |
Overall, the upgrade from the 2025 iPad Air to the 2026 iPad Air is minimal. The new model introduces a faster M4 chip, more integrated memory, and new wireless technology, but the general information remains unchanged in any visible way.
Apple itself shows how much the update is growing: the company continues to advertise the same battery life, despite the introduction of the more efficient C1X modem, and the device keeps the same color options and even the same marketing wallpapers. For most iPad Air users, the performance difference between the two models may not matter, especially for day-to-day tasks.
The new iPad Air is aimed primarily at consumers who simply want a capable, balanced iPad rather than those looking for a major upgrade from the latest model. The Air continues to be central to Apple’s lineup, offering significantly more power and capabilities than the entry-level iPad while remaining less expensive than the iPad Pro. The switch to an M4 chip, more memory, and new connectivity standards like Wi-Fi 7 means new buyers get more modern hardware and longer-term headroom, making the device future-proof.
For existing users, however, there is little reason to upgrade. Anyone using an M3-based iPad Air will see little real-world benefit from moving to the M4 model, and even owners of the M1 or M2 versions are unlikely to experience an improvement from the change in regular use. Instead, the update ensures that customers who buy a new iPad Air today get Apple’s new technology in a standard package.
