Apple Gives the iPad Air an M1 Makeover
Apple today gave its slim iPad Air an M1 upgrade, which it says delivers up to 60% faster performance over the 2020 model.
The 2022 iPad Air also delivers twice the graphics peformance, according to Apple, which unveiled its new tablet today alongside a revamped iPhone SE and Mac lineup. The Apple-made M1 chip first made its appearance in 2020 MacBooks, and while Apple has since released the M1 Pro and M1 Max, the M1 should offer plenty of power for tablet users upgrading from an A14.
The new iPad Air features an ultra-wide 12MP front camera and 12MP wide camera on the back. It supports Center Stage, which will keep you centered in the frame during a FaceTime chat or zoom in and out as people come on camera.
The iPad Air sports a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display with a Touch ID button built into the tablet's top button for authentication.
Like the new iPhone SE, the cellular version of the new iPad Air supports 5G. There's also eSim and Wi-Fi 6 support, Apple says, while the USB-C port is up to 2x faster than the previous generation, allowing for connections to accessories like external storage and displays with up to 6K resolution.
Creative types with a second-gen Apple Pencil can use it with the new iPad Air, which also works with Apple's Magic Keyboard, Smart Keyboard Folio, and Smart Folio covers.
The tablet comes with iPadOS 15; check out the top features in our review.
Pre-order the new iPad Air beginning Friday, March 11 before it arrives in stores on March 18. The Wi-Fi version starts at $599 with 64GB of storage (256GB also available); the Wi-Fi plus cellular iPad Air starts at $749. Both models come in space gray, starlight, pink, purple, or blue.
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