The iPad Air is available in two sizes—11 inches and 13 inches, and this is the first time Apple has built a larger screen option for this model. 

The device, designed to enhance both creativity and productivity, comes in four colours: blue, purple, starlight, and space grey.

The iPad Air can be pre-ordered starting today, with official sales beginning on 12 March. Pricing remains unchanged, starting at $599 for the 11-inch Wi-Fi model and $799 for the 13-inch Wi-Fi model, while cellular versions are priced at $749 and $949, respectively. 

Apple is also offering special education pricing, with the 11-inch model available at $549 and the 13-inch model at $749.

Better Performance with the M3 Chip

According to Apple, the M3-powered iPad Air is nearly twice as fast as the M1 model and up to 3.5 times faster than the A14 Bionic version. The 8-core CPU in the M3 chip improves multitasking efficiency, while the 9-core GPU boosts graphics performance by up to 40% compared to M1.

This improvement is particularly beneficial for users engaging in content creation, gaming, and multitasking. The support for hardware-accelerated ray tracing and dynamic caching enables smoother graphics rendering, making it ideal for high-performance applications such as video editing and 3D design.

“The iPad Air is so popular because of its unmatched combination of powerful performance, portability, and support for advanced accessories, all at an affordable price,” said Bob Borchers, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. 

“For everyone from college students taking notes with Apple Pencil Pro to travellers and content creators who need powerful productivity on the go, iPad Air with M3, Apple Intelligence, and the new Magic Keyboard take versatility and value to the next level.”

Apple Intelligence and AI Features

Apple has built the new iPad Air to support Apple Intelligence, a system designed to enhance usability and efficiency. Some of its key AI-driven capabilities include:

• Image Cleanup in Photos: Users can remove unwanted objects from images effortlessly.
• Image Wand in Notes: Rough sketches can be converted into more polished visuals simply by circling them with an Apple Pencil.
• Writing Tools: Features such as Genmoji help create custom emojis, while AI-powered text enhancements refine written content.
• Conversational Siri: The virtual assistant is now more interactive, understands context better, and allows users to type their queries instead of speaking them.

Apple has also integrated ChatGPT into Writing Tools and Siri, enabling users to access AI-driven assistance without needing to switch between applications. Notably, ChatGPT is available for free without requiring an account, and Apple ensures user privacy by obscuring IP addresses and preventing OpenAI from storing requests.

A Redesigned Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil Pro

Alongside the iPad Air, Apple has unveiled a new Magic Keyboard designed to improve user experience. The updated model includes:

• A larger built-in trackpad for precise navigation.
• A 14-key function row providing quick access to brightness and volume controls.
• A machined aluminium hinge with a USB-C connector for charging.

The keyboard magnetically attaches to the iPad Air via the Smart Connector, taking out the need for Bluetooth pairing. It is priced at $269 for the 11-inch model and $319 for the 13-inch model, and it comes in white.

Apple has also ensured that the new iPad Air is compatible with Apple Pencil Pro, allowing users to take advantage of enhanced note-taking and creative features.

Storage and Connectivity Options

The iPad Air with M3 chip comes in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage configurations, giving users flexibility based on their needs. Connectivity-wise, the device supports Wi-Fi 6E for faster internet speeds and 5G for improved cellular performance, making it more efficient for remote work and online collaboration.

Environmental Commitment and Sustainability

Apple is highly focused on reducing environmental impact with the new iPad Air. The device incorporates 100% recycled aluminium in its enclosure, along with 100% recycled rare earth elements in all magnets. Additionally, its battery contains 100% recycled cobalt, and over 95% of its lithium is recycled.

As part of its Apple 2030 initiative, the company aims to achieve carbon neutrality across its entire business, including manufacturing and product life cycles, by the end of the decade. The iPad Air packaging is now completely fibre-based, moving Apple closer to eliminating plastic from its packaging.

iPadOS 18: More Power and Flexibility

The new iPad Air will run on iPadOS 18, bringing improvements in productivity, creativity, and personalisation. Some of the key features include:

• Math Notes in Calculator: Users can write mathematical expressions with the Apple Pencil and see instant solutions.
• Smart Script in Notes: Handwritten text is automatically refined for better readability and can be pasted as typed text.
• New Audio Recording and Transcription: Lectures and conversations can be recorded and automatically transcribed, with timestamps for easy reference.
• Customisable Home Screen: Users can resize app icons and widgets and apply a dark or tinted effect.

A redesigned Control Centre provides easier access to frequently used features, and new third-party app controls improve personalisation options.

Availability

The iPad Air with M3 chip is available for pre-order starting today, with in-store availability beginning on 12 March in 29 countries and regions, including the United States.

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All-New Magic Keyboard: Slimmer, Lighter, and Packed with Features

Complementing the new iPad Pro’s sleek design is a completely redesigned Magic Keyboard. Developed to be extremely thin and light, it retains the beloved magic floating design. 

Available in two colors matching the new iPad Pro, the Magic Keyboard has several great features.

A function row offers quick access to essential controls like screen brightness, while a luxurious aluminum palm rest enhances comfort. The larger trackpad now features haptic feedback, delivering a MacBook-like user experience. 

This new Magic Keyboard makes the iPad Pro even more portable and versatile, perfect for users on the go.

Apple Pencil Pro Comes with Creativity and Innovative Features

Apple Pencil has bolstered creative expression on iPad. Building on this success, Apple introduces the all-new Apple Pencil Pro. This next-generation stylus takes the Apple Pencil experience to a whole new level.

A new sensor in the barrel of the Apple Pencil Pro enables great interactions. Users can simply squeeze the Pencil to activate a customizable tool palette. This action triggers a haptic engine, providing precise feedback you can feel. 

Again, a built-in gyroscope allows for rolling the Pencil for granular control over tools, like adjusting the orientation of a virtual brush.

Never lose track of your Apple Pencil Pro again. It now supports Find My, ensuring easy location. As expected, it magnetically pairs, charges, and stores conveniently on the side of the iPad Pro.

Apple Pencil Pro enables creators to bring their ideas to life like never before. Developers can also leverage its capabilities to create unique custom interactions.

Enhanced Workflows for Artists and Animators

The Apple Pencil Pro squeeze function allows for targeted actions without touching the screen. Users can activate shortcuts for favorite brushes and tools or simply hover and squeeze to select specific layers, accelerating navigation in complex projects. 

When moving or transforming objects on the canvas, haptic feedback provides the confidence of perfect alignment.

Animators will appreciate the ability to move and rotate objects simultaneously, staying completely focused on their creative flow. The M4 chip further empowers animators with computationally intensive effects like Lens Blur, enabling the creation of realistic bokeh and camera focus animations.

Pricing and Availability

The new Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro starts at $299, while the Apple Pencil Pro is priced at $129. These innovative accessories will further enhance the capabilities of the new iPad Pro, making it an even greater choice for creative professionals and users on the go.

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The new iPad Pro comes in two sizes — an 11-inch model and a brand new 13-inch option. Both models are incredibly thin, measuring just 5.3mm and 5.1mm respectively, making them the thinnest Apple product ever created. 

They are also incredibly lightweight, with the 11-inch model weighing less than a pound and the 13-inch model being nearly a quarter-pound lighter than its predecessor. The iPad Pro comes in two finishes — silver and space black, both created with 100% recycled aluminum.

Introducing the Ultra Retina XDR Display

The new iPad Pro comes with great display technology, a Tandem OLED display. This innovative design combines two OLED panels to achieve exceptional brightness levels, reaching an incredible 1000 nits for both SDR and HDR content, with peak HDR brightness reaching 1600 nits. 

With sub-millisecond control over color and luminance, the Ultra Retina XDR display delivers unparalleled precision, deeper blacks, and more detail in shadows and highlights than ever before on an iPad. 

Added to these, an optional nano-texture glass option minimizes glare for users working in demanding lighting conditions.

Supercharged Performance with the M4 Chip

The M4 chip is a big leap forward for Apple silicon. Built on a second-generation 3-nanometer process, the M4 is incredibly power-efficient, enabling the iPad Pro’s thin and light design. 

It features an entirely new display engine specifically designed for the Ultra Retina XDR display and delivers up to 50% faster CPU performance compared to the M2 chip in the previous iPad Pro. 

The next-generation 10-core GPU architecture with features like Dynamic Caching brings hardware-accelerated mesh shading and ray tracing to iPad for the first time, making games and professional rendering applications run exceptionally smooth. 

The M4 also comes with the most powerful Neural Engine ever created, capable of 38 trillion operations per second, making it ideal for AI-powered tasks.

Improved Thermal Performance and Powerful Apps

In incorporating graphite sheets and copper cooling elements, Apple has improved the thermal performance of the new iPad Pro by nearly 20%. 

This, combined with the M4 chip, comes with up to four times faster performance than the previous iPad Pro with M2 and 10 times faster performance compared to the original iPad Pro. 

iPadOS takes full advantage of the iPad Pro’s capabilities, offering features like reference mode for color-critical workflows and Stage Manager for advanced multitasking. 

Additionally, powerful pro apps like Shapr3D, ZBrush, Final Cut Pro, and Logic Pro have been updated to leverage the M4 chip’s power, enabling faster rendering, smoother editing, and innovative new features.

Final Cut Pro 2 and Logic Pro 2

These redesigned pro apps bring a more intuitive touch experience for both seasoned Mac users and new iPad creators.

Final Cut Pro 2 introduces Live Multicam, allowing filmmakers to connect and preview up to four cameras simultaneously on iPad. 

A companion app, Final Cut Camera, transforms iPhones and iPads into additional cameras for capturing multi-angle shots. Final Cut Pro 2 also has faster rendering, external project support, and enhanced editing capabilities. 

Logic Pro 2 introduces Session Players, AI-powered virtual bassists and keyboardists, a new ChromaGlow plugin that emulates the warmth of analog recordings, and a supercharged Stem Splitter for isolating specific instruments from audio tracks.

Advanced Camera System and New Apple Pencil Pro

The new iPad Pro features a 12MP Ultra Wide front camera with Face ID and a new charging and pairing system for Apple Pencil. The True Tone flash has been improved for better document scanning, and a new automatic document detection feature utilizes AI to enhance scan quality. 

The Apple Pencil Pro takes the Apple Pencil experience a step further with a new pressure-sensitive squeeze function for quick access to tool palettes and haptic feedback for a more natural writing experience. It also supports Find My and magnetic charging on the side of the iPad Pro.

Pricing and Availability

The new iPad Pro starts at $999 for the 11-inch model and $1299 for the 13-inch model, with both models starting at 256GB of storage. The new Magic Keyboard starts at $299, and the Apple Pencil Pro is priced at $129. 

Pre-orders began yesterday, with availability starting next week. Apple also announced a price drop for the 10th generation iPad, bringing it down to $349.

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