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- Apple’s new iPad and iPad Air are launching on 12 March, for AU$599 and AU$999 respectively
- Both are getting spec bumps to the A16 and M3 chips
- Interestingly, the A16-equipped iPad won’t be capable of utilising Apple Intelligence
Apple has announced the rumoured refresh to the iPad Air is real, and it’s coming sooner than you’d think. The new iPad Air comes equipped with an M3 chip, and comes in two sizes – the 11” model will start at AU$999, while the larger 13” model will start at AU$1,349.
Both models are available for pre-order starting 5 March, and will be widely available on 12 March. Apple is also launching the Magic Keyboard for iPad Air, which will help turn what we called a glorified entertainment device into something closer to a light, touchscreen laptop.
Along with the spec bump to the M3 (which is made up of an 8-core CPU, a 9-core GPU, and a 16-core NPU, enabling Apple Intelligence), the iPad Air will come equipped with 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB of storage, depending on how much you want to spend, as well as 8GB of RAM.
Alongside a new iPad Air, Apple also announced an updated base-level iPad, which is coming with double the starting storage at 128GB, and the updated (but no-longer bleeding-edge) A16 chip, which will make the device “30 per cent faster” than the previous version, which shipped with the A14 chip. The iPad drops on 12 March as well, but will start from AU$599.
As much as I’d love to dive deeper into the cool, new stuff Apple is delivering with these models – that’s kind of it.
The Current iPad Line-Up
| iPad (2025) | iPad Air (2025) | iPad Pro (2024) | |
| Price | From AU$599 | From AU$999 | From AU1,699 |
| Display | – 11” IPS PED display – 2360 x 1640 resolution – 60Hz refresh rate | – 11” or 13” IPS LED display – 11: 2360 x 1640 resolution – 13”: 2732 x 2048 resolution – 60Hz refresh rate | – 11” or 13” Tandem OLED display – 11”: 2420 x 1668 resolution – 13”: 2752 x 2064 resolution – 120Hz refresh rate |
| Weight | From 477 grams | From 460 grams | From 444 grams |
| Internals | – Processor: A16 – RAM: 4GB – Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB | – Processor: M3 – RAM: 8GB – Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | – Processor: M4 – RAM: 8GB, 16GB – Storage: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB |
| Networking | – 5G (on select models) – Wi-Fi 6 – Bluetooth 5.3 | – 5G (on select models) – Wi-Fi 6e – Bluetooth 5.3 | – 5G (on select models) – Wi-Fi 6e – Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Camera | – Front: 12MP – Rear: 12MP wide – Can record up to 4K@60fps – Can record slow-motion up to 1080p@240fps | – Front: 12MP – Rear: 12MP wide – Can record up to 4K@60fps – Can record slow-motion up to 1080p@240fps | – Front: 12MP – Rear: 12MP wide – Can record up to 4K@60fps – Can record slow-motion up to 1080p@240fps |
| Battery | unknown | 7,606mAh | 8,160mAh |
| Other Features | – Touch ID – USB-C port – Supports Apple Pencil USB-C | – Touch ID – USB-C port – Apple Intelligence – Supports Apple Pencil Pro | – Face ID – Thunderbolt-capable USB-4 Type-C port – Apple Intelligence – Supports Apple Pencil Pro |
Are Either of these Worth the Upgrade?
In my honest opinion, probably not. Ultimately, it depends on what you’re already rocking, how you use it, and what you’d be expecting out of a new tablet. When we reviewed the iPad Air last year, we found it was not all that compelling when compared to the much more capable M4-equipped iPad Pro. And, with this version of the Air heavier than the Pro (and the regular iPad heavier again), we’re starting to wonder what Air actually means.
For the Air, the M2 model that has been on the market for less than a year is almost entirely identical to this new M3 version, save for that chip. It’s also worth noting that the only other device in Apple’s hardware lineup that features the M3 is the MacBook Air, which has been heavily rumoured to be receiving an M4 upgrade (potentially this week).
Put those two things together and it sure seems like this is a slight power bump mainly aimed at ensuring Apple are able to clear out their storehouse of M3 chips once the MacBook Air gets updated. Cynical? Yeah, but also practical.
Interestingly, the regular iPad is actually a bigger ‘upgrade’ from its previous version, which hadn’t been updated since 2022. And, with the A16 on board, rather than the A17 or A18, it actually doesn’t support Apple Intelligence, which is a pretty interesting detail. If you’ve paid any attention to Apple’s marketing in the past year you’ll know they are very keen to push Apple Intelligence, and the fact that they’ve released a new device without the ability to tap into AI is a curious step away from what they’ve been touting as their golden goose.
When Are the New iPads Launching?
The new iPad and iPad Air can be pre-ordered from Apple starting 5 March, and will go on sale on 12 March.
