iPad Air M4: Specs, Prices

Apple announced a new iPad Air powered by the M4 chip, keeping the same U.S. starting prices: $599 for the 11-inch model and $799 for the 13-inch model. Pre-orders start Wednesday, March 4, and availability begins Wednesday, March 11.

This update focuses on faster performance, more memory, and new connectivity hardware. It also arrives alongside iPadOS 26, which adds a new windowing system and a dedicated Preview app for PDFs and markup.

What’s new in iPad Air with M4

• M4 performance bump: Apple says iPad Air with M4 is up to 30% faster than iPad Air with M3, and up to 2.3× faster than iPad Air with M1.
• More unified memory: Unified memory increases to 12GB, helping demanding apps and on-device AI workflows.
• Higher memory bandwidth: Apple lists 120GB/s memory bandwidth.
• Graphics features: The M4 configuration includes an 8-core CPU and 9-core GPU, with hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading support.

Connectivity: N1 and C1X

For the first time on iPad Air, Apple adds new connectivity silicon:

• N1 wireless chip with Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread
• C1X modem on cellular models, with Apple claiming faster cellular performance and improved power efficiency versus the prior generation

iPadOS 26 highlights

iPadOS 26 is positioned around multitasking and file handling:

• A new windowing system for managing multiple apps
• A menu bar for quicker access to app commands
• A more capable Files app with improved list view and folder options
• A dedicated Preview app for viewing and marking up PDFs and images
• Background Tasks and better audio input control (Apple silicon-focused features)

Sizes, colors, storage

• Sizes: 11-inch and 13-inch
• Colors: Blue, Purple, Starlight, Space Gray
• Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

U.S. pricing

• 11-inch: $599 (Wi-Fi) / $749 (Wi-Fi + Cellular)
• 13-inch: $799 (Wi-Fi) / $949 (Wi-Fi + Cellular)

Education pricing starts at $549 (11-inch) and $749 (13-inch).

Accessories

• Magic Keyboard for iPad Air: $269 (11-inch) / $319 (13-inch)
• Apple Pencil Pro: $129
• Apple Pencil (USB-C): $79

Who this iPad Air fits best

This model makes the most sense for people coming from older iPad Air generations (especially M1-era hardware) or anyone who wants more memory headroom, faster on-device AI performance, Wi-Fi 7 support, and a larger 13-inch screen without moving to iPad Pro pricing.

And if you carry your tablet daily, a simple protective case matters. Komodoty-style minimal cases pair well with iPad setups that travel between work, school, and home.

If you’re considering a new iPad case for your device, browse the latest Komodoty models and use code 10OFF for 10% off your first order.