Apple has unveiled a third new iPad Air in as many years – the 2026 variant brings the Apple M4 chip, adds extra RAM and it is the first iPad to feature the N1 and C1X wireless chips from Apple.
Cupertino makes a brief mention of last year’s iPad Air, the one with the M3 chip, but it’s clear that this model is aimed at enticing owners of the M1-powered Airs (from 2022) and users of vanilla iPads to upgrade.
Apple iPad Air (2026) colors: Space Gray • Blue • Purple • Starlight
The new iPad Air (2026) with its M4 chip is 30% faster than the 2025/M3 version. Not bad, but hardly worth an upgrade on its own. Compared against the 2022/M1 models, however, the new version brings a massive 2.3x speedup.
But here’s something that might interest you even if you have a 2025 Air – the 2026 model has 12GB of RAM, up from 8GB. And it’s faster too with 120GB/s bandwidth.
Let’s dig into some specifics. The M4 chip inside the new iPad Air has an 8-core CPU and a 9-core GPU. The 16-core Neural Engine offers 3x the performance of the M1 NPU. This combined with the bigger, faster RAM will have a massive impact on running on-device AI. Before you say “I don’t care about AI,” note that this includes things like background removal in videos in Final Cut Pro.
Apple iPad Air (2026)
For local connectivity, the tablet uses Apple’s N1 chip, which supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread (the smart home protocol). If you pick up a 5G-enabled version of the Air, it will feature Apple’s C1X modem, which offers 50% higher wireless speeds while using 30% less power than the modems used in the M3-powered Airs.
Despite rumors, the new models still use Liquid Retina displays, which is what Apple calls its LCD panels. And yes, they still run at 60Hz.
The Apple iPad Air 2026 is available in 11” and 13” models, which cost $600 and $800, respectively. This is for the base 12/128GB variant (yes, storage still starts at 128GB). Below we’ve listed the prices of other storage options. For a 5G tablet, add $250 / €170 / £200 / ₹15,000.
| iPad Air (2026) with M4 | 128GB | 256GB | 512GB | 1TB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11” | $600 | $700 | $900 | $1,100 |
| €650 | €780 | €1,030 | €1,280 | |
| £600 | £700 | £900 | £1,100 | |
| ₹65,000 | ₹75,000 | ₹95,000 | ₹115,000 | |
| 13” | $800 | $900 | $1,100 | $1,300 |
| €850 | €980 | €1,230 | €1,480 | |
| £800 | £900 | £1,100 | £1,300 | |
| ₹85,000 | ₹95,000 | ₹115,000 | ₹135,000 |
Note that Apple offers its usual $50 discount for teachers and students. Pre-orders will start on Wednesday (March 4) and availability will begin on Wednesday next week (March 11).
The new iPad Air can be paired with a Magic Keyboard and/or a Pencil Pro
Additionally, you will be able to pick up the Apple Magic Keyboard ($270 for the 11” model and $320 for the 13” one), the Apple Pencil ($80) or Apple Pencil Pro ($130). These are subject to education discounts too.
The standard retail package includes a 20W charger and a USB C-to-C cable.
