This version of the Apple M4 is slightly cut-down compared to the version that ships in Macs, or that came with the M4 iPad Pro. It only has 8 CPU cores and 9 GPU cores, down from a maximum of 10 each; there also isn’t a 16GB variant, which was used in some configurations of the M4 iPad Pro. Apple doesn’t specify whether this M4 is missing two of its four high-performance CPU cores, two of its six high-efficiency cores, or one of each; we’ve asked the company for comment and will update the article if we get a response.
Very little has changed about the new iPad Air, otherwise. It still comes in four relatively muted color options (space gray, blue, purple, and a pale gold “starlight”), still uses a regular 60 Hz LCD display rather than an OLED or ProMotion screen, still uses a power button-mounted TouchID sensor rather than FaceID, and still includes a single-lens 12MP rear camera with no flash. Apple still doesn’t offer its nano-texture display coating for the Air, either—that’s reserved exclusively for higher-end iPad Pro configurations.
The new iPad Air is part of a string of announcements that Apple is planning in the run-up to a “special experience” event on Wednesday morning. The company also announced a new iPhone 17e today, and is widely expected to debut a new low-end iPad and a new MacBook that’s substantially cheaper than the MacBook Air.