Apple has put rumors to rest with the release of the new M3 iPad Air, effectively skipping over the anticipated M4 version. While its exterior design hasn’t changed, the real magic lies under the hood. The company boasts that this model features a notably faster processor, and initial benchmark tests seem to support this claim.
The early results from Geekbench 6 for the iPad Air equipped with the M3 chip align with expectations, echoing the impressive performance seen in Apple’s MacBook Air lineup. The M3 chip shows a remarkable increase in speed—approximately 20% faster than the previous M2 chip. In multi-core CPU performance, the M3 iPad Air scores an average of 11,605, a significant leap from the M2’s score of 9,817. This translates to an 18% performance boost, which should excite power users and casual users alike.
Design-wise, Apple has kept things familiar. There haven’t been significant changes to the iPad Air’s look, but that’s not necessarily a downside. The current design shares a synergy with other models in the lineup, except for the unique OLED iPad Pro.
In parallel, Apple has introduced the M3 Ultra chip, touted as their fastest chip yet. While it’s currently only available in the Mac Studio, anticipation is high for its benchmark performances. Alongside the M3 Ultra, the announcement of the M4 Max variant and a new iPad 11 with an A16 chip rounded out a busy week for Apple.
Although the new iPad 11 doesn’t incorporate Apple’s latest AI enhancements, the rest of its features remain consistent with other offerings in the lineup.
As the tech world eagerly awaits more detailed benchmarks and real-world tests of Apple’s new devices, opinions on potential upgrades are likely to shape the conversation. Are you considering making the switch to the M3 iPad Air? Share your thoughts on this latest innovation!
