Apple Announces New iPad Air With M3 Chip, Updated Magic Keyboard

[Naraxus]

The problem is that the concern is no longer releasing "the best products" but rather staggering all the releases so they have products to serve as "extra chip capacity/inventory dumping grounds"

Strongly disagree. The M4 chip is incredible even at its base level, the MacBook line is quite strong and the iPhone is still the standard by which other phones are judged.

 

[Chungry]

Strongly disagree. The M4 chip is incredible even at its base level, the MacBook line is quite strong and the iPhone is still the standard by which other phones are judged.

I'm not sure those things disprove what they are saying: chiefly that product lines are recipients of excess, trickle-down inventory to wrong every last cent out of the supply chain. It's an artificial barrier to agility and forward momentum.

 

[I7guy]

This is the classic conundrum Tim Cook has created with many Apple products. Do I buy the overpriced Pro model or the underpowered Air model.

Contrasted with Steve Jobs who had a take it or leave it approach?

 

[Naraxus]

Contrasted with Steve Jobs who had a take it or leave it approach?

You can have it any color you want so long as it's black.

 

[0049190]

Contrasted with Steve Jobs who had a take it or leave it approach?

I would prefer that.

 

[I7guy]

I would prefer that.

Because you prefer one product release strategy over another doesn’t make either right or wrong. Apple has to change with the times.

 

[0049190]

You can have it any color you want so long as it's black.

The colour options we’ve had under Tim Cook have been exceedingly dull.

 

[svish]

Was thinking that it might get M4. Very minor update. Even the colours remain the same. Anyway good to have the lineup updated with newer chips

 

[skaertus]

Nice. But the M2 was probably underused by most iPad Air owners, and so will be the M3. So, no practical difference for the majority of users.

 

[PJH10]

Apple today introduced new 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air models with the M3 chip, along with an updated Magic Keyboard for the device.

With the M3 chip, the new iPad Air should offer up to 20% faster performance compared to the previous-generation model with the M2 chip, which was released in May 2024. In addition, the M3 chip brings hardware-accelerated ray tracing to the iPad Air for the first time, providing improved graphics rendering in games.

The new Magic Keyboard for the iPad Air features a larger trackpad, and function keys for easy access to features like display brightness and volume controls. The new Magic Keyboard attaches to the iPad Air magnetically, and the Smart Connector immediately connects power and data without the need for Bluetooth. The keyboard is also equipped with a USB-C port in its hinge for pass-through charging of other accessories.

We have yet to discover any other changes for the new iPad Air beyond the M3 chip and the updated Magic Keyboard. The new 11-inch and 13-inch models continue to have a 12-megapixel Center Stage front camera, 12-megapixel Wide rear camera, Touch ID power button, USB-C port with up to 10 Gbps data transfer speeds, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.3.

Storage capacities continue to range between 128GB and 1TB, and battery life is unchanged compared to the previous model.

Apple Intelligence is available on any iPad Air model with the M1 chip or newer.

The new iPad Air can be pre-ordered starting today, and it will launch on March 12. In the U.S., the 11-inch model continues to start at $599, and the 13-inch model continues to start at $799. The device remains available in the same Space Gray, Starlight, Blue, and Purple color options that were offered for the previous model.

The new Magic Keyboard comes in white. In the U.S., it is priced at $269 for the 11-inch iPad Air, and at $319 for the 13-inch iPad Air.

Article Link: Apple Announces New iPad Air With M3 Chip, Updated Magic Keyboard

I can only guess that Apple has a very large overstock of M3 chips! Yeah! Let’s dump them into an IPad and try to sell it as NEW! 🙄

 

[Chungry]

I can only guess that Apple has a very large overstock of M3 chips! Yeah! Let’s dump them into an IPad and try to sell it as NEW! 🙄

This is their strategy of course. It looks to pull as much value as possible from the supply chain and what they have on hand. It's brilliant too- because it rotates sunk cost into product refreshes. That cost might alter their financials if they were more quick to abandon chips already produced.

 

[Geekett]

I was hoping for a nano-texture option and 90hz screen. I keep my old 2020 iPad Pro and won’t upgrade for the last or next iPad Pro either, because it’s way too expensive, and except nano-texture glass, it’s overkilled.

See you next year, Apple, maybe !

 

[Chungry]

Design and UX feel like they’re just a department off to the side somewhere, while the crux of the company’s existence is “How can we build efficient supply chains and sell many SKUs via effective marketing?”

 

[Frantisekj]

Seems they kept or have not used all M3 chips

Asi I see now that both CPU and GPU have one binned core then it is highly likely they utilize faulty chips way it has good sense. And if they wont sell all they can put it in base iPad next year

 

[ohbrilliance]

My M1 Air speed is fine, give us OLED screens and/or ProMotion, then we will talk. 😉

It's getting ridiculous. ProMotion has been around for seven years and it still hasn't filtered down to the non-pro models! It looks like Apple is being obstinate because of the "Pro" in the name. Well I'm being obstinate with my wallet.

 

[krell100]

But still only iOS so what's the point?

 

[throAU]

Very disappointed they’ve gone with the M3 chip. That leaves it 2 years behind the Pro.

And still about 8 years ahead of the iPad software ecosystem

 

[scrapesleon]

still has Touch ID useless

 

[GregoryIsom]

$800 for 60 hz

 

[jonnysods]

They moved the camera position and they redesigned the keyboard, that's pretty nice.

 

[tgwaste]

Man Apple is just bombing lately.

 

[SierraSam]

I’m tempted to get the 13” Air. I had the original 13” Pro when it first came out (mainly for illustration). I downsized to an 11” M1, but I find I’m missing that larger screen. Not sure if the 60Hz screen will matter for drawing.

 

[dreamsayer]

$319 plux tax for a keyboard is just insane

So is $79 or $99 for a Smart Folio cover.

 

[dcingie]

Why would they use an already outdated chip?

 

[DakotaGuy]

I just preordered a blue 128 GB WiFi iPad Air M3. It’ll be a nice upgrade from my green iPad Air 4th Gen A14 64 GB that I’ve had for 4 years.