Note: This article was first published on 4 March 2025.
The new Apple iPad Air (M3) is now available for pre-order from S$899. Photo: Apple
Apple just announced a new iPad Air and Magic Keyboard.
The iPad Air is now powered by the M3 chip, which was first released in October 2023. Interestingly, unlike the base M3 with an 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU in the MacBook Air, the M3 in the iPad Air comes with an 8-core CPU and 9-core GPU.
In terms of performance, Apple says the iPad Air (M3) is nearly 2x faster compared with the iPad Air (M1) and up to 3.5x faster than the iPad Air with the A14 chip.
The new Magic Keyboard for the Apple iPad Air (M3) has a bigger trackpad, and a 14-key function row. Photo: Apple
There is also a new Magic Keyboard for the iPad Air. It inherits some features from the iPad Pro's Magic Keyboard which include a larger trackpad, a 14-key function row, a USB-C connector for pass-through charging and a machined aluminum hinge.
The rest of the iPad Air is unchanged so you still get a choice of 11 and 13-inch Liquid Retina displays, a single 12MP rear camera, support for Wi-Fi 6E, and support for Apple Intelligence. And as for Apple Pencil support, this model works with the Apple Pencil Pro and the USB-C Apple Pencil. Storage options are also unchanged at 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB.
Like the basic iPad (which has also just been updated), this new iPad Air is a minor spec-bump update. I'm not sure the updates make a meaningful difference for anyone who already has the last iPad Air, but for anyone who's ready to spend around S$1,000 on a brand-new iPad, this new iPad Air looks like a good place to start.
Availability and Pricing
The iPad Air (M3) is now available for pre-order on the Apple Online Store and in the Apple Store app. It should also be available soon on Apple's official storefronts on Lazada and Shopee.
Retail availability will commence on 12 March. Prices for the 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air start from S$899 and S$1,199 respectively.
Model | 11-inch iPad | 13-inch iPad Air | ||
Storage | Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi + Cellular | Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi + Cellular |
128GB | S$899 | S$1,129 | S$1,199 | S$1,429 |
256GB | S$1,049 | S$1,279 | S$1,349 | S$1,579 |
512GB | S$1,349 | S$1,579 | S$1,649 | S$1,879 |
1TB | S$1,649 | S$1,879 | S$1,949 | S$2,179 |
The Magic Keyboard is available at S$399 (for the 11-inch model) and S$449 (for the 13-inch model). It will be available in stores from 12 March.
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