The iPad Air M4 is the newest generation iPad Air released back in March of 2026. The biggest upgrade is the Apple M4 chip, which is about 20%-30% faster than the M3 chip found on the previous generation model. The iPad Air also supports Apple Intelligence and its features including Genmoji, Writing Tools, and AI-enhanced Siri.

Normally, most iPad updates are incremental and outside of the CPU upgrade, the buck stops there. Not with this update. The new iPad has also increased the amount of memory by 50%, from 8GB to 12GB of RAM. You'll be able to run multiple resource-heavy apps, mult-task, and take advatange of processor-intenstive AI features better than before.

In addition to the increased memory, the iPad also has a brand new N1 wireless chip. For the first time the iPad Air supports Wi-Fi 7, which offers wireless faster-than-gigabit networking speeds. The N1 chip also supports Bluetooth 6, which boasts better latency and power efficiency compared to Bluetooth 5.

The rest of the specs are pretty much identical to its predecessor. The iPad Air boasts an 11" 2360x1640 (264ppi) Liquid Retina display with P3 Wide Color and True Tone that's better quality than the screen found on the standard iPad. SThe iPad Air is compatible with the Apple Pencil Pro, Apple Pencil (USB‑C) and the Magic Keyboard. In fact, the newer model Magic Keyboard that was released earlier this year is specifically catered to the iPad Air.

Looking for more iPad resources?

If you're not sure which iPad is best for you, we have an iPad guide which details the ideal iPad for different use cases. If you want to get an iPad for schoolwork, we have an iPad guide for students as well. If you're looking for options outside of iOS, check out the best Android tablets of 2026.

Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.