Upcoming iPad Air Rumored to Feature M1 Chip
The updated iPad Air that Apple is expected to unveil at tomorrow's "Peek Performance" event could include the same M1 chip that's featured in the 2021 iPad Pro, according to information shared by 9to5Mac. Last year's iPad Pro was the first iPad to get Apple's M-series chip, and adding the M1 to the iPad Air would put iPad Air performance on par with the current iPad Pro models and the 2020 MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini.
All prior rumors about the iPad Air have suggested that it will be similar to the iPad mini, featuring the same A15 chip along with 5G connectivity. Adding the M1 to the iPad Air would make it very similar to the more expensive top-of-the-line iPad Pro, and if Apple does opt to do so, ProMotion display technology (with mini-LED in the 12.9-inch model) and the LiDAR camera would be the main differences between the iPad Air and the iPad Pro lines.
The M1 chip features a 8-core CPU and a 7 to 8-core GPU, and comparatively, the A15 chip has a 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU, so the M1 does offer some speed improvements over the A-series chips.
Apple's "Peek Performance" event will kick off at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time tomorrow, so we don't have much more time before we learn exactly what chip Apple is adding to the iPad Air. We'll have coverage here at MacRumors.com and on our MacRumorsLive Twitter account.
Popular Stories
Apple is planning to debut a high-end secondary version of AirPods Pro 3 this year, sitting in the lineup alongside the current model, reports suggest.
Back in September 2025, supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is planning to introduce a successor to the AirPods Pro 3 in 2026. This would be somewhat unusual since Apple normally waits around three years to make major...
iOS 27 is still many months away, but there are already plenty of rumors about new features that will be included in the software update.
The first beta of iOS 27 will be released during WWDC 2026 in June, and the update should be released to all users with a compatible iPhone in September.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that iOS 27 will be similar to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense...
Over the last few months, rumors around the iPhone 18 Pro's front-panel design have been conflicted, with some supply-chain leaks pointing to under-display Face ID, reports suggesting a top-left hole-punch camera, and debate over whether the familiar Dynamic Island will shrink, shift, or disappear entirely.
Today, Weibo-based leaker Instant Digital shared new details that appear to clarify the ...
MacBook Pro availability is tightening on Apple's online store, with select configurations facing up to a two-month delivery timeframe in the United States.
A few 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro configurations with an M4 Pro chip are not facing any shipping delay, but estimated delivery dates for many configurations with an M4 Max chip range from February 6 to February 24 or even later. At...
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another eight months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices.
Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models, as of January 2026:
The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras
Under-screen Face ID...
