Next-Generation iPad Air With M3 Chip Already Rumored

Apple's next iPad Air will use an M3 processor, according to details posted on X earlier today by a private account with a proven track record of sharing accurate information about Apple's plans.

M2 iPad Air Hero Feature Purple
Apple just last week announced its latest ‌iPad Air‌ models powered by the company's M2 chip. The two new 11-inch and 13-inch models replaced the previous M1-powered 10.9-inch ‌iPad Air‌, which was released in 2022. Apple also just announced new M4 iPad Pro models that were until recently expected to feature the M3 chip.

Combined with Apple's surprise debut of the M4, today's rumor suggests that Apple plans to keep the ‌iPad Air‌ one step behind the ‌iPad Pro‌ in terms of processor generations. Given the recent announcements, it's very early to speculate on a future generation of ‌iPad Air‌, but rumors have suggested that Apple plans to introduce a 10.8-inch OLED iPad Air, and that the tablet could come out between 2026 and 2028.

The new ‌iPad Air‌ is nearly 50% faster than the previous ‌iPad Air‌ with M1, according to Apple. Compared to ‌iPad Air‌ with A14 Bionic, it provides 3x faster performance. Like the previous model, the ‌iPad Air‌ starts at $599, while the 13-inch device starts at $799, and both sizes are available from Wednesday, May 15.

Related Roundup: iPad Air
Tag: M3
Buyer's Guide: iPad Air (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iPad

Popular Stories

iOS 26 Battery Glass Feature

iPhone 16 Pro Max 80% Charge Limit: One Year Later, Was It Worth It?

Wednesday September 24, 2025 3:58 pm PDT by
With the iPhone 15 series, I did an experiment and kept my iPhone's Charge Limit set at 80 percent for an entire year. It provided an interesting look at the impact of charge limits on battery longevity, so I decided to repeat it for the iPhone 16 line. Since September 2024, my iPhone 16 Pro Max has been limited to an 80 percent charge, with no cheating. As of today, my battery's maximum...
AirPods Pro 3 Newsroom

Apple's 'Back to School' Offer Ends Soon, Now Applies to AirPods Pro 3

Wednesday September 24, 2025 7:20 am PDT by
Apple's annual "Back to School" promotion for students ends soon, so act fast if you want to score free AirPods with the purchase of an eligible new Mac or iPad. Until Tuesday, September 30, college students and qualifying educational staff in the U.S. can receive free AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation when they purchase an eligible new Mac or iPad from Apple. This is a $179 value. ...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

Apple Blames In-Store MagSafe Chargers for iPhone 17 Pro Display Model Scratches

Wednesday September 24, 2025 10:22 am PDT by
The marks on the iPhone 17 Pro models that people have noticed at Apple retail stores are caused by the chargers that Apple uses, Apple confirmed today. Apple told 9to5Mac that worn MagSafe charging stands in stores are causing marks on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Apple says that the marks are not scratches, and are instead material transfer from the stand to the phone. The...
iPhone 17 Pro Colors

Skipped the iPhone 17 Pro? Here's What is Rumored for iPhone 18 Pro

Tuesday September 23, 2025 8:55 am PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are still a year away, there are already a few rumors about the devices that offer an early look ahead. Below, we have recapped some of the early iPhone 18 Pro rumors so far. This story was published previously, and it has been updated to reflect the latest rumors. Many early rumors prove to be true, but nothing is confirmed yet, and Apple's...
iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.1 Beta 1

Monday September 22, 2025 12:44 pm PDT by
Apple released the first beta of iOS 26.1 today, just a week after launching iOS 26. iOS 26.1 mainly adds new languages to Apple Intelligence, but there are a few other features that are worth knowing about. New Apple Intelligence Languages Apple Intelligence is now available in Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese. AirPo...
ios 26 digital id passport wallet

Apple Confirms iOS 26 Wallet Passport Feature is Coming in 2025

Tuesday September 23, 2025 1:06 pm PDT by
Digital ID, the iOS 26 feature that lets U.S. passport holders add their passports to the Wallet app, is coming later in 2025, Apple confirmed today. Apple updated the release timing wording of Digital ID on its iOS 26 features page. "Digital ID will be coming later this year with US passports only," it reads. Prior to today, the footnote for the feature said "Digital ID will be available ...
iPhone 17 Pro USB C Port

iPhone 17 Pro Max's USB-C Charging Speeds Tested With Apple Chargers

Monday September 22, 2025 7:29 am PDT by
The website ChargerLAB has tested the iPhone 17 Pro Max's USB-C charging speeds with a variety of Apple's chargers, from 18W to 140W. The device reached a peak charging speed of around 36W with the following Apple chargers:40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max 61W USB-C Power Adapter 67W USB-C Power Adapter 70W USB-C Power Adapter 96W USB-C Power Adapter 140W USB-C Power AdapterFor...
apple tv 4k new orange

Next Apple TV Expected to Launch This Year With These New Features

Monday September 22, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
The next Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Likely Features N1 Chip With Wi-Fi 7 Last year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the next Apple TV would be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, which is...
50 New Features and Changes Worth Checking Out in macOS Tahoe

50 New macOS Tahoe Features and Changes Worth Checking Out

Wednesday September 24, 2025 8:43 am PDT by
Apple this month released macOS Tahoe, the latest version of the company's Mac operating system. ‌macOS Tahoe 26 adopts Apple's new Liquid Glass design along with new customizations, a new Phone app, and updated capabilities across the platform. In this article, we've selected 50 new features and lesser-known changes that are worth checking out if you're upgrading. What do you think of...

Top Rated Comments

MayaUser Avatar
18 months ago
This will 100% not happen
Apple wants to ditch N3B as soon as possible
Air will probably get M4 when the pro will get M5
Score: 43 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple Mac Daz Avatar
18 months ago
They are ditching N3B so it be M4 next
TSMC are winding it down
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
reallynotnick Avatar
18 months ago

This will 100% not happen
Apple wants to ditch N3B as soon as possible
Air will probably get M4 when the pro will get M5
Exactly Apple is skipping the M3 on most of their desktop lineup too. The M3 is going to be quickly sunset.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
subjonas Avatar
18 months ago
That’s odd. I expected Apple to go backwards with the next iPad Air, back to M1.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bradman83 Avatar
18 months ago
As others have said, Apple wants to ditch the more expensive, lower-yielding N3B process ASAP and get onto N3E. Makes no sense to release further M3-based products at this point.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
anakin44011 Avatar
18 months ago

This will 100% not happen
Apple wants to ditch N3B as soon as possible
Air will probably get M4 when the pro will get M5
Agreed. I see them still making M1 and/or M2 processors well beyond the point of stopping production of the M3 series. Once all the M4 variants are released, I don't think the M3 will have either a cost or a performance advantage (which isn't to say the M3 isn't an awesome chip...because it is). Meanwhile, I imagine those M1/M2 chips will continue to lower in cost (due to recovered upfront costs) while the new M4/M5 variants get relatively more expensive, driving future margins and (hopefully) more advanced software capabilities.

And the M1 is still darn fast for the vast majority of users/applications.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)