Apple Could Launch M4 iPad Air This Spring, Skipping M3 Chip Entirely

Apple may choose to refresh its iPad Air models in the spring with an M4 chip, skipping the M3 generation for the lineup entirely, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has suggested.

Apple released the M2 iPad Air in 11-inch and 13-inch screen sizes in May of last year, and the going assumption, backed by rumors, was that Apple would refresh the iPad Air this year with an M3 chip upgrade.

However, writing in his Power On newsletter over the weekend, Gurman said he "wouldn't be terribly surprised" if Apple opts for the M4 chip instead. From the report:

The new iPad Airs — code-named J607, J608, J637 and J638 — will be more about specification upgrades than design changes. The current version, introduced last year, has the M2 chip. I wouldn't be terribly surprised if the 2025 models get bumped up to the M4, matching the iPad Pro. That would mean the Pro has less of an edge over the Air, but that shouldn't be too shocking. Most Macs rely on the same chip family, and iPads could do the same.

Gurman's claim runs counter to previous rumors that indicated Apple plans to keep the ‌iPad Air‌ one step behind the ‌iPad Pro‌ in terms of processor generations. However, Apple surprised many when it announced M4 iPad Pro models in May 2024. Those devices were expected to feature the M3 chip right up until the last minute of their unveiling but skipped the generation entirely, and there's no hard and fast rule that says the company won't do the same thing for the iPad Air.

No design changes are expected for the next-generation iPad Air, but it could include Apple's upcoming custom 5G modem, which will also be introduced in the iPhone SE, low-cost iPad, and iPhone 17 Air in 2025.

Apple is also developing a new version of the Magic Keyboard for the iPad Air. It isn't expected to have an aluminum top case like the iPad Pro, but it could have a function row of keys and some other features from the iPad Pro Magic Keyboard.