iPad Air

The iPad Air is Apple's mid-range tablet, offering many key iPad features like Touch ID, M4 chip performance, and a range of color options at prices starting at $599. Refreshed in March 2026, the iPad Air is brand new and now is the best time to buy.

The iPad Air is the sweet spot in Apple's iPad lineup, but for those who want a smaller tablet, there is the iPad mini, which still offers many of the iPad Air's features in more portable form factor. Users who are looking for a more affordable option should consider the 11th-generation iPad. Starting at $349, the iPad offers several iPad Air features, such as Touch ID and a Retina display, but at a lower price that balances functionality and affordability.

On the other hand, for iPad models with more advanced display, improved performance, and high-end features, there is the iPad Pro. The iPad Pro takes the iPad Air's features to the next level, adding an OLED display, up to 16GB of memory, Face ID, ProMotion, an M5 chip, and more. It is aimed at professional users who need more power and higher-end display options.

If you're planning to get an iPad Air or another iPad, make sure to check out our iPad deals guide, where we aggregate the best prices of the month.

Apple refreshed the iPad Air in March 2026 with two eighth-generation models, adding updated M4 chips, the C1X modem, and N1 networking chip to the lineup. The iPad Air continues to be available in 11-inch and 13-inch sizes, much like the iPad Pro, and there were no design changes in 2026. Priced starting at $599, the iPad Air is Apple's middle-of-the-road option, as it is more affordable than the $999+ iPad Pro but more expensive than the $349 11th-generation iPad.

The smaller iPad Air features an 11-inch edge-to-edge display with a 2360x1640 resolution, while the larger iPad Air has a 13-inch edge-to-edge display with a 2732x2048 resolution. The iPad Air is equipped with an LCD "Liquid Retina" display that is a step down from the OLED display in the iPad Pro. Compared to the iPad Pro, the iPad Air is thicker, heavier, and has thicker display bezels.

The iPad Air has an aluminum chassis that has flat sides and rounded edges that wrap around the fully laminated display. True Tone support is included for adjusting the display to match the ambient lighting, as is P3 wide color, 500 nits brightness for the 11-inch model and 600 nits for the 13-inch model, and 1.8 percent reflectivity. It does not feature ProMotion support.

The 2026 iPad Air comes in Space Gray, Purple, Blue, and Starlight, which are the same colors offered in 2025. The iPad Air features a Touch ID sensor integrated into the top button rather than Face ID like the iPad Pro. Other than being built into the top button instead of a Home button, the Touch ID functionality is the same as other devices that have featured Touch ID.

Compared to the 2025 model, there are no design changes or other internal updates except for the Apple-designed chips that are inside, like the M4 chip. The M4 chip is built on TSMC's next-generation 3nm process, which means it is more powerful and efficient than the prior-generation M3.

The M4 has an 8-core CPU and a 9-core GPU, and it is 30 percent faster than the M3 according to Apple. Memory bandwidth has increased to 120GB/s, and the iPad Air now comes with 12GB RAM, up from 8GB.

The 12-megapixel front-facing FaceTime camera features Center Stage support, and there is a 12-megapixel ƒ/1.8 rear camera. The iPad Air includes stereo speakers in landscape mode for wider stereo sound when watching video.

Cellular iPad Air models are compatible with 5G networks, but support is limited to the slower and more widespread sub-6GHz 5G networks with Apple's C1X modem. Storage continues to start at 128GB, but can be upgraded to as much as 1TB. Other features include Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread support thanks to the N1 networking chip.

The iPad Air has a USB-C port with up to 10Gbps data transfer along with support for connecting cameras for downloading images, hard drives, and 4K external monitors. The iPad Air ships with a 20W USB-C adapter for charging purposes.

Like the iPad Pro, the iPad Air supports the $129 Apple Pencil Pro and it works with a new Magic Keyboard for iPad Air. The Magic Keyboard attaches to the iPad Air magnetically, with the Smart Connector providing power and data with no need for Bluetooth..

The iPad Air will be available for pre-order starting on Wednesday, March 4, and it will launch on March 11.

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The iPad Air will be available for purchase from the online Apple Store and other retailers starting on Wednesday, March 4. The 11-inch model is priced starting at $599, and the 13-inch model is priced starting at $799.

The 2026 iPad Air is identical to the prior-generation model, and there have been no design changes to either model. You can get the iPad Air in an 11-inch screen size or a 13-inch screen size, just like the iPad Pro.

The iPad Air has an edge-to-edge display with slim bezels, and an aluminum chassis with flat sides and rounded edges that wrap around the screen. Compared to the iPad Pro, it has a thicker body, thicker bezels around the display, and it weighs more.

The 11-inch iPad Air measures in at 9.74 inches (247.6 mm) long, 7.02 inches (178.5 mm) wide, and 0.24 inches (6.1 mm) thick. It weighs 1.02 pounds (464 grams). The 13-inch model is 11.04 inches (280.6 mm) long, 8.46 inches (214.9 mm) wide, and 0.24 inches (6.1 mm) thick. It weighs 1.36 pounds (616 grams).

With the all-display design, there is no Touch ID Home button, but there's also no Face ID. Instead, the iPad Air has a Touch ID fingerprint sensor built into the top power button. It scans a fingerprint like a Touch ID Home button, but it is smaller and more compact.

The Touch ID top button works just like the Touch ID Home button on older models and it can be used to unlock the iPad, access apps, make purchases with Apple Pay, and more. Touch ID on the iPad Air is functional in both portrait and landscape orientations.

There is a front-facing camera on the landscape top edge of the iPad Air for FaceTime calls. Speakers and a microphone are located at the top of the iPad Air adjacent to the Touch ID button, while the right side features features volume up/down buttons and a magnetic space for charging the Apple Pencil.

At the back, there's a single rear camera with a microphone. Stereo speakers and a USB-C port are located at the bottom of the iPad Air.

The iPad Air is available in four colors, including Space Gray, Purple, Blue, and Starlight.

While the iPad Pro models have OLED displays, the iPad Air models use more affordable LCD displays that Apple calls Liquid Retina. The Liquid Retina displays do not support 120Hz ProMotion display technology, and are limited to 60Hz refresh rates. Display is one of the major differentiating factors between the iPad Air and the iPad Pro.

The 11-inch iPad Air has a resolution of 2360 by 1640 at 264 pixels per inch. The 13-inch model has a resolution of 2732 by 2048 pixels at 264 pixels per inch. The 11-inch version supports up to 500 nits brightness, while the 13-inch model supports up to 600 nits brightness.

Both models offer P3 wide color support for rich, true-to-life colors, an anti-reflective coating with 1.8 percent reflectivity, and True Tone support that adjusts the white balance of the display to match the ambient lighting of the room.

The biggest update to the 2026 iPad Air is the M4 chip inside, which is an upgrade over the prior-generation M3 chip. The M4 chip is built on Apple's second-generation 3-nanometer process, and Apple says that it is up to 30 percent faster than the iPad Air with the M3 chip. The iPad Air features an 8-core CPU and a 9-core GPU. Prior M4 devices had a 10-core GPU, so Apple is likely using binned chips for the iPad Air, making use of chips that were not quite good enough for other M4 devices.

The M4 chip's GPU supports Dynamic Caching, second-generation hardware-accelerated ray tracing and second-generation mesh shading, for improved graphics performance. With hardware-accelerated ray tracing, light looks more realistic as it interacts with a scene, allowing for more physically accurate images. Game developers can use the ray-tracing and mesh shading for more accurate shadows and reflections as well as more efficient geometry processing.

Dynamic Caching allocates the use of local memory in hardware in real time, so only the exact amount of memory needed is used for each task. It increases the average utilization of the GPU, thereby increasing performance for demanding pro apps and games.

Memory bandwidth has increased to 120GB/s.

Neural Engine

There's a faster 16-core Neural Engine built into the M4 chip that handles AI tasks and boosts camera performance alongside the custom image signal processor, plus there's a display engine.

RAM

The M4 iPad Air has 12GB RAM, up from 8GB in the prior-generation model.

Storage

The iPad Air still starts with 128GB of storage, but there are also 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB upgrade options.

There is a 12-megapixel front-facing Ultra Wide camera that is located at the landscape top edge of the device. The camera location means the camera is in an upright orientation when the iPad Air is used in landscape mode with a keyboard.

The camera supports Center Stage, a feature that automatically keeps users perfectly framed during video calls. Center Stage can pan to keep users in the shot as they move around. Other supported features include Portrait mode, Portrait lighting, and Animoji and Memoji.

There is a 12-megapixel Wide camera on the rear of the iPad Air, with support for Live Photos, 5x digital zoom, 63-megapixel panoramas, wide color capture, noise reduction, Smart HDR 4, burst mode, Live Photos support, and auto image stabilization.

Up to 4K video recording is supported at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps, and the camera also offers 240-fps slo-mo video recording.

Both iPad Air models offer "all-day" 10-hour battery life. The 11-inch iPad Air has a 28.93-watt-hour battery and the 13-inch model has a 36.59-watt-hour battery.

C1X Modem

The iPad Air uses Apple's custom-designed C1X modem, which Apple says provides up to 50 percent faster cellular performance than the modem in the prior-generation iPad. It also uses 30 percent less modem energy than the iPad Air with M3 chip.

Apple's C1X modem does not support mmWave 5G, so it is limited to sub-6GHz 5G worldwide. mmWave 5G is the fastest version of 5G, but it is limited to short range and is thus most suitable for large, dense areas like airports, stadiums, and major urban cores. Sub-6GHz 5G is slower, but it is more widespread and ideal for suburban and rural areas.

N1 Networking Chip

The iPad Air includes the N1, which is an Apple-designed wireless networking chip. It supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread.

Wi-Fi 7 supports theoretical speeds of up to 46Gb/s, and performance is better in areas with a lot of congestion. The specification also provides lower latency for gaming, and it is compatible with 6GHz networks.

Bluetooth 6 improves multi-device connectivity, audio quality, and efficiency.

Apple's chip also includes Thread support to interface with smart home devices.

Ports and Smart Connector

The iPad Air has a USB-C port for charging, but the USB-C port can also be used to connect to up to a 6K external display, cameras (downloading images only), and other USB-C devices. The USB-C port supports 10Gbps data transfer and is able to charge an iPhone or Apple Watch with the right cable.

The Smart Connector at the back of the iPad Air allows it to communicate with and power accessories like the new Magic Keyboard for iPad Air. The Smart Connector interface is able to transfer both power and data, so accessories that connect to the iPad Air using the Smart Connector do not need to have batteries.

Speakers and Microphone

There are two microphones in the iPad Air, along with two landscape stereo speakers that support spatial audio. Apple says the 13-inch model has double the bass for even better sound quality.

Apple Pencil Pro

The iPad Air is compatible with the Apple Pencil Pro, which is the most advanced version of the Apple Pencil to date.

Barrel Roll

There is a gyroscope in the Apple Pencil Pro that allows the rotation of the barrel to change the orientation of certain tools. It basically offers much more precise control of shaped pen and brush tools, similar to how a real pen or brush would function when you tilt it while drawing or sketching.

Haptic Feedback

A built-in haptic engine offers haptic feedback when using the Apple Pencil Pro's gestures. A light haptic pulse responds when using a squeeze or double-tap gesture, plus there is feedback when using the snap to a Smart Shape feature.

Find My

Find My is available for the Apple Pencil Pro so it can be tracked right alongside the iPad and other devices in the Find My app.

Charging and Pairing

The Apple Pencil Pro attaches to the side of the iPad Pro or the iPad Air, and the magnetic connection enables automatic pairing and charging.

Other Features

Other Apple Pencil features like Apple Pencil hover and double tap are supported. Hover lets you preview where the Apple Pencil touches down on the display before a mark is made, while double tap can be used for swapping between tools.

Low latency, tilt sensitivity, and pressure sensitivity are all included features.

Magic Keyboard

The iPad Air is designed to use the Magic Keyboard, an add-on keyboard accessory. The Magic Keyboard is designed to attach to the iPad Air magnetically, with the Smart Connector on the iPad Air providing power and data, so there's no need for Bluetooth. The keyboard has a USB-C port in the hinge for pass-through charging.

The Magic Keyboard is a folio-style case with a full keyboard and a trackpad, with the keyboard offering 1mm of travel. The Magic Keyboard attaches to the iPad Air through a magnetic connection, and it features cantilevered hinges that allow it to work on a desk or on a lap. The hinges allow for adjustments of the viewing angle up to 130 degrees, so it can be tweaked for every usage situation. The design of the Magic Keyboard allows the iPad to "float" in the air, with the bottom part of the case tilting backward when used in keyboard mode.

When not in use, the keyboard's folio-style design keeps the iPad Air safe, covering the front and back of the device.

Apple's Magic Keyboard for iPad Air is priced at $269 for the 11-inch version and $319 for the 13-inch version.