iPad Air (M3 Chip) Review - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Review Roundup: iPad Air With M3 Chip and New Magic Keyboard

by

The new iPad Air with the M3 chip launches Wednesday. Ahead of time, the first reviews of the device have been shared by select publications and YouTube channels.

M3 iPad Air
As expected, the latest iPad Air is up to 20% faster than the previous-generation model with the M2 chip. In addition, the M3 chip brings hardware-accelerated ray tracing to the iPad Air for the first time, providing improved graphics rendering in games.

A new Magic Keyboard is available for the iPad Air. It features a larger trackpad, and function keys for display brightness, volume, and more.

That's it. It's a minor spec-bump year for the iPad Air.

Below, we have rounded up some of the reviews and unboxing videos for the new iPad Air, and the updated Magic Keyboard.

Articles

Videos







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

Top Rated Comments

jjudson Avatar
jjudson
19 months ago
Lemme guess.

Justine loves it...
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SactoGuy18 Avatar
SactoGuy18
19 months ago
I still wish Apple could have pushed the refresh rate to 90 Hz, though.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pksv Avatar
pksv
19 months ago
Spoiler alert: it's faster. End of review.
I don't even click on it, I don't want to waste my time watching it.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
S
svish
19 months ago
Very minor update only. Good to see the videos. Looks like the keyboard is better. No reason to upgrade from older Air model.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
O
Orange Bat
19 months ago
Who watches these things? They’re more third party ads for Apple devices than actual reviews. MacRumor’s short blurb in this article is more informative.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
0
0049190
19 months ago

Zero external differences. Only the keyboard is different.
I’m interested to see the new colours.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments

Popular Stories

M3 iPad Air

iPad Air Could Finally Be Redesigned Next Year

Friday July 31, 2026 6:00 pm PDT by
The iPad Air has looked the same since 2020, making it the longest-running design in Apple's tablet lineup. There is a reasonable case that 2027 could be when that comes to an end. Apple last gave the iPad Air a new enclosure in 2020, when the fourth-generation model introduced flat sides, an all-screen front, and Touch ID in the top button. The subsequent M1, M2, M3, and M4 updates were all ...
Read Full Article • 78 comments
m3 ipad air mint

iPad Air OLED Panel Orders Could Be Split With BOE in 2027

Tuesday August 11, 2026 4:36 am PDT by
BOE wants a share of the OLED supply chain for Apple's next iPad Air, aiming to land a secondary sourcing role behind primary supplier Samsung Display, according to a report from South Korea's The Elec. Sources cited by The Elec say the Chinese panel maker is building out its iPad Air OLED effort at its B12 fab in Chongqing, home to BOE's sixth-generation OLED production line, ahead of the...
Read Full Article • 14 comments
Apple Logo Gradient 16x9 1

Apple Just Made an Extremely Rare Product Announcement

Thursday August 27, 2026 7:58 am PDT by
The new Mac mini and Mac Studio models unveiled by Apple this week are the company's first new Macs announced in August since 2020. It is extremely rare for Apple to announce new products of any kind in August, excluding smaller things like new color options and accessories. As mentioned, Apple's last notable August product announcement was in 2020, when it updated the 27-inch iMac and a...
Read Full Article