Apple is refreshing its iPad lineup on Tuesday, which is a bit overdue, as the previous iPad Air was announced more than two years ago. The most important addition to the new iPad Air is that it now comes in two sizes: 11 and 13 inches. This display is still an LED display; if you want an OLED display, you’ll need to buy an iPad Pro.
“For the first time ever, iPad Air comes in two sizes: a redesigned 11-inch Air and the spectacular all-new 13-inch Air,” John Ternus, SVP, Hardware Engineering said.
Ternus also used Tuesday’s event to redefine what the iPad Air means in the overall iPad lineup. It is not as performant as the iPad Pro, but it packs more features than the basic iPad model. For instance, the iPad Air supports the second-generation Apple Pencil (the one that you can magnetically attach to the side of the tablet) and the Magic Keyboard.
“iPad Air is designed to deliver advanced features pioneered on iPad Pro and make them available and even more affordable,” Ternus said.
The system on a chip in the device has been updated. The previous version came with Apple’s M1 chip; the company now uses the M2 for the iPad Air. The iPad Air supports Wi-Fi 6E, and customers can optionally get a model with 5G support.
The camera has also been moved so that it looks more natural when you hold the iPad in landscape. Both the front and back cameras feature 12MP sensors. For the aluminum body, there are four color options: blue, purple, starlight and space gray.
While the new iPad Air still comes with 128GB for $599 (or $799 for the 13-inch option), Apple is adding more storage options: 256GB, 512GB and 1TB. In other words, if you need a lot of storage, you no longer need to buy an iPad Pro.
The new iPad Air models are available to preorder Tuesday and they will be available next week.
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