Time to geek out again! Apple launched a new iPad Air, now powered by its M4 chip.
The upgrade brings a 30% speed boost compared to the M3 and a 2.3x speed increase compared to the M1 iPad Air!
On-device AI feels more responsive across everything from quicker edits in photo apps to smarter suggestions in notetaking apps like Goodnotes. This is powered by a faster Neural Engine and a jump to 12GB of unified memory, 50% more than before.
Cellular data performance is 50% better with Apple's C1X modem, and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth get a bump as well, upgrading to Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 via Apple's new N1 chip.
Plus, iPadOS 26 brings a new windowing system and menu bar that make the whole experience feel closer to a desktop than ever before!
Besides under-the-hood upgrades, nothing has changed. Same design and price you’re used to.
But should you upgrade?
For most people, not yet. But the new release means prices on previous-gen iPads will start to drop and those still run great for the vast majority of use cases. Might be a good moment to grab a deal!
If you are going to upgrade, we see the M4 more as future-proofing than an immediate leap. The day-to-day difference won't feel massive yet.
That said, if you're a power user, this one's worth paying attention to. Apple is putting serious hardware into the Air without raising the price and with iPadOS getting more capable, that's an indicator that Apple may unleash more of the iPad's potential by allowing the software to use more resources.
Fit check: passed.
The Paperlike™ 3 Screen Protector fits perfectly on all new M4 iPad Air models. And so do the
Folio Case and
Bumper Case.
So, if you're getting a new iPad, you can set it up with Paperlike right away:
