After a lot of teasers, hype, and rumors, Apple has finally unveiled two new iPads. The updated iPad Air M3 and iPad 11th generation offer faster performance at the same price. The Cupertino giant is refreshing the base model of the iPad after three years while the iPad Air is getting an update after just one year. While the iPad Air gets Apple Intelligence support, Apple hasn’t provided enough muscle power on the entry-level model to support it. Here’s everything you need to know about the new iPad Air M3 and iPad 11th generation including their price and specifications.
iPad Air M3 Gets Apple Intelligence While Base Model Gets A Miss
The iPad Air M3 is currently the cheapest iPad with Apple Intelligence. The iPad Air M3 starts at ₹59,000/$599 for the 11-inch model and ₹79,990/$799 for the 13-inch model. It’s a good choice for those looking for more power and access to Apple’s AI features without splurging a lot of money.
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According to Apple, the new M3 iPad is almost two times faster than the M1 although Apple hasn’t shared the stats to compare it with the M2 model. The M3 model uses an 8-core CPU and 9-core GPU resulting in 35 percent faster performance in multi-threaded tasks and 40 percent faster GPU performance.
Apple claims that the Neural Engine in the M3 offers 60 percent better performance for AI tasks. Oh, and for gamers there’s support for hardware-accelerated mesh shading and ray tracing. It enables gaming with realistic rendering of lighting, reflection, and shadows for an immersive gaming experience.
Apple has also introduced a new Magic Keyboard with a built-in trackpad, 14 key function rows, and magnetic connectors. Thanks to the magnetic connector, you don’t need to rely on Bluetooth and there’s a USB-C port for charging. Starting at $269/₹26,900 for the 11-inch model and $319/₹29,900 for the 13-inch model is great for productivity on the go.
Base Model iPad Gets Double Storage and A16 Chipset
Apple also announced the iPad 11th generation which offers 30 percent faster performance compared to the 10th generation model. The company has doubled the storage on its entry-level iPad model to 128GB while keeping the same price tag. However, it’s worth noting that this isn’t the same A16 chip found in the iPhone 14 as you get 1 less CPU and GPU core resulting in lower performance.
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However, it misses out on Apple Intelligence making it perhaps the only recent product from the company to not support the feature. Since it requires at least 8GB of RAM, it’s safe to assume the newest iPad doesn’t have it.
The rest of the experience remains the same as you get iPadOS 18 and productivity features such as Smart Script, Audio Recording, and transcription. And yes, there’s the new Calculator app which Apple is proudly boasting about. The rest of the specs remain the same except for the Bluetooth version which has been bumped up to Bluetooth 5,3.
The iPad 11th generation starts at the same price tag of ₹32,900/$349 for the 128GB model and ₹47,900/$499 for the Wi-Fi+Cellular variant. It will go on pre-order today with sales starting from March 12, 2025.
