- A leaked document mentions M3 iPad Air models
- We previously heard suggestions that the next-generation iPad Air could land early this year
- Apple has yet to release official information about the next iPad Air
Apple could be equipping the next iteration of the iPad Air with an M3 chipset and releasing it in early 2025, if a handful of recent rumors are to be believed.
Notable leaker Evan Blass (via 9to5Mac) shared a document to his private X (formerly Twitter) account containing allusions to a next-generation iPad Air, equipped with the M3 chipset.
As 9to5Mac reports, the document contains text strings that reference the possibly upcoming models: the first reads “apple-ipad-air-13-(m3)”, and the second reads “apple-ipad-air-11-(m3)”.
With no further major rumors surrounding the next iteration of Apple’s mid-range tablets, we might be in for just a chipset refresh with the next iPad Air. Apple’s mid-range tablets were last refreshed in May 2024, which saw the standard 11-inch iPad Air joined by an enlarged 13-inch model for the first time.
However, the timing of this latest rumor lines up well with previous speculation about the next iPad Air’s release date.
Bloomberg’s resident Apple commentator Mark Gurman published a roundup in October 2024 that suggested a new iPad Air would reach store shelves in early 2025 – likely around April.
Gurman has also predicted that a new Magic Keyboard could be on the way specifically designed for the iPad Air. This would complete the stratification of Apple’s iPad Keyboard line up, which has slowly grown from a single one-fits-all product to include more specialized units designed for the base-model iPad and iPad Pro.
Should you wait for the M3 iPad Air?
Though these rumors and suggestions are far from conclusive, they may hold some sway over those looking to pick up an iPad Air for themselves.
As MacRumors notes, the M3 chipset is substantially more powerful than the M2 – at launch, Apple said the M3 offered a 35% improvement on the M1 chipset’s performance, while the M2 offers an 18% improvement. Crunching the numbers suggests the M3 is around 14% faster than the M2 chipset, which is certainly substantial for an iterative improvement.
Apple has held iPad pricing steady over the past few years, so any chipset upgrade is unlikely to come with an attendant price hike. Waiting for the M3 then will probably mean getting more performance at no extra cost.
But for those using an iPad Air M2 already it might not be worth upgrading. The M3 chipset may be more powerful than the M2, but the capabilities of either iPad Air are likely to be very similar due to the cohesive (some would say limited) iPadOS platform. The performance headroom of the M3 is more likely to be noticed in day-to-day snappiness than in heavier workflows, to which the iPad is often awkwardly suited.
It could be a busy season for the iPad family, with murmurs of a new iPad Pro circling alongside these M3 iPad Air rumors. For a refresher on the best tablets Apple has to offer, be sure to check out our list of the best iPads.
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jamie.richards@futurenet.com (Jamie Richards)
