Tim Cook set the stage by saying today’s the “biggest day for iPads” since it was announced and he may be right about this. Apple has finally refreshed its iPad Air lineup during the Let Loose keynote event. The most anticipated and biggest news about today’s release is the availability in two screen sizes, 11- and 13-inch. Interestingly, this marks the sixth generation of the iPad Air.
Among many other updates, the most notable ones are: the front-facing camera on iPad Air to give your video calls a more natural view powered with landscape stereos with spatial audio. Take note, that 13-inch iPad Air comes with double the power.
The launch refutes previous rumors of Apple employing miniLED screens in these iPad Air models, as they come with LCDs with a 60Hz refresh rate for now. If you want an OLED, you can check out: the newly launched iPad Pro models with M4 chip.
Under the hood, the new iPad Air models pack M2 — a substantial upgrade over the previous M1 chip. The new M2 chip has a faster 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU. Speaking of the cameras, there’s a 12MP lens at the front (moved to a landscape position). Additionally, the rear hosts a 12MP wide camera with an f/1.8 aperture, 5x digital zoom, and Autofocus with Focus Pixels. It can record 4K videos at 60 frames per second, 1080p Slo-mo videos at 240 frames per second, and has cinematic video stabilization.
There are multiple flavors to choose from, including Blue, Purple, Space Gray, and Starlight. Other connectivity options include Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth, GPS, and 5G (for Cellular variants). Of course, there’s a USB Type-C port for charging at 20W and data transfer. Touch ID is still there placed just on the power button. Both models are also compatible with the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil.
Storage options have expanded, likewise, new iPad Air models start with the 128GB option for $599, or $799 for the 13-inch version. Plus, you can now choose from 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. The pre-orders begin immediately at apple.com with further plans for availability on May 15.