Apple’s mid-range iPad is getting an M4 chip, and will arrive on March 11

If you’re shopping for a mid-range iPad, Apple has an update for the Air that’s just arrived. And makes The advanced iPad Pro Released last fall it might seem less important. The new iPad Air is available for pre-order on Wednesday, March 4, and arrives on March 11.

Updating the iPad Air’s chip to an M4 chip isn’t surprising, but it means the iPad Air will get a little better at the same price. the The M3 model was released last year It was my favorite and affordable alternative to the better but more expensive iPad Pro. It’s the same price as before ($599 11-inch, $799 13-inch), and still only has 128GB of storage for that price.

There are a few other internal upgrades inside, though: an Apple C1X modem is now inside cellular models, and the N1 chip supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Threads.

If you desperately want an iPad with a gorgeous OLED display and top performance at a hefty price, choose the Pro. Or find a previous M4 iPad Pro for sale. But for me, it’s until the iPads really do that Macs become complete With the touch of a button, there’s no reason to use a high-end iPad at all.

I still think it’s the least expensive iPad for beginners It’s a very good option for many, but it looks like this one won’t be getting an update today after all, despite reports. This is unfortunate, since this iPad is the only device that is still not compatible with Apple Intelligence. The Air update seems to be a sign that Apple is trying to push people right now to buy an Ascendant model instead.