As expected, Apple unveiled its highly anticipated 2024 iPad lineup at today’s Let Loose event, marking the first time in well over a year that it’s had much to say about new iPads.
While the rumor mill made sure there weren’t too many surprises this morning, particularly for Apple’s midrange tablets, the new iPad Air family still represents a breath of fresh air for a model that saw its last update two years ago.
In early 2021, Apple shook things up by bringing its M1 chip to the iPad Air only a few months after it had debuted on the premium iPad Pro. That move signified a big step forward for Apple’s popular middle-tier lineup, and now it’s disrupting things again by expanding the lineup into two sizes.
Although not too much has changed with the smaller iPad Air, Apple is adding a 13-inch model to the mix. In the process, the company also seems to be getting away from decimal places in its size measurements. While the smaller iPad Air didn’t have an official measurement in its product name before, it had a 10.9-inch screen. Technically, the new model retains that screen measurement (10.86 inches, to be precise), but Apple has decided to round up to simplify things with both 11-inch and 13-inch models.
What’s New in the 2024 iPad Air
As Melody Kuna, Apple’s Director of iPad Product Design, shared during the presentation, about half of iPad Pro customers choose the larger tablet size. This inspired Apple to create the 13-inch iPad Air, which delivers 30 percent more screen real estate so users can see more information and be more creative without the need to opt for Apple’s considerably more expensive flagship tablet.
Both displays feature the same Liquid Retina LCD technology used in the prior iPad Air model. However, Apple has adopted the landscape camera design that nearly everyone has been predicting since it came to the 10th-generation iPad in 2022. This also includes Center Stage to keep you in the frame during video calls.
The new iPad Air also retains the same landscape speakers with Spatial Audio for a better listening experience, but since the 13-inch model leaves more room to pack in larger drivers, it gets double the bass.
Unsurprisingly, both iPad Air models move to Apple’s M2 silicon, a logical upgrade from the prior model that Apple says makes the new iPad Air nearly 50% faster than the M1 model, and three times faster than the 2020 model that used an A14 Bionic chip. That’s a nice enhancement for Pro apps and gaming experiences — and Kung took a moment to highlight how well the “visually stunning” Assassin’s Creed Mirage will play on the new iPad Air.
Kung also added that the new iPad Air is incredibly powerful for AI. However, she didn’t highlight any specific new features — those undoubtedly won’t arrive until iPadOS 18 debuts next month — focusing instead on how well it works with things like Visual Look Up, Subject Life, and Live Text Capture.
The new iPad Air is also gaining Wi-Fi 6E support, which is table stakes now for modern Apple devices. The Apple Pencil Hover feature that came to the 2022 M2 iPad Pro has also been added to the iPad Air this year, although it notably loses support for Apple’s Smart Keyboard Folio. It also no longer has a physical SIM slot, at least for models sold in the US.
All other specs remain the same, including 5G support and an unchanged 12MP rear camera that doesn’t appear to have adopted the leaked redesign we heard about earlier this year. The 13-inch model gains the bassier speakers but is otherwise identical to the 11-inch version except for its obvious size difference. Surprisingly, it also offers the same published battery life of 10 hours on Wi-Fi and 9 hours on cellular.
Accessory Compatibility
The 11-inch model is the same size and weight as its M1 predecessor, which means existing cases and accessories will fit the new version, with a small catch.
As we mentioned earlier, the Smart Keyboard Folio is no longer supported, for whatever reason, so now it’s the Magic Keyboard or nothing. However, that’s the existing Magic Keyboard and not the new one Apple announced today for the iPad Pro. So, if you already have one for your iPad Air (or your older iPad Pro), you can keep using it.
Unfortunately, you may need to buy a new Apple Pencil, as the M2 iPad Air no longer works with the second-generation stylus. The more affordable USB-C version Apple unveiled last fall will work, but if you want to get the most out of your stylus, you’ll need to spring for the new Apple Pencil Pro.
Price and Availability
The 2024 M2 iPad Air is available in four finishes, with Blue and Purple joining the standard Starlight and Space Gray. As usual, it’s made from a 100% recycled aluminum enclosure.
Apple has doubled the base storage capacity and expanded the options this year to give you more choices. Instead of the 64GB and 256GB models, the M2 iPad Air starts at 128GB and runs in the usual increments all the way up to 1TB.
The base 128GB 11-inch model sells for the same $599 as before, which makes it a better deal since you’re getting twice the storage for the same price. The 13-inch iPad Air starts at $799 for 128GB. Storage pricing increases in the usual increments, with the top-end 1TB model selling for $1,099 for the 11-inch iPad Air or $1,299 for the 13-inch model. Both can be preordered today and are expected to arrive in stores and customers’ hands next week.