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$599 M4 iPad Air is a lot like the old one, but with a substantial RAM boost

March 3, 2026
•Ars technica
$599 M4 iPad Air is a lot like the old one, but with a substantial RAM boost

Here's something that caught my eye — Apple just dropped a refresh for the iPad Air, and honestly, it’s pretty subtle. The new model keeps the same sleek design but swaps out the old M3 chip for an M4, according to Andrew Cunningham at Tech. Now, here’s where it gets interesting: the M4 comes with a significant boost — 12GB of RAM instead of 8GB, which should make multitasking a lot smoother, especially with iPadOS 26’s multi-window features. So, what does that actually mean for you? Faster performance, better handling of demanding apps, and a bit more future-proofing. The price stays pretty much the same — starting at $599 for the 11-inch. The only downside? Still 128GB of base storage, but upgrades up to 1TB are available for a hefty price boost. As Andrew notes, the design is identical to last year’s M2 version, so no major visual changes. Preorders open March 4, and it hits shelves March 11 — so, it’s a pretty straightforward upgrade, but a solid one for power users.

As expected, Apple has announced a mild update for the iPad family's middle child today. The new iPad Air is a lot like the old one, but it replaces the Apple M3 chip with an M4. That M4 also comes with a less-expected upgrade: a jump from 8GB of RAM to 12GB, which should be helpful for those using iPadOS 26's multi-window multitasking features.

The iPad Air still comes in 11-inch and 13-inch versions that start at $599 and $799, respectively; the only disappointment is that these entry-level models still come with 128GB of storage. A 256GB storage upgrade will run you $100, and 512GB (+$300) and 1TB (+$500) versions are also available. Preorders go live on March 4, and the tablet will be available on March 11.

The M4 iPad Air uses the same design as the M2 version from 2024 and the M3 version from last year. The M2 version of the Air was a gently tweaked version of the M1 iPad Air, but it was different enough not to be compatible with all the same accessories; most notably, the M2-and-later Airs use the Apple Pencil Pro accessory and aren’t compatible with the second-generation Pencil.

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As expected, Apple has announced a mild update for the iPad family's middle child today. The new iPad Air is a lot like the old one, but it replaces the Apple M3 chip with an M4. That M4 also comes with a less-expected upgrade: a jump from 8GB of RAM to 12GB, which should be helpful for those using iPadOS 26's multi-window multitasking features.

The iPad Air still comes in 11-inch and 13-inch versions that start at $599 and $799, respectively; the only disappointment is that these entry-level models still come with 128GB of storage. A 256GB storage upgrade will run you $100, and 512GB (+$300) and 1TB (+$500) versions are also available. Preorders go live on March 4, and the tablet will be available on March 11.

The M4 iPad Air uses the same design as the M2 version from 2024 and the M3 version from last year. The M2 version of the Air was a gently tweaked version of the M1 iPad Air, but it was different enough not to be compatible with all the same accessories; most notably, the M2-and-later Airs use the Apple Pencil Pro accessory and aren’t compatible with the second-generation Pencil.

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