Top 10 tidbits on iPad Air (M3) and new Magic Keyboard

It’s been over two weeks since the recently updated iPad Air launched with many reviews recommending it as the “best iPad” for most people that offers most of the performance and high-end features without breaking the bank. Here are several tidbits you should know about both Apple’s latest mid-range tablet and the updated keyboard accessory.

1. The all-new iPad Air features the more modern M3 chip; however, just like with the M2 model, this chip is also binned. Unlike the full-fledged chip found in the previous iMac (4-port), MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air, this chip features one less GPU for a total of 9 GPU cores. The number of CPU cores stays the same at 8.
2. The M3’s all-new GPU architecture supports hardware-accelerated ray-tracing and mesh shading. So the iPad Air finally followed suit of the highest-end iPad Pro and the smaller, lower-end iPad mini for that capability.
3. The Media Engine on M3 is also improved to support hardware-accelerated 8K HEVC, 4K H.264, ProRes, and ProRes RAW with ProRes encode/decode engine as well as the AV1 decode for more efficient video streaming on other services such as Apple TV+ and Netflix.
4. Unlike the other iPad models mentioned above, the iPad Air still does not have an LED flash. Additionally, the brightness levels on both the 11-inch and 13-inch model remain the same at 500 nits and 600 nits, respectively.
5. The Magic Keyboard for iPad Air also got updated, which brought the same function key row, and it effectively replaced the original Magic Keyboard that came out in 2020. Its design was largely based on the M4 iPad Pro’s counterpart; however, Apple further differentiates this keyboard from the former in many ways you may not know of. Although this Magic Keyboard features the same elongated aluminum-hinge, it still has the less-premium polyurethane-felt palm rest unlike the aluminum palm rest on the M4 iPad Pro’s version.

   

6. Additionally, the trackpad on this Magic Keyboard still uses a physical diving-board mechanism as opposed to the haptic one found in the M4 iPad Pro’s accessory.
7. Unlike the original Magic Keyboard and the one for the M4 iPad Pro, this new Magic Keyboard for the iPad Air comes in only white.
8. This Magic Keyboard also drops the backlighting feature on the keyboard since Apple never mentions that on the product page. This will be a downside for those coming from the original Magic Keyboard.
9. Apple doesn’t officially state this on the product page, but this Magic Keyboard will also work with the 2018 iPad Pro models since they feature the same camera layout, the same design, and nearly-identical dimensions as the latest iPad Air models. So those who are still holding on to those iPads will be able to take advantage of new Magic Keyboard, especially for using Stage Manager with an external display.
10. Another detail that some may have overlooked is that this Magic Keyboard is more affordable at $269 and $319 for the 11-inch and 13-inch, respectively. The original Magic Keyboard that works with the modern iPad Air models was offered at $299 and $349 for the 11-inch and 13-inch, respectively. So yes, while you do lose out on the backlit keys, you’d be getting a bit more with the function keys, larger trackpad, and new design for $30 less.
11. A bonus one: just like with the base iPad with A16 chip, the back of the iPad Air features only the Apple logo for a much cleaner look, so you can visually differentiate the latest iPad Air from the older models by just looking it at the rear. Interestingly, both the A16 iPad and M3 iPad Air do not feature Apple’s C1 modem that debuted on the iPhone 16e.

So those are the top ten tidbits you should know about the latest iPad Air. The much powerful M3 chip and more versatile Magic Keyboard still makes iPad Air the perfect balance between price, performance, and features starting at just $599.