Apple iPad Air (2026) with M4 Chip: Price + Release Date

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Can you believe we're coming up on 10 months since Apple dropped its M4 chip in the iPad Pro? Now the company is back at it, launching an update to the iPad Air that gives it a big power bump.

The big upgrade is the move to the M4 silicon, featuring an 8-core CPU and 9-core GPU. While the previous model was no slouch, this update represents a 30 per cent speed boost over the M3 version and more than double the performance of the ageing M1 model.

The real win for users isn't just the raw speed, but the increase in unified memory. Apple has bumped the RAM to 12GB, a 50 per cent increase that will significantly improve multitasking and the longevity of the device as Apple Intelligence features become more demanding.

Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, Bob Borchers, said: "With its blazing performance thanks to M4, incredible AI capabilities, and game-changing iPadOS 26 features, there’s never been a better time to choose or upgrade to iPad Air."

Faster chips for better connections

Connectivity gets a meaningful boost thanks to two new Apple-designed chips: the N1 and C1X. The N1 chip introduces Wi-Fi 7 support to the Air, which offers more stable wireless performance in crowded home or office environments.

For those who opt for the cellular model, the C1X modem (which first appeared in the iPhone Air) is designed to be 30 per cent more power-efficient, which means you should see less battery drain when using 5G.

iPadOS 26 and Liquid Glass

The new hardware arrives with iPadOS 26, which features Apple's latest design language called Liquid Glass. This aesthetic change makes the interface feel more reactive to touch and light, and may not be for everybody.

But iPadOS 26 also has a new windowing system attempts to make the iPad feel more like a traditional computer without losing its simplicity.

There is also a new dedicated Preview app for handling PDFs and sketches, alongside a more customisable Files app that finally allows users to set default applications for specific file types.