Apple’s 2025 iPad Air M3: A Minor Yet Noteworthy Upgrade | Image Source: variety.com
SAN FRANCISCO, California, March 10, 2025 – Apple officially presented its latest iPad Air update for 2025, with an incremental but significant update. Although the design remains unchanged, the new model has a more powerful M3 chip, expanded storage options and improved compatibility with the latest AI-driven Apple features. However, for those who expect an innovative review, this update may seem more modest than a transformation leap.
What’s up on the iPad Air 2025?
The new iPad Air adheres to Apple’s tradition of progressive material improvements rather than radical reinvention. The biggest change in this iteration is the shift from the M2 chip to the M3 chip, which brings a slightly better performance, especially in high density graphics and AI-driven applications.
Another notable update is the introduction of 128 Go as a new basic storage option, which doubles the starting point of 64 GB of the previous generation. In addition, the latest magic keyboard has been redesigned with a larger touch keyboard and a row of function keys, making it a more viable portable alternative.
How does the M3 chip improve performance?
The M3 chip on the new iPad Air offers an 8 core processor with four performance cores and four efficiency cores, a 9 core processor and a 16 core neuronal motor. According to Apple, this chip offers up to 20% better performance than the M2, although real world differences can be difficult to notice for casual users.
For tasks such as video editing, 3D rendering and high-end games, the M3 offers a measurable boost. Games like Mirage created by Assassin and Resident Evil Village work more smoothly with accelerated hardware tracking. The inclusion of AV1 video codec support also increases the effectiveness of media reproduction.
Do you support Apple Intelligence?
One of the most important additions to Apple’s ecosystem this year is Apple Intelligence, a suite of generational artificial intelligence features designed to improve productivity and creativity. The iPad Air M3 supports these features, allowing users to generate images, summarize text and improve writing with AI-driven tools.
According to Tom’s guide, writing tools remain one of the most practical applications of AI, offering contextual text suggestions and grammar corrections. However, while Apple Intelligence can help with several creative tasks, some users may find their current iteration less overwhelming compared to third-party artificial intelligence models.
Is the design different?
No. The iPad Air M3 retains the same elegant and minimalist aluminum chassis seen in its predecessor. It is always available in four colours: Blue, Violet, Starlight and Space Gray. The device measures 9.74 x 7.02 x 0.24 inches and weighs on a pound, keeping its light attractive.
The screen also remains unchanged, with the same 11-inch Retina Liquid panel with a resolution of 2360 x 1640 pixels. Although not as dynamic as the OLED panel found on the iPad Pro, the screen is clear, bright and precise in color.
Is it the improvement of wealth?
For users who already use an iPad Air M2, this update may not be convincing enough to justify an update. However, those in an old M1 or A-iPad series will notice a significant jump in performance, especially when using resource-intensive applications.
The biggest win is the largest basic storage, which guarantees users more space for applications, photos and media. In addition, the updated magic keyboard, although expensive, diffuses the line between the tablet and the functionality of the laptop.
Price and availability
The iPad Air 2025 starts at $599 for the 11-inch model and $749 for the 13-inch variant. Although these prices have remained unchanged since last year, they offer more value due to updated storage and performance.
Apple also maintained the cellular connectivity option, adding $149 to the price for users who need mobile data. Customers looking for accessories will find the new Magic Keyboard price of $269 for the smallest model and $319 for the largest. Apple Pencil Pro, which adds advanced stylus capabilities, retailers for $129.
For those looking for the best offer, some retailers like Amazon and ATюamp; T offer light discounts, bringing the model price from 11 inches to $559 and the 13-inch version to $749 with service activation.
In general, the iPad Air M3 is a solid refinement rather than a revolution. If you need an update to an old iPad, it’s a good time to jump. However, if you already have an M2 version, you can expect a bigger jump in the future.
