Six thoughts on Apple’s new M3 iPad Air
This yearâs iPad Air was a surprise to me. Apple launched the last Air less than a year ago, and that was a very good device that could already support Apple Intelligence â and most of Appleâs recent gadget upgrades have been about supporting Apple Intelligence. I figured Apple might launch a better Magic Keyboard for the Air (which it did), and that maybe weâd see some big new software ideas at WWDC this year. But a whole new model? Didnât see that coming.
In fairness, thereâs really only one new thing about the new model: it runs on an M3 chip instead of last yearâs M2. So maybe instead of a whole new iPad Air, this is more like a mid-cycle refresh. Appleâs chip production changes, and so its devices change too. The new one, just like the old one, starts at $599 for the 11-inch model and $799 for the 13-inch screen. It comes in the same very pale colors. You get it.
Iâve had a 13-inch M2 Air for many months and an 11-inch M3 Air on my desk for the last several days. The story is the same as ever: itâs an excellent tablet, and I wish Apple would use iPadOS to make it a more versatile one. But we donât need to litigate the reason for tablets to exist â yo …