What you need to know about the iPad Air (M3) and the iPad (A16)

iPad (A16)

Apple announced updates to the iPad line starting with a new base-level iPad, which now features the A16 processor. Notably, this means that the entry-model iPad still won’t be able to use Apple Intelligence, but that’s also probably not a high priority for anyone buying this version of the iPad. That said, it is a bit of a black eye for Apple since the iPad (A16) can run cloud-based third-party AI tools like Grok, ChatGPT, Gemini, etc., but can’t run Apple’s on-device AI models, nor can it access Apple’s Private Cloud Compute models. Privacy is a huge advantage in Apple’s AI strategy, but Apple’s fear should be that most consumers interested in dabbling in AI would gladly trade the privacy advantages for the capabilities of the state-of-the-art AI models out there.

iPad Air (M3)

Really the same story here… mostly. The iPad Air gets a processor bump from M2 to M3. This does mean performance gains. And while that doesn’t mean much if you’re comparing it to the previous generation iPad Air, that’s not really how consumers work. The average new iPad Air customer, assuming they’re upgrading from a previous iPad, is likely coming from an iPad that’s at least five years old, and often significantly older. iPads maintain their value incredibly well. And I don’t mean resale value. I mean the tangible value they provide to their users on a day-to-day basis. A proc bump means Apple gets to demonstrate that they’re keeping the lineup updated, and they get to provide even better value to those long-term upgraders. Going to M3 does mean that the iPad Air gets hardware ray tracing, which will benefit iPad gamers, but I’m still just not sure that’s really much of a needle-mover for this product.

Apple also unveiled a new Magic Keyboard for iPad Air, which, like the most recent iPad Pro Magic Keyboard, gets a function row. The Magic Keyboard isn’t something most iPad customers need or should care about, but it’s a must-have accessory if you want to use your iPad as a Mac or PC replacement. And yes, those people do exist. You’re reading a column from one of them, typed out on a Magic Keyboard-docked iPad Pro.