iPad Air 2024 Now Comes In Two Sizes: Pro Size At A Lower Price
Apple has just announced the 2024 iPad Air refresh. The design remains largely unchanged, but there are now more options on the table. In addition to the standard 11-inch variant, the company is adding a new 13-inch version to the portfolio. The color options are familiar, with buyers getting to pick between blue, purple, starlight, and space grey shades.
Powering the machine is the Apple M2 silicon, an upgrade from the M1 inside the previous version. Aside from a performance bump, the company is finally getting rid of the 64GB storage configuration. The iPad Air will be up for grabs in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage configurations.
Another major change, one that tablet fans have been asking for a while, is a more comfortable position for the front camera. On the new iPad Air, Apple has positioned the camera alongside the horizontal edge and has also enabled Center Stage, the AI-powered tech that makes focus adjustments to keep the subject in the middle of the frame.
A meaningful upgrade, inside out
The iPad Air, as usual, works with the Apple Pencil and is also compatible with the Magic Keyboard accessory for the iPad Pro. As far as performance goes, Apple is claiming a 2x bump compared to the Bionic A-series silicon. What's interesting is that Apple is not only touting a 50% performance boost compared to the M1 silicon but also AI capabilities that seemingly put the Air on the same pedestal as the previous-gen iPad Pro.
Apple has also adjusted the speaker assembly, promising deeper bass specifically on the larger 13-inch variant. For authentication, there is a Touch ID sensor embedded inside the power button, while wireless connectivity is handled by 5G and Wi-Fi 6E. Both the cameras on Apple's latest slate come with a 12-megapixel sensor. As far as the pricing goes, the 11-inch iPad Air starts at $599, while the 13-inch iPad Air will be for grabs at $799 for the base 128GB storage variant. The new tablet will go on sale next week from Apple's online store and authorized retail partners.