What you need to know
- Apple has announced a new iPad Air at its "Peek Performance" event.
- The new iPad Air features the M1 processor, just like the iPad Pro.
Today, at Apple's "Peek Performance" event, the company announced the next generation of iPad Air.
The new iPad Air comes packed with the M1 processor, a new leap for the iPad Air as it catches up to the iPad Pro from last year. The M1 chip includes an 8-core CPU and is 60% faster than the A14 chip that came in previous generations of the iPad Air.
The new Air also features a new front camera system that includes a 12MP ultra-wide camera and support for Center Stage, Apple's camera feature that follows you around as you record or attend a video meeting. If you're thinking of recording video, Apple has announced a new version of iMovie for the iPad that will take advantage of the iPad's new features. The new version of the video editing software will release next month.
Apple has also brought 5G support to the Air, a move that was expected as it was the only model left in the iPad lineup that was missing the connectivity technology. Speaking of connectivity, Apple says that the USB-C port has been upgraded to offer twice as fast performance as the previous generation.
The new iPad Air will come in five colors: Space Gray, Starlight, Pink, Purple, and a new shade of Blue. It will be available in both 64GB and 256GB configurations in both WiFi-only and 5G versions. It will start at $599, the same starting price as the previous generation.
Preorders for the new iPad Air will start on Friday and it will be available on March 18.
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