If you are planning to buy a new affordable iPad with the latest features, then now could be the right time. The iPad Air has been upgraded with the Apple M3 chip introducing a performance boost for Apple Intelligence features. In this guide, let’s discuss the differences between the iPad Air M3 and the iPad Air M2 to check all the upgrades that you get with Apple’s latest offering.
12MP f/1.8, video recording up to 4K 60fps
and 1080p 240fps
Front Camera
12MP f/2.0
Battery capacity
28.93 Wh (11-inch),
36.59 Wh (13-inch)
Charging
20W charging via USB-C
iPad Air M3 vs iPad Air M2: Price in India
Connectivity
Storage
iPad Air M3
iPad Air M2
11-inch
Wi-Fi
128GB
Rs 59,900
256GB
Rs 69,900
512GB
Rs 89,900
1TB
Rs 1,09,900
Wi-Fi+Cellular
128GB
Rs 74,900
256GB
Rs 84,900
512GB
Rs 1,04,900
1TB
Rs 1,24,900
13-inch
Wi-Fi
128GB
Rs 79,900
256GB
Rs 89,900
512GB
Rs 1,09,900
1TB
Rs 1,09,900
Wi-Fi+Cellular
128GB
Rs 1,29,900
256GB
Rs 94,900
512GB
Rs 1,24,900
1TB
Rs 1,44,900
Apple has kept the prices of its latest iPad Air models unchanged compared to the previous generation. The base model is available for Rs 59,900, and the top model goes up to Rs 1,44,900. They are available for purchase on Apple.com, Amazon, Flipkart, Apple Premium Resellers, and Apple’s Exclusive Stores in Mumbai and Delhi.
iPad Air M3 vs iPad Air M2: Build and Design
The iPad Air M3 has a slightly bigger chassis to accommodate the magnets for the new Magic Keyboard. Other than this, both models have a similar aluminium build with flat edges and integrated Touch ID in the power button. In fact, the colour options also remain the same: Space Grey, Blue, Purple, and Starlight.
iPad Air M3 vs iPad Air M2: Display
The iPad Air M3 and iPad Air M2 share the same Liquid Retina IPS display and the refresh rate is still capped at 120Hz. They have a uniform bezel surrounding the four edges. This panel supports peak brightness of up to 500 nits. If you are an OLED fanatic, then you will have to wait longer to get a better display on the iPad Air.
iPad Air M3 vs iPad Air M2: Performance
The iPad Air M3 features the Apple M3 chip, which makes it 2x faster compared to the iPad Air M1. It comes with an 8-core CPU and 9-core GPU, the most powerful specifications for an iPad Air model. Apple says that the new chip offers a realistic gaming experience and improved performance for creative professionals in photo and video editing.
The iPad Air M2 has the Apple M2 chip. It is capable of doing almost everything the M3 chip can do, which includes Apple Intelligence. Feature-wise, you don’t really miss anything with the last-gen iPad Air.
In a direct comparison, the Apple M3 chip is approximately 50% faster in multi-core performance and 25% better in gaming. These upgrades will prove helpful over the years as Apple rolls out newer Apple Intelligence and generative AI features. The M3 chip’s neural engine is also 30% faster than its predecessor, making it more suitable for on-device AI tasks.
iPad Air M3 vs iPad Air M2: Cameras
Apple is in full environment-saving mode, recycling the same camera setup on its latest iPad Air. Both models equip a 12MP f/1.8 single rear sensor and a 12MP f/2.0 selfie camera. As we see with the iPad Pro models, there’s no support for OIS or LiDAR.
iPad Air M3 vs iPad Air M2: Battery and Charging
The iPad Air M3 and M2 models share a 28.93Wh battery on the 11-inch model and 36.59Wh on the 13-inch variant. Both support 20W charging over USB-C. The M3 chip is more power-efficient than the M2 chip, so you can expect comparatively better battery life on the newer iPad Air M3.
iPad Air M3 vs iPad Air M2: Accessories Support
The iPad Air M3 supports the newer Magic Keyboard with a larger trackpad. It also supports the Apple Pencil Pro with USB-C. While both iPad models support Apple Pencil Hover, the latest iPad Air offers more flexibility.
iPad Air M3 vs iPad Air M2: Verdict
It is clear that Apple has only focused on a performance upgrade and a slight addition to the new Magic Keyboard on the latest iPad Air. Apart from the processor, the iPad Air M3 and iPad Air M2 share the same display, cameras, and battery.
If you are looking to buy a new iPad, then you should get the iPad Air M3 as it offers better CPU, GPU, and NPU performance at the exact same price. But if you already own an iPad Air M2, there’s no need to upgrade immediately.
