Upcoming iPad Air Rumored to Feature M1 Chip

The updated iPad Air that Apple is expected to unveil at tomorrow's "Peek Performance" event could include the same M1 chip that's featured in the 2021 iPad Pro, according to information shared by 9to5Mac. Last year's ‌iPad Pro‌ was the first iPad to get Apple's M-series chip, and adding the ‌M1‌ to the ‌iPad Air‌ would put ‌iPad Air‌ performance on par with the current ‌iPad Pro‌ models and the 2020 MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini.

new m1 chip
All prior rumors about the ‌iPad Air‌ have suggested that it will be similar to the iPad mini, featuring the same A15 chip along with 5G connectivity. Adding the ‌M1‌ to the ‌iPad Air‌ would make it very similar to the more expensive top-of-the-line ‌iPad Pro‌, and if Apple does opt to do so, ProMotion display technology (with mini-LED in the 12.9-inch model) and the LiDAR camera would be the main differences between the ‌iPad Air‌ and the ‌iPad Pro‌ lines.

The ‌M1‌ chip features a 8-core CPU and a 7 to 8-core GPU, and comparatively, the A15 chip has a 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU, so the ‌M1‌ does offer some speed improvements over the A-series chips.

Apple's "Peek Performance" event will kick off at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time tomorrow, so we don't have much more time before we learn exactly what chip Apple is adding to the ‌iPad Air‌. We'll have coverage here at MacRumors.com and on our MacRumorsLive Twitter account.

Related Roundup: iPad Air
Buyer's Guide: iPad Air (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iPad

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iphone 17 air dummy unbox therapy

iPhone 17 Air's Extreme Thinness Demoed in New Video

Tuesday April 22, 2025 10:22 am PDT by
Apple plans to release an all-new super thin iPhone this year, debuting it alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. We've seen pictures of dummy models, cases, and renders with the design, but Lewis Hilsenteger of Unbox Therapy today showed off newer dummy models that give us a better idea of just how thin the "iPhone 17 Air" will be. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be ...
ipad air windows 11 arm

M2 iPad Air Runs Windows 11 ARM via Emulation, Thanks to EU Rules

Tuesday April 22, 2025 5:01 am PDT by
A developer has demonstrated Windows 11 ARM running on an M2 iPad Air using emulation, which has become much easier since the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations came into effect. As spotted by Windows Latest, NTDev shared an instance of the emulation on social media and posted a video on YouTube (embedded below) demonstrating it in action. The achievement relies on new EU regulatory...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
iOS 18

iOS 18.5 Includes Only a Few Changes So Far

Monday April 21, 2025 11:00 am PDT by
Apple seeded the third beta of iOS 18.5 to developers today, and so far the software update includes only a few minor changes. The changes are in the Mail and Settings apps. In the Mail app, you can now easily turn off contact photos directly within the app, by tapping on the circle with three dots in the top-right corner. In the Settings app, AppleCare+ coverage information is more...
iphone 17 pro majin bu sky blue

iPhone 17 Pro Allegedly Coming in Sky Blue Color Used for MacBook Air

Tuesday April 22, 2025 4:08 am PDT by
Apple will unveil the iPhone 17 Pro in a new Sky Blue color, the same color that debuted on the latest M4 MacBook Air models Apple released in March. That's according to the leaker Majin Bu. Concept mockup from Majin Bu Writing on his website, Bu claims that "sources close to the supply chain confirm that several iPhone 17 Pro prototypes have been made in various colors, with Sky Blue...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...

Top Rated Comments

_Spinn_ Avatar
41 months ago
The M1 is overkill for iPadOS currently.
Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)
exoticSpice Avatar
41 months ago
Ah yes more power for iPadOS, that just what we need.
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JonathanLevine Avatar
41 months ago
Who the hell is coming up with these rumors the last few days? Am I the only one who thinks most of the stuff coming out the last few days has just been complete bull? I mean half of this sh*t doesn’t even make sense on any level.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
diddl14 Avatar
41 months ago
If it can dual-boot Mac and iPad OS, I'll take it!
Plus whatever keyboard that goes with it...
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Realityck Avatar
41 months ago

The M1 is overkill for iPadOS currently.
Good point, its why we are very anxious about iPadOS 16 at WWDC. :)
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Realityck Avatar
41 months ago
I guess we have every rumor possible now being thought of. :eek:
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)