Apple Says iPad Air Performance Details Are Accurate Despite 9-Core GPU Mistake

Though Apple mistakenly listed the M2 chip in the iPad Air as having a 10-core GPU instead of a 9-core GPU, the performance claims that it shared during the ‌iPad Air‌ launch and in marketing materials are accurate.

m2 iPad Air Horizontal Feature Orange
In a statement provided to 9to5Mac, Apple said that the details it shared on the ‌iPad Air‌'s performance were always based on a 9-core GPU.

We are updating Apple.com to correct the core count for the M2 iPad Air. All performance claims for the M2 iPad Air are accurate and based on a 9-core GPU.

Apple's website says that the ‌M2‌ chip is "nearly 50 percent faster than the previous generation," and that it specifically has "25 percent faster graphics."

Apple recently updated its technical specifications website for the ‌M2‌ ‌iPad Air‌ to state that the device has a 9-core GPU. Prior to the update, it listed a 10-core GPU. The prior-generation iPad Pro had a 10-core GPU, so it is a surprise that the ‌iPad Air‌ version is limited to a 9-core GPU.

Other ‌M2‌ chip specifications have not changed. The ‌iPad Air‌ has an 8-core CPU with four performance cores and four efficiency cores, along with 8GB RAM and a 16-core Neural Engine.

Because it took Apple several days to correct the chip error on its website, some users may have purchased the ‌iPad Air‌ believing it had a 10-core GPU. The two week return period has expired for those who bought on launch day, but customers would have a good argument for a return exception.

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

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Coming Soon With These 8 New Features on Your iPhone

Thursday December 11, 2025 8:49 am PST by
Apple seeded the second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to developers earlier this week, meaning the update will be released to the general public very soon. Apple confirmed iOS 26.2 would be released in December, but it did not provide a specific date. We expect the update to be released by early next week. iOS 26.2 includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, such as a new...
Google maps feaure

Google Maps Quietly Added This Long-Overdue Feature for Drivers

Wednesday December 10, 2025 2:52 am PST by
Google Maps on iOS quietly gained a new feature recently that automatically recognizes where you've parked your vehicle and saves the location for you. Announced on LinkedIn by Rio Akasaka, Google Maps' senior product manager, the new feature auto-detects your parked location even if you don't use the parking pin function, saves it for up to 48 hours, and then automatically removes it once...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature 1

Apple to Make More Foldable iPhones Than Expected [Updated]

Tuesday December 9, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple has ordered 22 million OLED panels from Samsung Display for the first foldable iPhone, signaling a significantly larger production target than the display industry had previously anticipated, ET News reports. In the now-seemingly deleted report, ET News claimed that Samsung plans to mass-produce 11 million inward-folding OLED displays for Apple next year, as well as 11 million...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3

Thursday December 11, 2025 11:28 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3 and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B30, up from 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 firmware is 8B28, up from 8B21. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 are getting expanded support for Live Translation in the European Union in iOS...
iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
AirTag 2 Mock Feature

Apple AirTag 2: Four New Features Found in iOS 26 Code

Thursday December 11, 2025 10:31 am PST by
The AirTag 2 will include a handful of new features that will improve tracking capabilities, according to a new report from Macworld. The site says that it was able to access an internal build of iOS 26, which includes references to multiple unreleased products. Here's what's supposedly coming: An improved pairing process, though no details were provided. AirTag pairing is already...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds Second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Monday December 8, 2025 10:18 am PST by
Apple today seeded the second release candidate version of iOS 26.2 to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming one week after Apple seeded the first RC. The release candidate represents the final version iOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found. Registered developers and public beta testers can download the betas from the Settings app on...
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

iPhone 18 Pro Leak Adds New Evidence for Under-Display Face ID

Monday December 8, 2025 4:54 am PST by
Apple is actively testing under-screen Face ID for next year's iPhone 18 Pro models using a special "spliced micro-transparent glass" window built into the display, claims a Chinese leaker. According to "Smart Pikachu," a Weibo account that has previously shared accurate supply-chain details on Chinese Android hardware, Apple is testing the special glass as a way to let the TrueDepth...
ipad blue prime day

iPad 12 Rumored to Get iPhone 17's A19 Chip, Breaking Apple Tradition

Wednesday December 10, 2025 12:22 pm PST by
The next-generation low-cost iPad will use Apple's A19 chip, according to a report from Macworld. Macworld claims to have seen an "internal Apple code document" with information about the 2026 iPad lineup. Prior documentation discovered by MacRumors suggested that the iPad 12 would be equipped with an A18 chip, not an A19 chip. The A19 chip was just released this year in the iPhone 17, and...
studio display purple

Apple Studio Display 2 Code Hints at 120Hz ProMotion, HDR, A19 Chip

Thursday December 11, 2025 4:19 am PST by
Apple's next-generation Studio Display is expected to arrive early next year, and a new report allegedly provides a couple more details on the external monitor's capabilities. According to internal Apple code seen by Macworld, the new external display will feature a variable refresh rate capable of up to 120Hz – aka ProMotion – as well as support for HDR content. The current Studio...

Top Rated Comments

JPack Avatar
20 months ago
Of course it's the "same" performance when Apple delivers fewer GPU cores.

But when Apple charges $50 for an extra core, they'll tell you it's much faster. ?
Score: 40 Votes (Like | Disagree)
aknabi Avatar
20 months ago
I couldn’t core less
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
turbineseaplane Avatar
20 months ago
Nothing to see here
Buy with confidence


-Tim
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
turbineseaplane Avatar
20 months ago

They really use the iPads to get rid of chips that are unwanted. That’s why they are so overpowered. They get chips that were designed for something else, but since it works and allows Apple to get basically free SoC instead of tossing them in a landfill, why not.
Sounds great!
Let's toss some into an updated Apple TV!
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
antiprotest Avatar
20 months ago
That's why the ad that crushed everything was for the Pro. The Air didn't have enough processing power for that.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kay_Ess Avatar
20 months ago
Sorry but why would this matter so much if the performance claims are still the same? No one buys an iPad because they want to make direct use of GPU cores. If you do buy an iPad because of performance reasons, you do it based on benchmarks or performance claims or whatever and that hasn’t changed, right?

Is it extremely dumb and does it show bad hierarchy in the company? Sure. But a reason to return your iPad or to file a claim? Not to my non-US brain at least, no offense.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)