M4 iPad Air vs M3 iPad Air: All The Key Differences Explained

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Need-to-knows

• Biggest difference is the addition of the new M4 chip
• M4 version has 12GB RAM compared to 8GB M3 version
• Design, battery and display remain exactly the same

Let’s keep this article as simple as it can possibly be. The jump from the M3 iPad Air to the M4 iPad Air is…well…subtle. Very subtle.

On paper, the newer model is technically the better device. It has a newer chip, more memory, faster connectivity, and a few other small tweaks. But does this translate into any truly significant difference in the real-world?

Here are the main differences between the M4 iPad Air and the M3 iPad Air, and a recommendation about which one to buy.

At a glance

The M4 chip replaces the M3 (but the real difference is RAM)

The headline upgrade is the processor.

The previous iPad Air used Apple’s M3 chip with an 8-core CPU, 9-core GPU and 16-core Neural Engine. The new model moves to the M4 chip which features a slightly different CPU layout, three performance cores and five efficiency cores, but the same 9-core GPU and hardware-accelerated ray tracing support.

In practice, the change is definitely there if you really go looking for it. Apple states the M4 offers about 20% faster CPU performance compared to the M3 chip, but you’d only ever notice this if you regularly push your iPad Air to the limit of what it can do. I’m talking heavy video editing, graphics processing or statistical modelling.

The more meaningful upgrade is actually in the memory.

The M3 iPad Air shipped with 8GB of RAM. The M4 version increases that to 12GB. That extra memory gives iPadOS more breathing room when juggling multiple apps and should help creative software and AI-driven features run more smoothly.

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Again, the reality, though, is that most people won’t push an iPad Air hard enough to expose the difference. If you’re browsing, streaming, writing, or dabbling in some video editing, the M3 iPad Air was already plenty fast.

Still, the M4 model is the more capable machine on paper, particularly if you’re planning to keep it for a long time.

Faster wireless connectivity

Another of the more substantial upgrades arrives in the connectivity department.

The M3 iPad Air supported Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. The M4 model moves to Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, alongside Apple’s new N1 wireless networking chip.

That’s a meaningful technical improvement, but it’s also one that many people won’t notice immediately. Wi-Fi 7 routers are still relatively uncommon, and most everyday tasks, streaming, browsing, downloading apps, are already handled perfectly well by Wi-Fi 6E.

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What this change really does is add a tiny bit of future-proofing. If you keep your iPad for four or five years and eventually upgrade your home network, the M4 model will be ready for those faster speeds. But Wi-Fi 6E devices will still work though!

A new Apple cellular modem

If you choose a cellular model, the M4 iPad Air introduces another internal tweak.

Apple has moved to its own C1X cellular modem rather than relying on third-party hardware. It still supports sub-6GHz 5G and gigabit LTE, but the shift to Apple-designed silicon should improve power efficiency and integration with the rest of the system.

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In theory, this should mean slightly better battery performance when using mobile data and improved network management. In practice, the experience will feel almost identical to the M3 model.

Unless you regularly use your iPad away from Wi-Fi, this change shouldn’t influence your buying decision.

The battery is basically unchanged

Battery life is one of those areas where Apple tends to avoid dramatic changes. So far, they’ve resisted the pull of silicon carbide battery tech, which offers larger battery capacities.

The 13-inch iPad Air continues to use a 36.59Wh battery, while the 11-inch model features a slightly smaller 28.93Wh cell. Apple still claims up to 10 hours of web browsing or video playback on Wi-Fi.

That’s the same promise we’ve seen across multiple iPad generations, and it remains mostly accurate in everyday use.

Everything else is virtually identical

Once you move past the chip and connectivity updates, the M4 iPad Air is basically the same device as the M3 version.

The design is unchanged. You still get the same two sizes, 11-inch and 13-inch, with identical dimensions and weights.

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The (excellent) displays are the same Liquid Retina panels with wide colour support, True Tone, anti-reflective coating and up to 600 nits of brightness on the larger model.

Camera hardware is identical, too. Both generations feature a 12-megapixel rear camera capable of 4K video recording and a 12-megapixel front camera with Centre Stage for video calls.

Even the colours remain the same: blue, purple, starlight and space grey. This is very much an internal refresh rather than a redesign.

Should you upgrade from the M3 iPad Air?

Hopefully, the answer to this question is plain to see.

If you already own an M3 iPad Air, there’s no compelling reason to upgrade. The newer model is technically better, but the improvements are purely incremental.

A slightly newer chip, a bit more RAM and faster wireless connectivity are nice to have, but they don’t fundamentally change the experience of using this device.

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If you’re buying an iPad Air for the first time, however, the M4 version becomes a more attractive option. It offers the latest silicon chip and a bit more longevity for the same price as the M3 was released for in 2025.

That being said, you can find some excellent deals for both new and second-hand M3 iPad Airs these days, which should definitely factor into your decision. If you can find one for $150 less than an M4 iPad Air, for example, then that is a deal probably worth taking.