Apple unveils two new iPads: 7 things you need to know

Apple has unveiled a new era of devices with the launch of iPad Air, now powered by the unstoppable M3 chip and optimised for its revolutionary intelligence system, Apple Intelligence. But that’s not all. They’ve also unveiled the new Magic Keyboard, specially designed for iPad Air, and a refreshed iPad with twice the storage capacity and the powerful A16 chip. Here are 7 essential innovations that will transform your experience with these devices:

The new iPad Air with M3 is available in two sizes and four great finishes: blue, purple, star white and space grey. The 11-inch model is perfect for on-the-go and starts at £699, while the 13-inch model features an even larger screen for more room for productivity and creativity and starts at £949.

Super-powered with the M3 chip, iPad Air features Apple’s advanced graphics architecture for the first time, delivering more accurate lighting, shadows and reflections, and extremely realistic gaming experiences. Users will feel the incredible speed of the M3 chip in everything they do, whether they’re creating quality content faster than ever before or playing graphics-intensive games.

iPad Air is designed for Apple Intelligence, the personal intelligence system that provides useful and relevant information. In Photos, the Cleanup tool makes it easy to remove clutter from images, and with Graphic Wand in the Notes app, users can make notes more engaging by turning sketches into great-looking images by simply circling around them with Apple Pencil. Thanks to Apple Intelligence, users can express themselves visually in new ways with Image Playground and create the perfect emojis with Genmoji. And with ChatGPT fully integrated into Typing Tools and Siri, users can turn to this service without switching apps and complete their tasks with never-before-seen ease.

The new Magic Keyboard designed for iPad Air makes it easier for users to get even more done, and features the magical floating design they love, plus a more spacious and precise trackpad with a new row of 14 function keys to keep settings like screen brightness and volume controls at their fingertips. It’s available in white from £329 for the 11-inch model and £349 for the 13-inch model.

Apple also updated iPad today with double the minimum capacity and the A16 chip, offering even more value to customers while maintaining the starting price from €399. Compared to the previous generation, the upgraded iPad with the A16 chip is nearly 30% faster, without compromising all-day battery life.

The new iPad Air with M3 and the upgraded iPad with the A16 chip are great for enjoying the powerful smart features of iPadOS18. For example, the Calculator app instantly solves mathematical expressions and Smart Typing gives users innovative and efficient ways to edit handwritten text, with the ability to easily add spaces or even paste text typed on the keyboard and view it in their own handwriting. And with Audio Recording and Transcription, iPad can record lectures or conversations and sync the transcripts with the audio.

The new iPad Air and refreshed iPad are designed with the environment in mind. As part of Apple’s ambitious goal to achieve carbon neutrality across its entire environmental footprint by 2030, both the new iPad Air and iPad are made from at least 30 percent recycled materials, including 100 percent recycled aluminium in the enclosure and 100 percent recycled rare earths in all magnets. All packaging is made from fibre, bringing Apple closer to its goal of completely eliminating plastic from all its packaging by the end of the year.