Device hub · Tablets · Desk research
iPad Air (M3)
Air (M3) is the $599 / $799 Liquid Retina iPad: M3, 8GB, landscape stereo, USB 3, Touch ID.
Product images
Placeholder — OEM press not licensediPad Air (M3)
Credit: GadgetShowdown labeled placeholder (not an Apple asset). View official product image
Studio still only. Manufacturer press JPEGs are not hosted here. See the official product page for the real product photo.
Placeholder — OEM press not licensediPad Air (M3)
Credit: GadgetShowdown labeled placeholder (not an Apple asset). View official product image
Studio still only. Manufacturer press JPEGs are not hosted here. See the official product page for the real product photo.
In short
Air (M3) is the $599 / $799 Liquid Retina iPad: M3, 8GB, landscape stereo, USB 3, Touch ID. Buy it when you want Pencil Pro without paying for tandem OLED and Thunderbolt. Skip it if you need XDR / four speakers (Pro) or an 8.3-inch carry (mini).
Who it is for
- Buyers who want current Apple Pencil Pro + hover on an 11- or 13-inch slab without the Pro XDR / Thunderbolt ticket.
- Students and note-takers who will use Magic Keyboard for iPad Air ($269 / $319 US at the M5 Pro Newsroom recap) and Touch ID.
- Color-sensitive shoppers: Blue, Purple, Starlight, Space Gray — Pro is silver / space black only.
- Cellular travelers who want 5G eSIM without stepping up to C1X Pro pricing.
Who should skip it
- Anyone who specifically wants tandem OLED, 1600-nit HDR peak, four speakers, Face ID, LiDAR, or Thunderbolt — that is iPad Pro (M5).
- Buyers who need a compact 8.3-inch tablet. Air is 10.86-inch / 13-inch class (Apple rectangle footnotes), 460–617 g.
- People who need more than 8GB RAM. Pro’s 256GB SKU already starts at 12GB.
- Android / Windows keyboard-first shoppers.
Key differentiators
- M3 (8-core CPU, 9-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine, 8GB RAM) in two Liquid Retina sizes at $599 / $799 US Wi-Fi launch.
- Same Pencil Pro + USB-C + hover path as Pro, with landscape stereo instead of four speakers.
- USB 3 (10Gb/s) and one external display up to 6K/60 Hz — not Thunderbolt, not Pro’s 5K/120 path.
- Four finishes and Touch ID; Pro is two finishes and Face ID.
Caveats
- Brightness (500 / 600 nits), battery hours, and Newsroom “nearly 2× vs M1 Air” lines are Apple claims. We have not lab-tested Air (M3).
- Apple Support names the OS family as iPadOS. Confirm the current shipping release on apple.com/ipados.
- Pencil and Magic Keyboard are sold separately. Support 122241 / 122242 In the Box (re-opened 2026-09-19): iPad Air, USB-C Charge Cable (1 meter), and 20W USB-C Power Adapter.
- Apple product photography is not hosted here.
Tablet-category specs
Same rows on every tablet page (iPad Pro / Air / mini, Galaxy Tab S, Pixel Tablet).
| Attribute | Value | Source / note |
|---|---|---|
| Display size | 11-inch model 10.86-inch rectangle diagonal; 13-inch model uses Apple’s 13-inch Liquid Retina naming (rounded-corner footnote) | Apple Support 11-inch / 13-inch M3 tech specsApple: actual viewable area is less. |
| Display type | Liquid Retina; LED-backlit IPS Multi-Touch | Apple Support M3 tech specs |
| Display resolution | 11-inch: 2360 × 1640 at 264 ppi; 13-inch: 2732 × 2048 at 264 ppi | Apple Support M3 tech specs |
| Peak brightness (OEM) | 11-inch 500 nits; 13-inch 600 nits | Apple Support M3 tech specsManufacturer nits, not a measured outdoor reading. No 1600-nit HDR peak on this sheet. |
| Refresh rate | Not published | Apple Support M3 tech specs |
| Display features | Wide color (P3); True Tone; oleophobic coating; fully laminated; antireflective coating; Apple Pencil hover | Apple Support M3 tech specs |
| Sold size(s) | 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air (M3) | Apple Newsroom, 2025-03-04 |
| Dimensions | 11-inch: 247.6 × 178.5 × 6.1 mm; 13-inch: 280.6 × 214.9 × 6.1 mm | Apple Support M3 tech specs |
| Weight | 11-inch Wi-Fi and cellular 460 g; 13-inch Wi-Fi 616 g; 13-inch cellular 617 g | Apple Support M3 tech specs |
| Finishes | Blue; Purple; Starlight; Space Gray | Apple Support M3 tech specs |
| Chassis / enclosure | Aluminum iPad Air enclosure (Apple Environment block on Support; quote recycled percentages from that page when you reuse the row) | Apple Support M3 tech specs |
| Chip / processor | Apple M3: 8-core CPU (4 performance + 4 efficiency), 9-core GPU, hardware-accelerated. | Apple Support M3 tech specs |
| Memory (RAM) | 8GB RAM on all published storage SKUs | Apple Support M3 tech specs |
| On-device storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB (no microSD) | Apple Support M3 tech specs |
| Operating system | iPadOS (Apple Support names the OS family) | Apple Support M3 tech specsConfirm current shipping iPadOS on apple.com/ipados. |
| Pencil / stylus | Supports Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C), including hover. Neither Pencil is in the box. | Apple Support M3 tech specs |
| Keyboard / cover (OEM) | Magic Keyboard for iPad Air (sold separately). M5 Pro Newsroom recap: 11-inch $269 US, 13-inch $319 US, black finish. Smart Connector on the chassis. | Apple Newsroom 2025-03-04; Newsroom 2025-10-15 price recap |
| Biometrics | Touch ID in the top button | Apple Support M3 tech specs |
| Speakers | Landscape stereo speakers | Apple Support M3 tech specs |
| Microphones | Dual microphones for calls, video recording, and audio recording | Apple Support M3 tech specs |
| Cellular | Wi-Fi models: none. Wi-Fi + Cellular: 5G sub-6 with 4x4 MIMO; Gigabit LTE; eSIM only. US launch +$150 vs Wi-Fi ($749 / $949). | Apple Support M3 tech specs; Newsroom 2025-03-04 |
| Wireless (Wi-Fi / Bluetooth) | Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) 2x2 MIMO; simultaneous dual band; Bluetooth 5.3 | Apple Support M3 tech specs |
| Ports / expansion | USB-C with charging, DisplayPort, and USB 3 (up to 10Gb/s); magnetic Pencil connector; Smart Connector | Apple Support M3 tech specs |
| Rear camera | 12MP Wide, ƒ/1.8; 4K video up to 60 fps | Apple Support M3 tech specs |
| Front camera | Landscape 12MP Center Stage, ƒ/2.0; 1080p video | Apple Support M3 tech specs |
| Battery (OEM) | 11-inch 28.93Wh; 13-inch 36.59Wh. Up to 10 hours Wi-Fi web or video; cellular models up to 9 hours web on cellular | Apple Support M3 tech specs |
| Charging (OEM) | USB-C Charge Cable (1m) and 20W USB-C Power Adapter in the box (Support 122241 / 122242 In the Box, re-opened 2026-09-19). Charging via power adapter or USB-C to computer. No 50%-in-30-minutes fast-charge table on these sheets (that table is on M5 Pro). | Apple Support 122241 / 122242 |
| Durability / ingress | Not published | Apple Support M3 tech specs |
| Location / GNSS | All models: digital compass, Wi-Fi, iBeacon. Cellular models add GPS/GNSS | Apple Support M3 tech specs |
| US MSRP (launch) | 11-inch Wi-Fi $599; 11-inch cellular $749; 13-inch Wi-Fi $799; 13-inch cellular $949 (US, 4 March 2025). Education: $549 / $749 for 11- / 13-inch Wi-Fi. | Apple Newsroom, 2025-03-04 |
| Price band | Mid-flagship tablet ($599–$949 US launch before Pencil/Keyboard) | Derived from Apple launch prices |
| Announced | 4 March 2025 | Apple Newsroom |
| Availability | Pre-order from 4 March 2025; Apple said stores from 12 March 2025. Superseded as current Air by iPad Air (M4), announced 2 March 2026 (pre-order 4 March 2026). | Apple Newsroom, 2025-03-04; Newsroom 2026-03-02 |
iPad Air (M3) extras
Unique to this line or SKU. Other tablets keep the first table aligned and swap this extras list.
| Attribute | Value | Source / note |
|---|---|---|
| Touch ID | Top-button Touch ID; Apple Pay in apps and on the web | Apple Support M3 tech specs |
| Magic Keyboard for iPad Air | Compatible 11- and 13-inch keys. Newsroom (Oct 2025 recap): $269 / $319 US, black. Sold separately. | Apple Newsroom 2025-03-04; 2025-10-15 |
| Apple Pencil hover | Yes — listed with Pencil Pro and Pencil (USB-C) | Apple Support M3 tech specs |
| LiDAR | Not listed on the M3 Air Support sensor block (gyro, accelerometer, barometer, ambient light, Touch ID) | Apple Support M3 tech specs |
| In the box | iPad Air; USB-C Charge Cable (1 meter); 20W USB-C Power Adapter. No Pencil. | Apple Support 122241 / 122242 In the Box |
| Apple Intelligence | Support lists Apple Intelligence as built in, with region/language limits | Apple Support M3 tech specs |
Overview
iPad Air with M3 is the March 2025 Air. Apple’s framing is the mid-slab: two Liquid Retina sizes, M3, Apple Intelligence, and a new Magic Keyboard, at the same $599 / $799 US Wi-Fi starts as the previous Air. It is not a mini and it is not a Pro.
This hub is a tablets-v1 fill so later writers can compare Air against Pro, mini, Galaxy Tab S, and Pixel Tablet on the same first-table keys.
We have not used this iPad. Newsroom “nearly 2× vs M1 Air” and “up to 3.5× vs A14 Air” stay labeled as Apple claims.
Display, chip, and speakers
Air’s first-table story is IPS + M3 + landscape stereo. Support does not give Air a ProMotion row. Brightness is 500 nits (11-inch) / 600 nits (13-inch). Speakers are landscape stereo with dual mics — keep those keys even though Pro writes four-speaker / four-mic in the same slots.
M3 is 8-core CPU / 9-core GPU / 16-core Neural Engine / 8GB. Storage is 128GB–1TB. No microSD.
Pencil, keyboard, cellular
Same Pencil Pro + USB-C + hover sentence as Pro. Keyboard is Magic Keyboard for iPad Air, not the Pro aluminum-palm-rest SKU. Cellular is 5G eSIM at +$150 US launch — not Apple’s later C1X Pro modem.
Battery
| Mode (Apple) | Air (M3) |
|---|---|
| Pack | 28.93Wh (11-inch) / 36.59Wh (13-inch) |
| Wi-Fi web or video | Up to 10 hours |
| Cellular web | Up to 9 hours |
No 50%-in-30-minutes fast-charge table on the Air Support sheet.
How this page compares on a desk (not a vs-page)
Current Air sell-in is iPad Air (M4). This hub stays so leftover M3 shoppers have an honest first table.
| Desk fact (OEM) | iPad Air (M3) | iPad Air (M4) | iPad Pro (M5) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display | IPS 500/600 nits | Same public nits table | Tandem OLED XDR 1000/1600 |
| Memory | 8GB | 12GB | 12/16GB by storage |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 6E / BT 5.3 | N1 Wi-Fi 7 / BT 6 / Thread | N1 Wi-Fi 7 / BT 6 / Thread |
| Cellular modem | 5G eSIM (not C1X) | C1X | C1X |
| US Wi-Fi start | $599 / $799 (Mar 2025) | $599 / $799 (Mar 2026) | $999 / $1,299 |
Live vs-pages: /tablets/ipad-air-m3-vs-ipad-air-m4/ and /tablets/ipad-air-m3-vs-ipad-pro-m5/.
Software
Support names the family iPadOS. Confirm apple.com/ipados on write day. Apple Intelligence is listed with region/language limits.
Price, SKUs, and what not to invent
US Wi-Fi start was $599 / $799. Cellular +$150. Education $549 / $749. Do not quote a 2026 street price as if it were the March 2025 MSRP.
Sources
- Apple Newsroom — Apple introduces iPad Air with powerful M3 chip and new Magic Keyboard — accessed 2026-09-19
- Apple — iPad Air product page — accessed 2026-09-19
- Apple — iPad Air technical specifications — accessed 2026-09-19
- Apple Support — iPad Air 11-inch (M3) tech specs — accessed 2026-09-19
- Apple Support — iPad Air 13-inch (M3) tech specs — accessed 2026-09-19
- Apple Newsroom — iPad Pro M5 (Magic Keyboard for iPad Air price recap) — accessed 2026-09-19
- Apple Newsroom — iPad Air powered by M4 (successor) — accessed 2026-09-19
Frequently asked questions
How is Air different from iPad Pro (M5)?
Air is IPS Liquid Retina (500/600 nits), M3 with 8GB, landscape stereo, USB 3, Touch ID. Pro is tandem OLED XDR (1000/1600 nits), M5 with 12/16GB, four speakers, Thunderbolt, Face ID, LiDAR. Both support Pencil Pro + hover. Live vs-page: /tablets/ipad-air-m3-vs-ipad-pro-m5/.
Does Air have ProMotion?
The M3 Air Support display block does not list ProMotion or a 120Hz range. We keep the tablets-v1 display_refresh key and write “not published” rather than invent 60Hz.
Is 8GB enough?
Apple publishes 8GB on every Air (M3) SKU. Pro’s cheapest 256GB SKU is 12GB. We have not measured swap behavior. Repeat the OEM RAM cells; do not invent a “you need 16GB” rule.
What is in the box?
Support 122241 / 122242 In the Box lists iPad Air, a 1m USB-C Charge Cable, and a 20W USB-C Power Adapter. Pencil and Keyboard are still sold separately. There is still no 50%-in-30-minutes fast-charge table on these sheets.
Is M3 still the current Air?
No. iPad Air (M4) was announced 2 March 2026 (Newsroom dateline; pre-order 4 March). Keep this slug as the March 2025 Air. Live current Air: /tablets/ipad-air-m4/.
Official product page: iPad Air (M3). Tech specs: iPad Air (M3) specs.