What is in a name, especially one as evocative as “air”? For me, it means light, floating, a breeze and the distinction is important. In the case of iPad, it has always meant lighter than the original, or at least it did. But the recent Apple iPad launches have confused the definition of ‘air’ and now Apple made a change in the last iPad Air M3 (11 inches and 13 inches) that makes it clear that the distinction of “air” probably belongs to other places.
There is not much difference between the iPad Air 2024 with the M2 chip and the new Apple iPad Air M3 and 13 -inch and 13 -inch models presented today apart from the most powerful M3 chip. This Apple Silicon bit imbues the ipad air with a faster general performance and better intelligence characteristics thanks to a super loaded neural processor that better supports Apple Giant’s intelligence ambitions of the Cupertino Apple Giant.
‘However, there is an easy to lose design change. On the back, just above the three smart connectors of the magic keyboard, it is nothing. In this case, nothing is something because I have noticed the absence of two words, “Air iPad”, which were on the back of the iPad M2 Air.
I don’t know why Apple eliminated those words, and Apple doesn’t tell us, but it’s a remarkable change. Here is why.
A matter of weight
15 years have passed since Steve Jobs introduced us to the world “Post-PC” and presented the first iPad. That remarkable and resistant tablet weighed 1.5 pounds. At that time, we praise him for his bronze.
Two years later, Apple released the first air of the iPad, a thin marvel, 1 pound, glass and aluminum. The product adopted the name of air from the original Macbook Air, a laptop of 3 ultra thin pounds that, in a particularly theatrical floriture, Steve Jobs left a Manila envelope.
Since then, all ‘air’ products have been reliably lighter and thin than their base and even professional counterparts. It is still on the Macbook side, but things have become more blurred in the iPad space.
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Since 2024, Apple’s iPad air has no longer been the most thin or light iPad. This distinction goes to the M4 iPad Pro models introduced in 2024, the 11 -inch iPad Pro and the 13 -inch iPad Pro use the new Old Tandem screen technology. This intersperses two OLED panels for better deeper colors and blacks, while eliminating the need for a background light, which makes the thickness of 5.3 millimeters possible. The 11 -inch model weighs a little less than one pound (0.98 pounds), while the 13 -inch Pro weighs 1.28 pounds.
Compare this with the new iPad Air with M3. The 11 -inch model has a thickness of 6.1 millimeters and weighs 1.01 pounds. The 13 -inch iPad air has the same 6.1 millimeters thick and weighs 1.36 pounds. The ipad air remains 0.9 millimeters thinner than the iPad Base (which also obtained an update this week) and 17 grams heavier.
These are not big differences, but it is also clear that until Apple carries OLED technology in Tandem to the iPad air line, that tablet will still use a liquid retina screen based on LCD that requires a background light, which naturally makes it thicker than the iPad Pro.
Will the real air get?
There is nothing wrong with the previous one or this new iPad Air alignment. The M3 that I have previously experienced in MacBook Air is an excellent chip and offers a wide support for professional video and audio edition, AAA games and, of course, Apple’s intelligence.
However, what about that, does ‘air’? Without admitting it directly, Apple has given us a clue that perhaps the name of “air” means less than we thought. Removing the label of this new model is a not too subtle way to say that the denomination does not mean what it used to.
Choosing what iPad is suitable for not: “Obviously, I want the thin light and air model.” There are other more nuanced reasons, such as obtaining a power close to M4 and a much more affordable price.
After all, the iPad Pro starts at $ 999 for the 11 -inch model. The new iPad Air M3 begins in just $ 599. It is no longer the thinnest or lighter iPad it can obtain, but that price balance, performance and support for the Pencil Pro and that new magic keyboard can be sufficient, at least until Apple is ready for the ipad air to claim the thin and light crown.
