Apple finally announced the iPad Air (5th generation) at its Peek Performance virtual event today. Arriving alongside the iPhone SE (2022), this iPad represents Apple’s first upgrade to the midrange iPad since 2020.
It’s not just a small update with new color choices, Apple is also adding in some substantial improvements that will see users gaining a better day-to-day experience.
Design-wise, There’s little to differentiate this visually other than color. Apple has perfected the iPad Air’s look, with few changes coming down the line this year. It’s an iPad, and it looks like one. There’s little on the front other than its 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display, and the back is similarly clean aside from the Apple logo and camera setup.
There is no notch here — instead, Apple continues to use Touch ID integrated into the power button on its iPads, and the new Air isn’t deviating from that formula.
Enough about what’s the same, let’s talk more about what is different. This new iPad Air is a lot more powerful inside. The company is equipping this device with the same M1 chip you’ll find in the iPad Pro. This means that you’ll find little in the App Store that the iPad can’t handle with aplomb.
Apple is also powering up the front-facing camera with a 12MP ultrawide camera (the same from the newest iPad Mini that brings Center Stage functionality). If you’re using your iPad to take Zoom, Teams, or Facetime calls, it’s going to get so much better.
Apple is also bringing 5G to the iPad Air line. It came to the iPad Pro with the 2021 models, and the company’s now making its most portable iPad even more portable for those who want it for work on the go. You’ll need to pay the cellular premium of course, but that’s usually been the case.
Finally, Apple is adding a few little extras. There’s compatibility for the second-generation Apple Pencil, as well as a new iMovie release to take advantage of the more powerful processor.
The new iPad Air will be available in space gray, starlight, pink, purple, and a new blue shade. It’ll start from $599 for the 64GB model, with a 256GB model also available. It will be available for pre-order as of Friday, and the company will ship it starting March 18.
Affinity’s new all-in-one creative app is finally coming to the iPad, nearly a year after Canva launched the redesigned desktop version for Mac and Windows. Creatives have been asking for the iPad release ever since, especially because files created in the new Affinity app cannot be opened in the older V2 iPad apps.
Affinity already has Photo, Designer, and Publisher apps on iPad, but the new release combines those tools into the same unified app that Canva launched on desktop last year.
Touchscreen laptops have been around for years. You can get them in all sizes and shapes. Just not from Apple. For years, the Cupertino giant has treated the idea of a touchscreen MacBook the way I treat a meeting that could have been an email: with open contempt. However, Wednesday looks like the day the company could finally change its mind.
The latest Apple invite puts the “Pro and Tell” showcase in Los Angeles at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET) on October 28, 2026. Instead of a regular live-streamed keynote, it is an invitation-only, hands-on event for a handful of press and creators (similar to what the company did for the MacBook Neo earlier this year).
Apple has just launched its latest iPad mini with a notable set of upgrades, including an OLED screen, improved speakers, and a more resilient build. It also gets a new chip, and the whole package costs $200 more than its predecessor. But if you look closely at Apple’s online store, you’ll realize that $699 isn’t enough to get you the most powerful version of the A20 Pro chip inside this tablet. In fact, even if you pay $800 for the 256GB model, you still won’t get the beefiest variant. Only when you jump to the 512GB trim, which costs an absurd $999, do you get the most powerful flavor of the A20 Pro.
The $999 model gets more than extra storage