M3 iPad Air vs. M2 iPad Air: Spot the Difference (If You Can)

In-depth comparison between the 2025 iPad Air (M3) and the 2024 iPad Air (M2): Is the upgrade worth it?

Apple has released the new iPad Air equipped with M3 chip. The new tablet balances ease of use and economy and brings performance improvements to veteran users. But how is it different from the previous generation M2 iPad Air? Let's find out.

Exterior design: exactly the same

The appearance of the new iPad Air is almost exactly the same as the M2 iPad Air released in 2024, and is also exactly the same as the M1 iPad Air in 2022. The 11-inch and 13-inch screen sizes (symmetrical bezels), size, weight and even color are exactly the same. It's hard to distinguish between the M3 and M2 iPad Air from the appearance.

Screen display: No difference

No matter which iPad Air you choose, it is equipped with the same Liquid Retina IPS (LED backlit) screen. The resolution of the 11-inch version is 2360x1640, and the resolution of the 13-inch version is 2732x2048 pixels. Other features are exactly the same, including full-laminated panels, anti-glare coatings, wide color gamut (P3) support and Apple's original color display technology. The peak brightness of the 11-inch version is up to 500 nits, while the 13-inch version is 600 nits. Both iPad Airs support Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C).

Core chip: M3 chip brings performance improvement

The 2025 iPad Air is equipped with Apple's M3 chip, including an eight-core CPU (four performance cores and four energy efficiency cores), a nine-core GPU (providing hardware accelerated grid shading and ray tracing to improve graphics) and a 16-core neural network engine (faster than M2). Performance improvement is about 15%. 8GB RAM (100GB/s memory bandwidth) is enough to meet the needs of high-demand applications such as video editing, graphic design or 3D modeling. The M3 chip also supports all Apple Intelligence features in iPadOS 18 (and features that will be coming soon).

Although the M3 chip has stronger performance, this does not mean that the M2 chip is outdated in 2025. The M2 chip also has an eight-core CPU, a nine-core GPU, a 16-core neural network engine and 8GB of RAM, which is enough for most iPad users. The M2 iPad Air also supports Apple Intelligence functionality. The M3 chip (using TSMC 3nm process technology) has higher operating efficiency. For content creators and editors, M3's media engine supports 8K HEVC, 4K H.264, ProRes and ProRes RAW formats, as well as AV1 decoding.

New Magic Keyboard: Increase productivity

Apple has also launched a new Magic Keyboard, which has a larger trackpad, 14-key function lines, metal hinges and a USB-C interface for direct charging. But the price is quite high, the 11-inch version costs $269, and the 13-inch version costs $319.

Apple Pencil and connectivity: stay consistent

No matter which iPad Air you choose, you can choose either Apple Pencil Pro or Apple Pencil (USB-C). Both support Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth v5.3, GPS and 5G (cellular network model is sub-6 GHz). All are equipped with USB-C interfaces for charging and data transmission.

Camera, battery life and connectivity: basically the same

The 2025 iPad Air is equipped with a 12MP (f/1.8) rear camera, which can record 4K videos up to 60fps; the 12MP (f/2.0) front camera can record 1080p videos up to 60fps. The M3 chip consumes less power than the M2 chip, but the performance improvement offsets the efficiency improvement. Therefore, the battery life of the M3 iPad Air is the same as that of the M2 iPad Air, both of which are Wi-Fi network browsing for up to 10 hours and 9 hours for a cellular network.

Price: Stay the same

The starting price of the M3 iPad Air (Wi-Fi) is $599 for 11 inches and $799 for 13 inches; the starting price of the cellular network version is $749 and $949 for 949 respectively.

Summary: Is it worth upgrading?

If you're hesitating between the two iPad Airs, especially if you're upgrading from a 2020 iPad Air or older model, it's recommended to go for the M2 iPad Air and save $100. Apart from the M3 chip, there is nothing better in the 2025 iPad Air than the 2024 iPad Air. The M2 iPad Air also supports Apple Intelligence and will continue to support the latest iPadOS versions for at least the next four to five years. For most users, the M2 iPad Air is enough for daily needs.

Apple iPad Air (M3)

The upgraded version of the 2025 iPad Air is equipped with an M3 chip, compatible with the new keyboard cover, and supports Apple Intelligence. The appearance is almost the same as the previous generation model.

$599 at Apple

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