iPad · Apple Silicon · 2025
iPad Air (M3)
A speed bump to the M3 (in both 11" and 13"), adding ray tracing and a faster GPU while keeping the Air’s value pricing.
Brought hardware ray tracing and dynamic caching to the Air via the M3.
iPad Air (M4) (2026)
iPad Air (M3): key facts
When was the iPad Air (M3) released?
The iPad Air (M3) arrived on March 12, 2025.
How much did the iPad Air (M3) cost?
The iPad Air (M3) launched at $599 in 2025, about $605 in today’s money (approximate, US CPI).
What specs stand out?
Key specs: Apple M3 at 4.05 GHz, 8 GB RAM, 128 GB storage, 11" or 13" Liquid Retina, up to 2732×2048 display.
Why does the iPad Air (M3) matter?
Brought hardware ray tracing and dynamic caching to the Air via the M3.
Full specifications
| CPU | Apple M3 · 4.05 GHz |
|---|---|
| Cores | 8 |
| Memory (RAM) | 8 GB |
| Storage | 128 GB |
| Display | 11" or 13" Liquid Retina, up to 2732×2048 |
| GPU | Apple 9-core GPU |
| Ports | USB-C |
| Weight | 460 g |
| Dimensions | 247.6×178.5×6.1 mm |
| Operating system | iPadOS 18.3 |
| Released | March 12, 2025 |
| Discontinued | — |
| Launch price | $599 |
How the iPad Air (M3) compares to today
A 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro has about 2.0× more memory than this device shipped with.
At 4.05 GHz, the clock is roughly 0.8× slower than a single performance core of a 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro, and that is before counting cores, width and IPC.
This held about 32,800 modern phone photos, a respectable library even today.
Launched at $599 in 2025, about $605 in today’s money (approx., US CPI).
Method note: clock comparisons use frequency only; price conversions use US CPI.
Sources
Specs checked against Apple technical specifications archive, EveryMac, Mactracker, Wikimedia Commons image credits.
Did you know?
It pairs with a redesigned Magic Keyboard that adds a function row.
Related iPad models
Open the iPad Air (M3) in the interactive archive →
Last updated: 2026-08-11