Apple now has the iPad Air in two sizes for the first time, thanks to a new 13-inch option. Both the options — the other being the 11-inch machine — come with Apple’s M2 chip.
Perhaps it will look like a modest update when compared to what you get on the iPad Pro but there is a lot to like and talk about on the new Air, which straddles the line between the budget entry model and the wildly powerful and expensive Pro lineup.
With 30 per cent more screen real estate than the 11-inch model, the 13-inch iPad Air features an expansive display that allows users to spread out with all their favourite apps and get tasks done. Picture: The Telegraph
Having a 13-inch model makes sense, especially when you consider an important figure that Apple has shared — about half of iPad Pro sales were for the larger model, meaning there is a clear demand for the bigger screen.
Though slightly thicker than the new Pros, these are more affordable and they work with the new Apple Pencil Pro, too. The new iPad Air has a single rear 12MP camera lens and a front-facing 12MP camera, as before (now centred on the long edge). With 128GB of storage for the base model, the iPad Air gets double the starting storage of the 2022 Air. And it’s got stereo speakers on the top and bottom.
This is the first update to the iPad Air since Apple released the M1 version two years ago. And the message around the iPad line up has become clearer: if you want to get a bigger screen without paying the premium for an iPad Pro, Air is your go-to device.