IPad Air M3 Still Surprisingly Satisfying

Summary

The M3 iPad Air builds on its predecessor with thoughtful upgrades, including a larger 13-inch display and improved performance with the new M3 chip. The display, while not OLED, delivers vibrant colors and sharp text, making it perfect for most users. Performance sees notable improvements in multitasking and creative apps, while the new Magic Keyboard includes a practical function row and a more adjustable hinge. The iPad Air excels in battery life and heat management, making it a great option for students, creatives, and remote workers. While the upgrades aren’t groundbreaking, they offer significant value, making it the best all-around iPad for most users.

Takeaways

• 😀 The unboxing experience of the iPad Air feels like a ritual, from the slow peel of the tape to the lift of the lid.
• 😀 The iPad Air now comes in a new Starlight color, offering a classy tone between silver and pale gold.
• 😀 The M3 iPad Air now includes a 13-inch model, offering more screen space for multitasking and content creation, which is a major upgrade.
• 😀 The Liquid Retina display of the M3 iPad Air, while not OLED, offers excellent clarity, brightness, and color quality for most users.
• 😀 The M3 chip provides subtle but solid performance gains, including faster app loading and better performance for creative apps like Photoshop and Final Cut Pro.
• 😀 The iPad Air’s Touch ID is more consistent on the M3, with fewer hiccups compared to the M2, though Face ID still feels more futuristic.
• 😀 The landscape front camera positioning now feels more natural for video calls, and it’s paired with Center Stage for improved tracking of movement.
• 😀 The iPad Air’s battery life is excellent, offering around 10 hours of use on Wi-Fi, and it doesn't experience overheating during typical tasks.
• 😀 The new Magic Keyboard now includes a function key row, improving productivity with keys for brightness, volume, and playback.
• 😀 The M3 iPad Air can run demanding apps like Final Cut Pro, offering surprisingly good performance for video editing on the go, though a MacBook is still preferable for precision editing.

Q & A

What makes unboxing an Apple product such a unique experience?

Unboxing an Apple product is a ritual for many, with the slow, deliberate peel of the tape and the lift of the lid. It creates an anticipation, and the experience is consistently satisfying, reflecting the premium quality Apple aims to deliver.

What are the contents of the iPad Air box?

Inside the iPad Air box, you'll find a 20W USB-C charging brick, a matching USB-C to USB-C cable, and a minimalistic quick start guide.

What color option was chosen for the iPad Air in this review, and what is special about it?

The iPad Air in this review is the Starlight color, a sophisticated blend of silver and pale gold. It's a refreshing change from Apple's usual colors like Space Gray and Midnight.

What is the key difference in size between the M3 iPad Air and the M2 iPad Air?

The key difference is that the M3 iPad Air comes in a new 13-inch size alongside the traditional 11-inch version. The larger screen is especially beneficial for multitasking, content creation, and media consumption.

How does the M3 iPad Air's display compare to the iPad Pro's OLED screen?

While the M3 iPad Air's liquid retina display isn't OLED, it offers excellent color richness, sharp text, and great image clarity. It has a 600-nit brightness, full lamination, and a P3 wide color gamut, which makes it more than sufficient for most users.

What improvements does the M3 chip offer over the M2 chip?

The M3 chip brings subtle but solid performance improvements. It offers faster app loading times and better performance in heavy-duty apps like Photoshop and Final Cut Pro. Notably, the M3 provides up to 40% better GPU performance and a 60% faster neural engine compared to the M1, benefitting AI and machine learning tasks.

How is gaming performance on the M3 iPad Air?

The gaming performance on the M3 iPad Air is solid. While it's not designed for intense AAA gaming, it can run games like Call of Duty Warzone Mobile smoothly with good frame rates and detailed graphics.

Has Touch ID improved in the M3 iPad Air?

Yes, Touch ID has improved in the M3 iPad Air. The top button's fingerprint sensor is now more consistent, reducing the need for rescans, which was a common issue with the M2 iPad Air.

What change has been made to the front camera placement in the M3 iPad Air?

The front camera has been repositioned to the long edge of the iPad, making FaceTime and video calls more natural by centering the user in the frame, paired with Center Stage for automatic tracking during movement.

What is the battery life like on the M3 iPad Air?

The M3 iPad Air offers excellent battery life, with approximately 10 hours of use on Wi-Fi and 9 hours on the cellular model. The battery holds up well during tasks like document editing, video streaming, or sketching.

What new features does the Magic Keyboard have for the M3 iPad Air?

The Magic Keyboard now includes a dedicated function key row, which improves productivity with keys for brightness, volume, playback, and search. The keyboard also features larger keys on the 13-inch model and a new hinge design, allowing the iPad to tilt further back for more comfortable long work sessions.

Can Final Cut Pro be used on the M3 iPad Air?

Yes, the M3 iPad Air can run Final Cut Pro, though it's not as smooth as on a MacBook Pro. It performs impressively, with fast rendering, fluid editing, and a UI optimized for touch, making it possible to edit full projects on the go.

Who is the M3 iPad Air best suited for?

The M3 iPad Air is ideal for multitaskers, students, remote workers, and hobbyist creatives who want a Pro experience without the Pro price tag. It is especially appealing to those upgrading from older models or looking for a better keyboard setup.

Is the M3 iPad Air a significant upgrade over the M2 model?

For users with an M2 iPad Air, the M3 iPad Air might not offer a drastic leap, but the new 13-inch display and other improvements like better performance, camera placement, and keyboard design make it a worthwhile upgrade for many.