Apple unexpectedly launched two new iPads.

While the iPad Air M3 primarily offers performance upgrades, the iPad with the A16 chip is reasonably priced but lacks Apple Intelligence.

iPad Air M3. Photo: Apple .

Despite previous reports suggesting Apple would release a MacBook, on the evening of March 4th, Apple announced an upgrade to the iPad Air with the M3 processor, featuring 8 CPU cores and 9 GPU cores. Compared to the iPad Air M1, the M3 chip offers up to 35% higher CPU performance and up to 40% higher GPU performance. Tasks requiring heavy graphics processing are also up to four times faster.

Additionally, benchmark scores show that the M3's performance is approximately 20% higher than its predecessor (M2). The M3's Neural Engine has also been improved, increasing AI task processing speed by up to 60% compared to the iPad Air M1.

Similar to its predecessor, the iPad Air M3 supports Apple Intelligence. Available features include Writing Tools, Image Playground (AI-powered image creation), Clean Up (object removal from photos), and Image Wand (creating images from pen strokes).

Apple also introduced the new Magic Keyboard for the iPad Air M3. It has a similar design to the iPad Pro version, featuring a function key strip at the top, an aluminum hinge, a larger trackpad, and a USB-C charging port.

The Magic Keyboard connects magnetically to the iPad Air M3, while the Smart Connector handles data transmission and power, eliminating the need for Bluetooth. The keyboard is priced at 7.8 million VND (11-inch version) and 8.3 million VND (13-inch version).

The new iPad Air M3 and Magic Keyboard. Photo: Apple .

Aside from these upgrades, the iPad Air M3 is virtually identical to its predecessor. The device still offers two screen options (11-inch or 13-inch), with maximum brightness of 500 nits and 600 nits respectively, and supports the DCI-P3 wide color gamut.

The top edge of the iPad Air M3 features a power button with integrated Touch ID, a 12MP front camera with Center Stage support, and a 12MP rear camera. The device is compatible with the Apple Pencil Pro or Pencil (USB-C) stylus and offers 5G connectivity options.

Alongside the iPad Air M3, Apple also upgraded the standard iPad after two years with the A16 processor, offering up to 30% higher performance than its predecessor (A14 Bionic chip) and 50% higher performance than the A13 Bionic.

Apple claims the iPad A16 is up to six times faster than the "best-selling Android tablet".

iPad with A16 chip. Photo: Apple .

However, the A16 chip isn't powerful enough for Apple Intelligence. This means the cheapest iPad still doesn't support Apple's AI suite. On the other hand, the lowest storage capacity on the A16 iPad has been doubled to 128 GB.

The iPad A16 supports the Apple Pencil (USB-C) for drawing and touch interaction, in addition to the Magic Keyboard Folio. Connectivity features remain the same, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB-C port, and 5G option.

Users in the US and select countries can pre-order the iPad Air M3 starting March 4th, with delivery on March 12th. On the Apple Vietnam website, the device starts at VND 17 million (11-inch) and VND 22.5 million (13-inch). Available colors include gray, blue, purple, and starlight. Storage options include 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, and 1 TB.

Next, the iPad A16 starts at 10 million VND for the 128GB version. Available colors include blue, pink, gold, and silver. Other storage options include 256GB and 512GB.