Apple has launched the 2024 iPad Air with an upgraded M2 chip, a larger 13-inch version joining the 11-inch model, Apple Pencil Pro compatibility, and more. Join along for everything that’s new and improved for the M2 iPad Air vs M1 iPad Air.
The 2022 iPad Air 5 with M1 blurred the line between the mid and high-end iPads, giving an incentive to buy the Air that started at $200 (or more) below the $799 11-inch iPad Pro.
And now the 2024 M2 iPad Air lineup (6th gen) has arrived which offers even more choice and power than the M1 iPad Air. Let’s dig in 😁.
Table of contents
M2 iPad Air vs M1 iPad Air
Performance
The main performance upgrade comes from the M2 chip in the new iPad Air. That delivers up to a 15% faster CPU, 25% faster GPU, 40% faster Neural Engine, and a 2x boost in memory bandwidth from 50GB/s to 100GB/s.
Factoring in all of those performance improvements, Apple says the M2 iPad Air is “nearly” 50% faster than the M1 iPad Air.
| M2 iPad Air | M1 iPad Air | |
| Chip | M2 | M1 |
| CPU cores | 8 | 8 |
| GPU cores | 10 | 8 |
| Neural cores | 16 | 16 |
| Storage | 128GB – 1TB | 64 or 256GB |
| RAM | 8GB | 8GB |
| Memory bandwidth | 100GB/s | 50GB/s |
| Cellular | 5G (no mmWave) | 5G (no mmWave) |
Display
With the M2 iPad Air screen, you’re getting an 11″ or 13″ Liquid Retina display with True Tone and P3 wide color. Both displays are fully laminated and have Apple’s anti-reflective coating.
Technically the displays measure 10.86 and 12.9 inches.
Overall specs are the same between the M2 iPad Air displays and the M1 iPad Air – except the new models feature Apple Pencil Hover support and the 13″ iPad Air is slightly brighter.
| 13″ M2 iPad Air | 11″ M2 iPad Air | 10.9″ M1 iPad Air | |
| Display | 13″ (12.9) | 11″ (10.86) | 10.9″ (10.86) |
| Resolution | 2732 x 2048 | 2360 x 1640 | 2360 x 1640 |
| PPI (pixels per inch) | 264 | 264 | 264 |
| Display brightness | 600 nits | 500 nits | 500 nits |
| True Tone | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| P3 wide color | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| LED-backlit | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| ProMotion (120Hz) | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Anti-reflective coating | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Liquid Retina Display | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Apple Pencil Hover | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
One feature you miss out on with the new iPad Air vs iPad Pro is ProMotion (refresh up to 120Hz).
Connectivity and accessories
The 2024 M2 iPad Air works with all the same modern Apple accessories. That includes the new Apple Pencil Pro, Magic Keyboard, and Smart Folio.
Like the M1 iPad Air, the M2 iPad Air uses Touch ID as opposed to the iPad Pro that uses Face ID.
| M2 iPad Air | M1 iPad Air | |
| Apple Pencil Pro | ✅ | ❌ |
| Apple Pencil USB-C | ✅ | ✅ |
| Apple Pencil 2 | ❌ | ✅ |
| Magic Keyboard support | ✅ | ✅ |
| 5G | ✅ (no mmWave) | ✅ (no mmWave) |
| WiFi 6 | – | ✅ |
| WiFi 6E | ✅ | ❌ |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 5.0 |
| USB-C | ✅ 3.1 Gen 2 | ✅ 3.1 Gen 2 |
| Thunderbolt | ❌ | ❌ |
| Touch ID | ✅ | ✅ |
| Face ID | ❌ | ❌ |
Two other improvements are WiFi 6E support and Bluetooth 5.3.
Splash of color
If the color of your next tablet is important, you’ve got four options with the iPad Air. It comes in space gray, starlight, purple, and blue.
For those counting, that’s one less option than the M1 iPad Air which was made in pink alongside the above colorways.
Meanwhile, the iPad Pro only comes in space black and silver.
iPad Pro vs iPad Air battery life
Both the new M2 iPad Air models have the same battery life as each other and the M1 iPad Air:
- 10 hours of web or video use on WiFi
- 9 hours of web use with cellular
Storage and price
The 11″ M2 iPad Air is the same price as the M1 at launch but with double the storage. Or with the 256GB models, it’s $50 less.
The M2 iPad Air models offer storage up to 1TB instead of topping out at 256GB, so naturally, pricing on the higher end is above what the M1 iPad Air models maxed out at.
| 13″ M2 iPad Air | 11″ M2 iPad Air | 10.9″ M1 iPad Air | |
| 64GB WiFi | – | – | $599 |
| 64GB + cell | – | – | $749 |
| 128GB WiFi | $799 | $599 | – |
| 128GB + cell | $949 | $749 | – |
| 256GB WiFi | $899 | $699 | $749 |
| 256GB + cell | $1,049 | $849 | $899 |
| 512GB WiFi | $1,099 | $899 | – |
| 512GB + cell | $1,249 | $1,049 | – |
| 1TB WiFi | $1,299 | $1,099 | – |
| 1TB + cell | $1,449 | $1,249 | – |
Dimensions and weight
The 11″ M2 iPad Air is identical in size and weight to the M1 version. But here’s how the new 11 and 13″ models compare in weight and dimensions:
Ironically, the new iPad Pro models are thinner and lighter than the corresponding M2 iPad Air devices. However, the 2024 iPad Air models are still very portable and light.
Cameras
You get the same rear single camera with the M2 iPad Air as the M1 iPad Air. That’s a 12MP wide lens with 4K video recording, Smart HDR 4, and more.
The main change with the M2 iPad Air is switching to a landscape-oriented 12MP ultra wide front camera.
One bonus with the 13″ M2 iPad Air is the stereo speakers offer 2x bass compared to the smaller M2 iPad Air and M1 iPad Air.
| M2 iPad Air | M1 iPad Air | |
| 12MP wide lens | ✅ | ✅ |
| Smart HDR 4 | ✅ | ❌ |
| Smart HDR 3 | – | ✅ |
| 4K video | ✅ | ✅ |
| Extended dynamic range | ✅ | ✅ |
| Slo-mo video | ✅ | ✅ |
| Ultra wide 12MP front camera | ✅ (landscape) | ✅ (portrait) |
| Center Stage auto-tracking | ✅ | ✅ |
| Cinematic video stabilization | ✅ | ✅ |
| 2x zoom out | ✅ | ✅ |
| Landscape stereo speakers | ✅ | ✅ |
| 2 microphones | ✅ | ✅ |
M2 iPad Air vs M1 iPad Air conclusion
Why buy the M2 iPad Air?
If you’re tempted by the larger 13″ display, increased storage size, or faster performance of the M2, the new iPad could be a good fit.
The M2 iPad Pro is available at Apple and soon at Amazon, Best Buy, and more.
Why buy M1 iPad Air? (Or keep what you have)
Considering everything you’re getting, the M1 iPad Air is a great choice for people with light to medium workflows or casual use. Often available at a discount, it’s got many of the great features of the modern M2 iPad Air/Pro and the same design.
Read more 9to5Mac in-depth comparisons:
- M4 iPad Pro vs M2 iPad Pro: What’s new and improved?
- iPad RAM list: Here’s how much memory every iPad model has
- iPhone 15 vs 15 Pro: Everything that’s different and buyer’s guide
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