Report: New iPad Air will get M1 chip like the iPad Pro

It looks like the new iPad Air is getting a bigger boost than we previously thought.

As reported by 9to5Mac The next generation of the iPad Air, which was previously thought to get upgraded to the A15 processor, may instead get bumped up even further to the M1 chip.

The M1 chip was originally packed into the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini when Apple announced its first Apple silicon processor for the Mac. It was then brought into the iPad Pro last year, a surprise move that few were expecting.

Previous rumors about the new iPad Air suggested that it would feature the A15 Bionic chip – the same one found in the iPhone 13 and the 6th generation iPad mini. However, it seems that Apple wants to close the gap between the iPad Air and iPad Pro even further, this time with the addition of a more powerful chip.

Based on information seen by 9to5Mac, iPad Air 5 (codenamed J408) will have the same M1 chip that Apple uses in the 2021 models of the iPad Pro and also in the first generation of Apple Silicon Macs, which includes the 24-inch iMac and 2020 MacBook Air.

In addition to the M1 chip, the next generation of the iPad Air is also expected to feature the new front-facing FaceTime camera that Apple brought to the iPad mini. The new camera will enable Center Stage, Apple’s camera feature that tracks your movement so you can move around and stay in the frame on FaceTime, Zoom, and other apps that use the camera.

Apple is also expected to announce a new Mac Studio, external display, and iPhone SE at the event, which is set to kick off at 10:00 AM PDT tomorrow.

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