Apple iPad Air (2026) is official with M4 Chip, Wi-Fi 7, and 12GB RAM

Apple just refreshed the iPad Air lineup for 2026, and the headline upgrade this time around is the M4 chip, more RAM, and Apple's new connectivity silicon. Let's get into this article, where I will discuss everything about the latest iPad Air (2026), including its price in Nepal, specifications, and availability.

iPad Air (2026) Overview

Apple launched the iPad Air (2026) yesterday, keeping the same starting price as the previous generation. You get two size options — 11-inch and 13-inch — and the same four color choices from last year. On the surface, it looks identical to the older model, but under the hood, a lot has changed.

The biggest story here is the chip. Apple went straight from M2 to M4 on the base iPad Air, skipping M3 entirely for the standard configuration. This is a pretty significant jump, and combined with a RAM increase to 12GB, this is easily the most capable iPad Air Apple has shipped. Apple is also bringing its newer connectivity chips,  the N1 and C1X,  to the Air for the first time.

Display and Design

The design itself hasn't changed. You're still getting a slim aluminum body with flat edges and a Liquid Retina display. The 11-inch model runs at 2360 x 1640 resolution, and the 13-inch goes up to 2732 x 2048. Both are fully laminated, support P3 wide color, and have True Tone, 500 nits of brightness, and an anti-reflective coating.

Both sizes support Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C), so note-taking, sketching, and annotation workflows are all still there. The Magic Keyboard also works with both models. Color options are also the same as before, with blue, purple, starlight, and space gray. 

Performance

The new iPad Air features the M4 chip, which packs an 8-core CPU and a 9-core GPU. Apple says it is up to 30% faster than the M3 version and 2.3x faster than the M1 model. If you're coming from an older iPad Air with M1, you are going to see good amount of difference, things like exporting videos, or working with large files in creative apps. Similarly, RAM goes up to 12GB, which is an increase over the previous generation's 8GB. Memory bandwidth is now at 120GB/s.

The M4's GPU supports second-generation hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading. Apple claims over 4x faster 3D rendering compared to M1, which matters for 3D modeling apps and more demanding games. The 16-core Neural Engine is also 3x faster than M1's, handling on-device AI tasks like photo search, object recognition, and app-specific AI features faster.

Software

The iPad Air (2026) ships with iPadOS 26, and this is probably the most consequential software update iPad has gotten in years. The headline feature is the new windowing system. Apps can now be resized and arranged much more freely, and there is a redesigned menu bar that appears when you swipe down from the top of the screen, giving you access to app-specific commands. 

The Files app also got a proper overhaul. You can now customize folder appearances, add folders directly to the Dock, and set default apps for specific file types. There is also a new Preview app for viewing, editing, and marking up PDFs and images.

iPadOS 26 also brings Liquid Glass, Apple's new visual design language. It is a translucent, glass-like material used across the UI. Similarly, Background Tasks support lets certain apps continue working in the background even when they are not the active window. And for creators using Final Cut Pro, Scene Removal Mask lets you remove video backgrounds on-device using the Neural Engine.

• Also, read

• Apple iPad Price in Nepal [Updated 2026]

• Apple unveils second-generation AirTag with improved precision and range

Camera

The rear camera is a 12MP shooter with Smart HDR 4 support. It can record 4K video at up to 60fps with cinematic stabilization. Not a lot has changed here, but it does the job for scanning documents, shooting quick videos, or using the iPad as a secondary camera in a studio setup.

The front camera is a 12MP Ultra Wide with Center Stage. Center Stage automatically pans and zooms to keep you in frame during video calls. It also supports extended dynamic range and Retina Flash. The front camera sits on the landscape edge of the device, so it is in a more natural position when the iPad is used horizontally, which was added on the M1 generation and continues here.

Connectivity

For the first time, the iPad Air gets Apple's N1 wireless chip, which brings Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread. Thread is a low-power mesh networking protocol mainly used for smart home devices. Cellular models get the C1X modem, also Apple-designed. Apple says it delivers up to 50% faster cellular speeds and uses up to 30% less energy compared to the M3 model's modem. 5G support is there, along with GPS on cellular models. For wired connectivity, you get USB-C with Thunderbolt 3 and USB 4 support..

Battery and Charging

The 11-inch model has a 28.93Wh battery and the 13-inch packs a 36.59Wh unit. Apple claims up to 10 hours of battery life on Wi-Fi and up to 9 hours on cellular. Other than that, the charging is done via USB-C, and Apple includes a 20W adapter in the box. 

iPad Air (2026) Specifications

• Design: Aluminum enclosure, flat-edge design, Blue, Purple, Starlight, Space Gray
• Display: 11-inch Liquid Retina (2360x1640) / 13-inch Liquid Retina (2732x2048), P3 wide color, True Tone, 500 nits, anti-reflective coating, fully laminated
• Chipset: Apple M4 (8-core CPU, 9-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine)
• Memory: 12GB unified RAM, 120GB/s memory bandwidth
• Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
• Software: iPadOS 26
• Rear Camera: 12MP, Smart HDR 4, 4K@60fps, cinematic stabilization
• Front Camera: 12MP Ultra Wide, Center Stage, extended dynamic range, Retina Flash, landscape-edge placement
• Security: Touch ID
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7 (N1 chip), Bluetooth 6, Thread, Thunderbolt 3, USB 4, USB-C
• Cellular: C1X modem, 5G sub-6GHz, GPS, eSIM only (cellular models)
• Battery: 28.93Wh (11-inch) / 36.59Wh (13-inch), 20W USB-C (adapter included)

iPad Air (2026) Price in Nepal and Availability

Pre-orders for the iPad Air (2026) opened on March 4, and availability started on March 11 across 35 countries. Nepal is not among the initial launch markets, but it typically makes its way here through authorized resellers within a few months of the global launch. When it does arrive, expect prices to start at no less than NPR 96,000 for the base 11-inch Wi-Fi model.

• Meanwhile, check out our review of the M1 vs M2 vs M3 vs M4 Macbook Air