At a Glance: The TL;DR
Apple has officially killed the 8GB RAM ceiling for the iPad Air. The new iPad Air M4 (RM2,799), announced as part of Apple’s power-packed March product roll-out now packs 12GB of Unified Memory and the pro-grade N1 (Wi-Fi 7) and C1X (5G) chips. Why? Because iPadOS 26 and its “Liquid Glass” UI demand it. This isn’t just a faster tablet; it’s a hardware correction for a much more ambitious OS.
The RAM “Correction”: Why 12GB is the Real Story
For years, the iPad Air was trapped in an 8GB “purgatory.” While the silicon was fast, the memory was the bottleneck for true multitasking.
With the iPad Air M4, Apple has increased the memory to 12GB and boosted bandwidth to 120GB/s.
- The “Why”: iPadOS 26 introduces a new windowing system that keeps more apps “alive” in the background.
- The Benefit: No more app refreshes when switching from a 4K edit in LumaFusion back to Safari. This is the “frictionless” experience prosumers have been begging for.
Silicon Breakdown: M4 vs. M1/M3
If you are coming from an M1 iPad Air, the jump is staggering. If you’re on an M3, it’s a luxury.
| Metric | iPad Air M1 | iPad Air M4 | Improvement |
| CPU Speed | Baseline | 2.3x Faster | Massive for compiling/exporting. |
| GPU | No Ray Tracing | Hardware Ray Tracing | Console-quality gaming. |
| Neural Engine | 1x | 3x Faster | The “Engine Room” for Apple AI. |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 7 (N1 Chip) | Future-proofed for 2026 routers. |
The Connectivity Secret: N1 and C1X
Apple is finally replacing third-party wireless silicon with its own in-house designs:
- N1 Wireless Chip: Enables Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread. It’s more stable and sips less power when connected to high-speed networks.
- C1X Modem: Apple’s first “homegrown” 5G modem. It is 30% more power-efficient than the previous generation, solving the “iPad battery drain on 5G” problem that has plagued travelers for years.
The Verdict: Who is this for?
The M4 iPad Air is now the default “Pro” for 90% of people.
- Skip it if: You are on an M3 and don’t care about the new iPadOS 26 windowing features.
- Buy it if: You are still on an M1 or A-series iPad. The combination of 12GB RAM and M4 power ensures this tablet will be relevant until 2030. This memory boost is also the foundation for Apple Intelligence on a budget.
VernonChan Buying Advice
Don’t be fooled by the entry-level price of RM2,799. Once you add the Magic Keyboard (RM1,299) and Apple Pencil Pro (RM549), you are looking at an RM4,600+ investment.
At that price, you must ask: Do I need the tablet, or should I wait for the M5 MacBook Air announcement later this week?
