Apple’s 2026 iPad Air gets M4 chip and new wireless hardware

Apple has introduced the 2026 iPad Air, its third refresh in three years, now built around the M4 chip and the company’s new N1 and C1X wireless chips. Apple says the M4 makes this model about 30% faster than last year’s M3-based Air, but the real sales pitch targets owners of older M1 iPad Airs and standard iPads who have skipped a few generations. The new Air also adds more RAM and comes in four colors: Space Gray, Blue, Purple, and Starlight.

By quietly acknowledging the 2025 M3 Air and then stepping past it, Apple positions the 2026 version as the more meaningful performance and connectivity bump. The N1 and C1X chips debut on this iPad, signaling Apple’s push to tighten control over wireless performance across its hardware line, though Apple has not provided many technical details yet.