iPad Air 5 will get the power of M1

Apple is expected to announce the iPad Air 5 tonight, and it could have the same M1 power as the latest iPad Pro.

Apple Peek Performance kicks off today at 18:00 GMT and promises to feature a range of announcements, from the iPhone SE 3 to the all-new MacBook Studio.

It could also greatly improve Apple’s enduringly popular mid-range tablet lineup, the iPad Air. According to 9to5MacThe iPad Air 5 will switch to Apple’s incredibly powerful M1 chip, rather than the A15 Bionic chip currently used in the iPhone 13 and iPad Mini 6.

This means a significant performance boost of 50% over the A15 Bionic and as much as 70% over the A14 Bionic in the iPad Air 4. It will also close the gap with the iPad Pro after the iPad Air 4 emulates its older sibling’s spiky design.

If Apple is indeed going to release an iPad Air with an M1 processor, it will mean having an iMac-powered device in a £600 tablet form factor. This is serious value for money.

It will also presumably confirm the upgrade of the iPad Pro later this year with an even more powerful desktop-class processor, as Apple’s current top-of-the-line tablet will look bad.

The iPad Air 5 is expected to feature 5G connectivity like last year’s updates to the iPad Pro and iPad Mini, as well as an updated front-facing camera with Center Stage support.

Today we’ll be covering all the announcements at the Apple Peek Performance event. Keep for updates.