Apple on Monday exposed a new iPad Air powered by the M4 chip.

The company says that the device is designed to be faster, thanks to an updated neural engine and more memory, which makes it better for using AI. This Air is said to be 30% faster than the M3 iPad Air and 2.3x faster than the M1 version.

However, the new device still retails at the same price of $599 for the 11-inch model, and $799 for the 13-inch model. For education customers, the discount brings the price to $549 for the 11-inch iPad Air, while the 13-inch model starts at $749.

The iPad Air now has an 8-core CPU and a 9-core GPU, making it a decent choice for gaming or image and photo editing. Meanwhile, the device’s integrated memory has increased by 50%, up to 12GB, and memory bandwidth is now up to 120GB/s, which Apple says will help users run AI models faster than older devices.

The 16-core Neural Engine should also be 3x faster than the one on the M1, which will help run AI models on-device.

The refreshed Air brings support for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, and is powered by the company’s new connectivity chips for wireless and cellular, the N1 and C1X. The devices are still the same size as before, at 9.74 x 7.02 inches for the 11-inch model and 11.04 x 8.46 inches for the 13-inch model.

We get a front, 12MP Center Stage camera and a 12MP Wide camera on the back. As always, you can use Apple accessories on the device, such as the Magic Keyboard, Apple Pencil, or Apple Pencil Pro.

The updated iPad Air will be available for preorder on Wednesday, March 4, on Apple.com and through the Apple Store app in 35 countries and regions, including the US. Four finishes are available: blue, purple, starlight, and space gray. Storage options are 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB.

The new iPad is one of many announcements planned for this week, mate the new iPhone 17e and expected upgrades to the MacBook line. The launches are timed to coincide with the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, ​​where Apple’s smartphone rivals such as Samsung, Xiaomi, Honor, and others showcase their latest innovations and new hardware.

Apple does not participate in MWC or other trade shows, preferring to show its products at its own events. This week, it released a series of new products with hands-on events in select cities.