Last year, Apple updated its iPad Pro by giving it an M1 chipset. This is a first for Apple who typically uses a variant of their A-series chipsets normally found in the iPhone for the iPad. Now it looks like Apple could possibly extend the use of the Apple Silicon to some of the company’s lower-end devices.
According to a report from 9to5Mac, they have reported that for the upcoming iPad Air refresh which is expected to be unveiled at Apple’s March 8 event, the fifth-gen iPad Air is rumored to be powered by the M1 chipset as well. This means that despite the iPad Air being viewed as a lower-end model compared to the iPad Pro, it could end up featuring similar performance.
The M1 chipset, by comparison, offers a 50% increase in performance over the A15 Bionic and 70% over the A14 Bionic which was used in the fourth-gen iPad Air. Granted it is a bit “old” when you think about the fact that it was released in 2020, but given its performance, it should still hold up pretty well.
Of course, there are other differences between the iPad Pro lineup compared to the rest of Apple’s iPads, namely have a ProMotion Display with XDR technology, but if you’re not too fussed about displays and just want a relatively powerful iPad, then the iPad Air 5 could be worth keeping an eye out for.
Filed in . Read more about Apple Silicon, iPad, iPad Air and iPad Pro. Source: 9to5mac
