Apple's most powerful iPad Air comes with A14 Bionic chip, upgraded camera

It also marks the debut of A14 Bionic, Apple's most powerful chip ever that dramatically improves performance. Based on the 5-nanometer process technology, the A14 Bionic packs a new 6-core design for a 40 percent boost in CPU performance, and a new 4-core graphics architecture for a 30 percent improvement in graphics. Further, it integrates a new 16-core Neural Engine and the second-generation machine learning accelerators to deliver powerful on-device experiences.

Apple on Tuesday launched the new iPad Air which the company claims is the most powerful and versatile iPad Air ever. It comes with a larger 10.9-inch display, a 12MP rear camera, the all-new, powerful A14 Bionic chip and a new integrated Touch ID sensor.

The new iPad Air WiFi is priced starting at USD 599 and the Wi-Fi + Cellular model starts at USD 729. Starting next month, it will be available in 64GB and 256GB configurations and five finishes including silver, space gray, rose gold, green, and sky blue via apple.com and the Apple Store app in 30 countries and regions.

iPad Air: Specifications

Display

The 4th generation iPad Air boasts an all-screen design with a larger 10.9-inch IPS Liquid Retina display with 3.8 million pixels, 500 nits brightness, P3 wide color support and True Tone. The Touch ID sensor is integrated into the top button, allowing the display to extend on all the sides.

Performance

It also marks the debut of A14 Bionic, Apple's most powerful chip ever that dramatically improves performance. Based on the 5-nanometer process technology, the A14 Bionic packs a new 6-core design for a 40 percent boost in CPU performance, and a new 4-core graphics architecture for a 30 percent improvement in graphics. Further, it integrates a new 16-core Neural Engine and the second-generation machine learning accelerators to deliver powerful on-device experiences.

Image Credit: Apple

The device runs iPadOS 14 which brings a host of new features and capabilities including compact designs for incoming FaceTime and phone calls, Universal Search, new sidebars and redesigned widgets for a completely new experience.

With a built-in 28.6‐watt-hour battery, the device offers up to 10 hours of web surfing on WiFi and up to 9 hours on a cellular network.

Camera

The new iPad Air features the same 12MP rear camera with f/1.8 aperture as on the iPad Pro with support for Smart HDR, Auto image stabilization, 4K video recording at 60 fps, Slo‑mo video at 240fps, noise reduction, playback zoom and other features. On the front, it houses a 7MP camera with f/2.0 aperture with Smart HDR, Retina Flash and 1080p HD video recording at 60 fps.

Connectivity and other features

The 4th generation iPad Air featuring the A14 Bionic chip is equipped with a built-in trackpad, a floating Magic Keyboard, dual microphones, stereo speakers and supports 2-generation Apple Pencil with magnetic attachment. For connectivity, the device features a USB-C port that supports up to 5Gbps data transfer, Wi-Fi 6 and 60 percent faster LTE connectivity.