New iPad Air 5 Could Feature M1 Chip

Apple's new iPad Air 5 could be powered by the M1 chip, according to a new report from 9to5Mac.

Previous rumors had said that the iPad Air would feature the A15 Bionic chip; however, the site has seen information suggesting otherwise.

Based on information seen by 9to5Mac, iPad Air 5 (codenamed J408) will have the same M1 chip that Apple uses in the 2021 models of the iPad Pro and also in the first generation of Apple Silicon Macs, which includes the 24-inch iMac and 2020 MacBook Air. In terms of performance, the M1 chip is about 50% faster than the A15 Bionic and 70% more powerful than the A14 Bionic (which is the one in the 4th generation iPad Air). While A15 Bionic has a 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU, the M1 chip comes with an 8-core CPU and 7-core GPU, plus 8GB of RAM in its lowest configuration.

It's unclear why Apple would equip the iPad Air with such a powerful chip; however, the company could be looking to prove its worth as a computer replacement.


Apple is expected to unveil the new iPad Air 5 at its 'Peek performance' special event tomorrow. It will likely feature the same display resolution, 5G support, and improvements to the front camera.

Please download the iClarified app or follow iClarified on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and RSS for full coverage of the event.

Read More