Apple Quietly Downgrades Tech Specs of iPad Air (2024); M2 Chip Inside Has a 9-Core GPU

Apple has quietly downgraded the tech specs of the iPad Air (2024) that was unveiled at its ‘Let Loose’ event on May 7. The specifications page of the tablet on the Apple website has been updated and it now mentions that the iPad Air (2024) – equipped with the M2 SoC – features a 9-core GPU instead of 10-core, while the other specifications such as the CPU core and Neural Engine core count remain the same.

iPad Air (2024) specifications updated

The iPad Air (2024) debuted with the M2 chip in 10.9-inch and 13-inch display variants. The chip consists of an 8-core CPU, 16-core Neural Engine, and 8GB RAM. Initially, Apple mentioned that the GPU consisted of 10-cores, but has now updated the technical specifications page of the iPad.

It now mentions a 9-core GPU powering the iPad Air (2024). According to a 9to5Mac report, this is the first time that Apple is selling a 9-core GPU-powered device. It is also reported that the GPU might be a downgraded version of the 10-core version that powers other Apple devices such as the MacBook Air (2022).

While the specifications have been updated, Apple has not officially made any changes to the performance claims. The company still mentions it is “nearly” 50 percent faster than the previous generation.

The iPad Air (2024) features a Liquid Retina (LCD) screen with an optional anti-reflective coating. It has a 12-megapixel wide-angle camera on the back with auto image stabilisation, while there is a 12-megapixel ultra-wide angle camera on the front. The iPad Air offers support for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity and comes in two variants: Wi-Fi and Cellular.

iPad Air (2024) price, availability

iPad Air (2024) price in India starts at Rs. 59,900 for the 11-inch Wi-Fi variant with 128GB storage, whereas the Wi-Fi + Cellular variant is priced at Rs. 79,990. On the other hand, the Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + Cellular variants of the 13.9-inch iPad Air model are priced at Rs. 74,900 and Rs. 94,900, respectively.