M2 iPad Air vs. M3 iPad Air Buyer's Guide

The seventh-generation iPad Air has been released just ten months after the previous model, with the most significant upgrade being the move to the M3 chip. The 2024 iPad Air models have been discontinued by Apple but can still be found refurbished or through third-party resellers at lower prices. The 2024 and 2025 iPad Air models share most of their key features, making it worth considering buying the older model to save money. The main difference between the two models is the chip, with the 2024 model featuring the M2 chip and the 2025 model featuring the M3 chip. The M3 chip is made with a more advanced 3nm process and has 25 billion transistors, compared to the 5nm process and 20 billion transistors of the M2 chip. The M3 chip also features an all-new GPU architecture and support for AV1 video decode. Apart from the chip, every other aspect of the device is the same between the two models. It's not worth upgrading from the M2 to the M3 iPad Air unless you have an older model like the A14-based fourth-generation iPad Air. If the M2 iPad Air can be found at a significantly lower price, it's still a worthwhile buy. The M3 iPad Air is primarily aimed at those with older models looking to upgrade.