First M4 iPad Air Benchmarks Surface - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

First M4 iPad Air Benchmarks Surface

Ahead of the launch of new iPad Air models equipped with the M4 chip, preliminary Geekbench benchmark results have surfaced for the device, giving us an idea of how its performance compares to the prior-generation M3 ‌iPad Air‌.

iPad Air M4 Chip
A pair of benchmarks from the 13-inch M4 ‌iPad Air‌ with Wi-Fi + Cellular (iPad16,11) suggest the M4 ‌iPad Air‌ CPU is 17.3 percent faster in single-core performance and 7.9 percent faster in multi-core performance.

The benchmarks show single-core scores of 3438 and 3714 and multi-core scores of 12885 and 12296, translating to an average single-core score of 3576 and an average multi-core score of 12591. The prior-generation 13-inch M3 ‌iPad Air‌ has an average single-core score of 3048 and an average multi-core score of 11667 on Geekbench.

The M4 ‌iPad Air‌ is equipped with an 8-core CPU featuring three performance cores and five efficiency cores, along with a 9-core GPU. Apple previously used the M4 in the iPad Pro, but the version in the ‌iPad Pro‌ had up to a 10-core CPU and up to a 10-core GPU, so the M4 ‌iPad Air‌ does not match the M4 ‌iPad Pro‌ in CPU performance.

The 13-inch M4 iPad Pro has a single-core score of 3704 and a multi-core score of 13805, so it offers 3.6 percent faster single-core CPU performance and 9.6 percent faster multi-core CPU performance.

The new M4 ‌iPad Air‌ will be available to pre-order at 6:15 a.m. Pacific Time tomorrow, with a launch to follow on March 11.

Related Roundup: iPad Air
Buyer's Guide: iPad Air (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iPad

Popular Stories

ipad air prime day fall

Report: iPad Air to Gain OLED Display Early Next Year

Wednesday April 15, 2026 4:35 am PDT by
Apple will bring OLED displays to its iPad Air models next year, according to a new report from Korea's ET News. Citing industry sources, the outlet says Samsung Display will begin mass production of OLED panels around the end of 2026 or January next year, with a view to supplying panels for Apple's next iPad Air, expected to be released in early 2027. Apple last updated the iPad Air in...
new ipad air green

Next Year's iPad Air to Feature a Much Better Display

Thursday April 16, 2026 8:41 am PDT by
If you're in the market for a new iPad Air, now is a good time to buy – Apple last month refreshed the line with an M4 chip upgrade. But if you can hold out another year, it'll be worth the wait. Here's why. Apple is reportedly going to transition more of its iPad models to OLED displays, and the iPad Air is in those plans. The first model to get the display upgrade is rumored to be the...
iOS 27 on iPhone 17 1

iOS 27 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Saturday May 2, 2026 8:43 am PDT by
Apple is expected to unveil iOS 27 during its WWDC 2026 keynote on June 8, and there are already many rumored features and changes for iPhones. The first developer beta of iOS 27 will likely be available immediately following the keynote, and a public beta typically follows in July. Following beta testing, the software update should be released to all users with a compatible iPhone in...

Top Rated Comments

9 weeks ago
Like I said yesterday, if you have any m series air you’re fine.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pdaholic Avatar
9 weeks ago
Doomscrolling benchmarked at 0.0023% faster.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vegetassj4 Avatar
9 weeks ago
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Apple Introduces the All-New iPad Air: Now With More Air Than Ever Before


Cupertino, California — Apple today unveiled the newest iPad Air, the most Air iPad the company has ever created, packing more air into a single device than any previous iPad Air, Air-adjacent iPad, or iPad that merely aspired to be airy.

“At Apple, we asked ourselves a simple question,” said Tim Cook. “What if we put even more air into iPad Air?”

After years of research, Apple engineers developed a revolutionary internal architecture that allows the new iPad Air to contain an unprecedented amount of premium, Apple-designed air, carefully curated to deliver the airy experience customers expect.

Breakthrough Air Technologies
The new iPad Air introduces several industry-leading air innovations:


* Air³ Architecture – a triple-layer system that distributes air more evenly throughout the device.
* Adaptive AirFlow™ – dynamically adjusts the amount of air depending on how airy you want your iPad to feel.
* Pro-Grade Air – the same professional-level air previously reserved for devices that cost significantly more.

Together, these technologies make the new iPad Air the most air iPad Apple has ever shipped, and possibly the most air any company has ever shipped in any tablet category.

Designed for Maximum Air
The design team at Apple focused on creating a device that doesn’t just contain air — it celebrates air. The result is a stunningly thin enclosure that allows air to exist with remarkable clarity and intention.

Available in four finishes — Sky Air, Space Air, Slightly Darker Air, and Blue That Is Definitely Still Air — the new iPad Air looks as airy as it feels.

Even More Air With Apple Silicon
Powered by Apple silicon, the new iPad Air delivers incredible performance while maintaining industry-leading levels of air per cubic inch. This means users can edit photos, watch movies, or scroll social media with more air surrounding every task.

Pricing and Availability
The new iPad Air starts at $599, which Apple notes includes a tremendous amount of air at no additional cost.

Pre-orders begin Friday, with availability next week in stores and online.

Apple also confirmed that future updates will bring even more air, because at Apple, there’s always room for more air.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DocMultimedia Avatar
9 weeks ago
So does this make Netflix faster? 😋
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CalMin Avatar
9 weeks ago
These things have so much raw horsepower for what is generally asked of them.

I love the new iPadOS with windowing and external monitor support but after the novelty wore off, I went back to using it as 'just' an iPad because I still bump into annoying use case walls. I might start trusting it more as my ONLY device when I travel but, truth be told, it's not too much of a hardship to schlep around with a laptop and an iPad in my backpack.

So Apple - what is ALL THIS POWER FOR?? :)
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Johnny907 Avatar
9 weeks ago
I think the only advantage of this over the prior model would be battery life, as M4’s run more efficiently than M3’s, and if you buy the cellular model the C1X chip is more efficient than what the M3 version ran.
Otherwise, this thing is a massive nothing-burger, especially with the same 128GB base storage.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Related Apple News: World News | Technology | Buyers Guide | Entertainment | Lifestyle