iPad Air M3 2025

iPad Air M3 2025

iPad Air

Currently Available
Released: March 4, 2025
United States: N/AJapan: ¥98,800, ¥114,800, ¥150,800, ¥186,800

Overview

It's important to know that this iPad Air M3 13" (Wi-Fi/Cellular, China) model supports GPS/GNSS, 4G LTE (29 bands), and 5G (26 bands), but not 4G LTE bands 11 and 21 or 5G mmWave. This model is sold only in mainland China and supports eSIM only, with no physical nano-SIM card slot.


The iPad Air M3 13-Inch (Wi-Fi+Cell, China) features a fully-laminated, antireflective 12.9" LED-backlit 2732x2048 "Liquid Retina" display (264 ppi, 600 nits) framed by a thin black bezel and housed in a slim aluminum case with rounded corners and flat sides. It is available in (light) Blue, (light) Purple, "Starlight," or "Space Gray."


The iPad Air M3 13" is powered by a 4.05 GHz Apple M3 CPU with 8 cores (4 performance, 4 efficiency), a 9-core GPU, a 16-core Neural Engine, and 8 GB of RAM. Storage options are 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, or 1 TB.


Connectivity includes a USB-C port supporting USB 3 (up to 10 Gb/s), dual-band 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6E) with 2x2 MIMO, Bluetooth 5.3, and a top-button "Touch ID" sensor. It has a single 12-megapixel "Wide" rear camera (4K video) and a landscape 12-megapixel "Ultra Wide" front camera (1080p video) with "Center Stage." It also has dual landscape stereo speakers and dual microphones.


Battery life is rated at 9 hours on cellular and 10 hours of "surfing the web on Wi-Fi or watching video."


Like its predecessor, this model supports external keyboards, trackpads, and the "Apple Pencil Pro," but was introduced alongside a cheaper, non-backlit "Magic Keyboard" with function keys and a larger trackpad. Compared to its predecessor, the iPad Air M3 13-Inch (Wi-Fi+Cellular, China) and its siblings are essentially the same except for the faster M3 processor, minor weight variations, and different identifiers.

Evaluation

The M3-powered 13-inch iPad Air, tailored for the Chinese market, was evaluated as a compelling large-screen tablet that offered a great balance of performance and value. The upgrade to the M3 chip ensured that the device was fast and capable for a wide range of demanding applications. The large 13-inch display provided an immersive experience for media and a spacious workspace for productivity, enhanced by support for the new Apple Pencil Pro. With cellular connectivity optimized for China's networks, it was a reliable tool for users needing to stay connected on the move. While it lacked the premium OLED display of the iPad Pro, its strong performance and more accessible price point made it the best large-format tablet option for the majority of consumers in China.

Product Info

Product Info Table
Apple Model NoA3271 (EMC 8779*)
Apple Order NoMCJK4CH/A
Apple SubfamilyiPad Air 13" M3 (China)

Price

Price Table
United StatesN/A
AustraliaN/A
AustriaN/A
BelgiumN/A
BrazilN/A
CanadaN/A
ChinaRMB 7799, 8299, 9999, 11,699
DenmarkN/A
FinlandN/A
FranceN/A
GermanyN/A
Hong KongN/A
IndiaN/A
IndonesiaPending
IrelandN/A
ItalyN/A
Japan¥98,800, ¥114,800, ¥150,800, ¥186,800
KoreaN/A
LuxembourgN/A
MalaysiaN/A
MexicoN/A
NetherlandsN/A
New ZealandN/A
NorwayN/A
PortugalN/A
SingaporeN/A
SpainN/A
SwedenN/A
SwitzerlandN/A
TaiwanN/A
ThailandN/A
The PhilippinesN/A
United KingdomN/A
VietnamN/A

Pricing Extras

Pricing Extras Table
Est. Current RetailN/A

Body

Body Table
Form FactoriPad Pro Air M3 13"
Case TypeTablet
Housing ColorBlack
Dimensions11.04 x 8.46 x 0.24
Avg. Weight1.36 lbs / 617 g

Platform

Platform Table
Processor TypeApple M3
Processor Speed4.05 GHz
Processors1 (8 Cores)
Onboard RAM8 GB
Geekbench 2 (32)N/A
Geekbench 3 (32)N/A
Geekbench 3 (64)N/A
Geekbench 4 (SC)10020
Geekbench 4 (MC)41024
Geekbench 5 (SC)2239 (3035 GB 6)
Geekbench 5 (MC)10515 (11589 GB 6)

Storage

Storage Table
Storage Capacity128, 256, 512 GB; 1 TB

Display

Display Table
Built-in Display13" Liquid Retina
Display Resolution2732x2048 (264 ppi)
Camera12 Megapixels

Connectivity

Connectivity Table
ConnectivityUSB-C
PortsUSB-C, Smart Connector, Magnetic Connector
USB SupportSync & Charge (USB-C*)
Firewire SupportNone
Cell Network4G LTE/5G
Standard Wireless802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6E)
Standard Bluetooth5.3

Power

Power Table
Battery TypeLithium Polymer (36.59 Whr)
Battery Life (Music)9-10 Hours
Battery Life (Voice)N/A
Standby TimeN/A

Software

Software Table
Pre-Installed OSiPadOS 18.3 (22D2062)
Maximum OSCurrent
Mac SupportmacOS 10.13
Windows SupportWindows 10

Accessories

Accessories Table
ControllerMulti-touch