The Apple iPad Air 11 (2024) and iPad Air 13 (2024) had been introduced a month in the past with one key improve over the 2022 Air – the Apple M2 chipset changed the M1. Nonetheless, it seems that M2 will not be fairly what we initially thought and what Apple initially introduced.
The specs web page on apple.com lists a 9-core GPU, whereas the press launch revealed on Could 7 nonetheless reads that the “M2 chip brings another big boost in performance to iPad Air, featuring a faster 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU”.
Particulars on iPad Air’s M2 chip from apple.com
Certainly, taking a look at GFXBench Wild Life Excessive Limitless, for instance, the iPad Air 2024 will get a 6.2K rating, whereas a MacBook Air with an M2 chip will get both 5.7K or 6.8K, relying on the precise M2 model.
In case you missed it, the M2-powered MacBook Air comes with both an 8-core or a 10-core GPU (the latter being a $100 improve), therefore the 2 completely different scores.
And notice that there was no 9-core possibility, no less than not till now. The scores of the iPad Air fall proper in the course of the 8 and 10-core MacBooks, so it very a lot seems to be like a 9-core GPU quite than a typo on the specs web page. After all, the comparability between iPadOS and macOS will not be good, however it seems that the unique press launch had it improper.
For what it’s price, we don’t assume that it will have a major impression on efficiency. The 11″ and 13″ shows on the brand new Airs nonetheless run at solely 60Hz, so even the 9-core GPU may not be used to its full potential. That mentioned, Apple ought to tackle the scenario and clear issues up.
The 2024 iPad Execs had been introduced on the identical day as the 2 Airs. Should you purchase a Professional with 256GB or 512GB, you get an Apple M4 with a 9-core CPU (notice: CPU, not GPU). However if you happen to get a 1TB or 2TB slate, you get an M4 with a 10-core CPU (and double the RAM).
This isn’t the case with the Airs – you get the identical M2 chip, no matter how a lot storage you pay for. Nonetheless, it’s notable that Apple and TSMC nonetheless should depend on binning, even for such an outdated design (the M2 launched in 2022 utilizing the TSMC N5P node).
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