Apple downgraded the iPad Air M2 and did not inform consumers
Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Apple initially acknowledged that the newest iPad Air M2 incorporates a 10-core GPU, however that turned out to be false.
- The corporate quietly up to date its web site to mirror that 2024’s iPad Air really packs a 9-core GPU.
- It’s nonetheless unclear if Apple will let launch-day clients return their items in the event that they select to.
Final month, Apple refreshed a few of its tablets by introducing the iPad Professional M4 and iPad Air M2. Initially, the Cupertino agency acknowledged that the latter mannequin incorporates a 10-core GPU. Weeks later, Apple quietly up to date its web site to mirror that the iPad Air M2’s GPU really packs 9 cores solely. Because the iPad Air M2 debuted over 15 days in the past, launch-day clients are actually caught with downgraded fashions.
Apple has quietly up to date the iPad Air M2’s tech specs web page and dropped the GPU’s cores by one (through 9to5Mac). On the time of writing, the unique press launch and different help paperwork nonetheless reference the 10-core GPU, which, for unknown causes, slipped by.
Every week in the past, a Redditor ran benchmark checks and seen that the iPad Air M2’s GPU is 10% slower than that of the iPad Professional M2. This confirms that this yr’s iPad Air certainly packs an inferior chip. Provided that Apple initially designed M2 chips with 8-core and 10-core GPUs, it’s doable that the iPad Air incorporates a binned-down model of the 10-core variant.
Apple presents its clients a 15-day, no-questions-asked return window. Because the iPad Air debuted on Could 15, those that purchased it on launch day can not return it to the Apple Retailer. It’s but to be seen whether or not Apple will exceptionally provide an prolonged return window for this mannequin, because it falsely marketed a 10-core GPU when the early clients purchased it.
