The new iPad Air 5 was revealed during Apple‘s March 8th ‘Peek Performance’ event on Tuesday.

The iPad Air 5 uses the M1 Chip found in current iPad Pro models and recent Macs, but it features a design that is similar to the 2020 model, with an eight-core GPU. It also includes a 12-megapixel ultrawide Center Stage camera, comparable to that found on previous iPad versions. For faster mobile data, 5G is also on board. However, the iPad Air 5 retains the same display as the iPad Air 4: no Mini-LED or OLED.

It’s now available in a new blue color and starts at $599 (₹54,900), the same as formerly, with 64 and 256GB capacities. On March 18, the new iPad Air 5 will be available, along with the new iPhone SE 3, Mac Studio, Studio Display and two new Green colors for iPhone 13 models. The new Apple iPad Air 5 pre-orders will begin on Friday.

At this announcement, a new iPad Air 5 was expected; it’s the iPad model that was most in need of an upgrade. According to reports, the Air 5 will include the M1 CPU, 5G, more storage (128GB instead of 64GB), and a wide-angle front-facing camera with the same digital-zooming Center Stage innovation as the other iPad models starting in 2021. With the exception of the initial storage boost, all of these changes took place.

The iPad Air series has been around for a long time, and the iPad Air versions have tended to be midrange devices with some of the iPad Pro’s capabilities at a cheaper price. The 2020 iPad Air looked and felt like a less expensive version of the iPad Pro, with lower bezels, curved edges, USB-C capability, and compatibility with smart keyboard covers and the Apple Pencil 2.

Last year, though, it began to feel behind Apple’s other iPads: the 2021 iPad Mini looked like an iPad Air in a smaller package, but it featured certain features that the larger Air lacked, including a CenterStage camera and 5G.