The Era 100 is on sale for $199 right now. It builds on the successes of the Sonos One with improved audio quality, touch controls, and a connectivity feature users asked for.

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Taking a look back at this weeks news and headlines from Apple, including leaked iPhone 17 Pro specs, a new name for iPhone, secrets of the new iPad, iPhone 16e questions, MacBook Air reviews, iOS UI update plans, and the damaging nature of Apple Intelligence.Apple Loop is here to remind you of a few of the many discussions around Apple in the last seven days. You can also read my weekly digest of Android news here on Forbes.Apple CEO Tim Cook inspects the new iPhone 16. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)Getty ImagesiPhone 17s Big Name ChangeApple has alread shaken up its portfolio by killing the iPhone SE brand, instead rolling it into the main product line with the more expensive iPhone 16e. Is there a bigger change in the air when the iPhone 17 launches? With discussions of iPhones that are thinner, larger and more powerful, Ryan Christoffel suggests a clean sweep of brand names:"iPhone 17 would be the standard entry model. It would have the latest features at the lowest price. iPhone 17 Air would sacrifice extra cameras, power, and battery life for a slimmer, ultra-thin design. iPhone 17 Pro would boast the more powerful A19 Pro chip, three rear cameras, and other Pro features."And finally, the iPhone 17 Ultra would offer by far the best battery life in the lineup, and the best display thanks to a smaller Dynamic Island. It would be a hefty model for users who just want the most possible iPhone.(9to5Mac).A Good Liquid To Have In Your iPhoneMultiple sources have highlighted a new thermal solution for the next generation of iPhones. Tim Cook and his team look set to introduce liquid cooling later this year. This helps wick away more heat from a vapor chamber that sits across components that run hot. Its clear the change is coming, but which iPhone will receive it?"Given three sources, and inclusion of the feature in some premium Android phones, the reports do seem likely. As to which models will get a vapor chamber, it would seem more logical to start with the more powerful models, so my money would be on either both Pro models or the Pro Max only."(9to5Mac).High Points Of The New iPadsForbes contributor David Phelan takes a closer look at the new iPad Air and iPad to pick out some key changes and decisions. One that some customers may note is the slight increase in display size. But wait, is that a larger screen or different math?"If you check the details on the Apple website, youll see that the iPad is listed as having an 11-inch display (the same as the smaller iPad Air). The iPad its replacing only had a 10.9-inch screen. So, its a design change, right? No, Apple has rounded the size up to 11-inch. I dont think its being sneaky, its a way to simplify the range. Every iPad now comes in an 11-inch size apart from the iPad mini."(Forbes).iPhone 16e Pricing QuestionThe Apple community was expecting a new iPhone SE. Instead, the iPhone 16e arrived and took the SEApples only mid-range iPhoneout of the portfolio. Will we see a cheaper iPhone in the near future? Perhaps the answer lies in Apples plans for the iPhone 16 family come September:"I dont believe there will be an iPhone 17e as it has never updated its most affordable iPhones on an annual cadence. More likely, Id say, is that in September the iPhone 16e, iPhone 16 and perhaps iPhone 16 Plus will remain in the range going forward, likely at lower prices."(Forbes).The MacBook AverageThe new MacBook Air has a bit more memory, a bit more resolution on the webcam, and a bit lower price to ensure Apple continues to have a $999 entry-level MacBook. That might be enough to keep sales steady in 2025, but there is a danger that Apple continues to stay average and rely on long-held beliefs in the power of the brand:"Solid and competent hardware that stays relevant will generate sales for a long time, but at what cost? Apple's ability to be "not first but best" has been holed below the waterline with the rise of generative AI and the failure to capitalise on it with the awkwardly backronymed Apple Intelligence. Its hardware designs take no risks and leave the radical designs to the competition. And the hardware that is being offered to consumers is effectively not the current generation."(Forbes).A New Coat Of Paint For EveryoneIf the hardware is not going through radical change, will a new user interface bring in more sales? reports that Apple is ready for a wholesale refresh of the look and feel of its various operating systems:"The revamp due later this year will fundamentally change the look of the operating systems and make Apples various software platforms more consistent, according to people familiar with the effort. That includes updating the style of icons, menus, apps, windows and system buttons... The design is loosely based on the Vision Pros software, they said."(Bloomberg).And Finally...Apples announcement that it is delaying the roll-out of personalized AI through Siri highlights Apples failure to match the competition using AI. Noted Apple commentator John Gruber believes its a sign of a deeper malaise at the company:"But it turns out they announced something Apple couldnt do. And now they look so out of their depth, so in over their heads, that not only are they years behind the state-of-the-art in AI, but they dont even know what they can ship or when. Their headline features from nine months ago not only havent shipped but still havent even been demonstrated, which I, for one, now presume means they cant be demonstrated because they dont work."(Daring Fireball).Apple Loop brings you seven days worth of highlights every weekend here on Forbes. Dont forget to follow me so you dont miss any coverage in the future. Last weeks Apple Loop can be read here, or this weeks edition of Loops sister column, Android Circuit, is also available on Forbes.

Taking a look back at this weeks news and headlines across the Android world, including Galaxy S25 Edge pricing, Samsung plans Exynos return, Pixel 10 Pro leaks, Oppo Find X8 Ultra specs, Google could sell Chrome, Pokemon Go sold, and Genshin Impact picks up official controller support.Android Circuit is here to remind you of a few of the many discussions around Android in the last seven days. You can also read my weekly digest of Apple news here on Forbes.At the presentation of the Galaxy S25 smartphone series, Samsung also gives a preview of the thinner ... [+] Edge model (Photo by Andrej Sokolow/picture alliance via Getty Images)dpa/picture alliance via Getty ImagesGalaxy S25 Edge Pricing LeakTucked behind glass and on available to look at (but not to touch) at both Galaxy Unpacked and Mobile World Congress, Samsungs Galaxy S25 Edgethe thinner form factored flagshipis clearly approaching launch, but questions remain over durability, feel and price. The latter is becoming clear, at least relative to the other S25 handsets"Past rumors said the Galaxy S25 Edge may cost somewhere between the S25+ and the S25 Ultra According to this new report, Samsung will sell the 256GB Galaxy S25 Edge in Korea for 1,500,000 won ($1,029) and the 512GB variant for 1,630,000 won ($1,118)."(FN via SamMobile).Samsung Considers Galaxy S Exynos ReturnLooking ahead to 2026, Samsung will refresh the portfolio with the presumptively named Galaxy S26 family. The current S25 all sport the more powerful and more expensive Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy. Will the home-grown and cheaper Exynos return?"Samsung will be hoping it can return to the split inventory it had before. Exynos is widely regarded as being less powerful than the equivalent Snapdragon, but it can have better battery life. For those looking for a good Samsung phone that gravitates towards that years S25 and S25+ equivalent, the slight loss in benchmarking on the Exynos is nowhere close to being a dealbreaker.(Forbes).Pixel 10 Pro Design LeaksThe Pixel 9a may be ready for an imminent launch, yet this week, the first clear looks at the Pixel 10 family have been revealed. New CAD files for the three main phones (the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL) show the phones carrying the same acclaimed form factor and design as the Pixel 9 family:"Of note, Google is continuing with the smaller form factor with the highest specifications available. The Pixel 9 Pro was seen by many as a departure from the norm of having the highest specs only available with the larger phones. It picked up many Phone Of The Year awards, with many noting the size and style as contributing factors;"(Forbes).Oppo Find X8 Ultra Specs ConfirmedFollowing a specs leak via Digital Chat Station on Weibo, Oppos Find Series product manager has confirmed some key specs of the upcoming Find X8 Ultra, including a 2K resultion display, ultrasonic fingerprint reader, and various camera options"There will be two periscope telephoto cameras on the back, one with 3x optical zoom, the other with 6x. One of those will double as a macro shooter as well. The phone will be 8.xx mm thin and will come in a fake leather finish, and it will also pack a custom vibration motor.(GSM Arena).Will Google Be Forced To Sell Chrome?As part of the US Department of Justices remedy against Googles Search Monopy case, one of the proposed remedies is for Google to divest itself of the Chrome browser. While the potential to lose AI was an option, that has been quietly removed. Instead, its all about the user-facing browser."The DOJ is asking the court to force Google to promptly and fully divest itself of Chrome, along with any data or other assets required for its continued operation. It is essentially aiming to take the Chrome user baseconsisting of some 3.4 billion peopleaway from Google and hand it to a competitor. The government will vet any potential buyers to ensure the sale does not pose a national security threat. During the term of the judgment, Google would not be allowed to release any new browsers. However, it may continue to contribute to the open source Chromium project."(Ars Technica).Pokemon GoneOne of the most recognisable and popular mobile games has a new parent company. Pokemon Go publishers Niantic has been sold for $3.5 billion to Saudi-owned Scopley. Niantic is holding on to some properties as it pivots towards geospatial AI:Niantic is selling Pokmon Go, along with Monster Hunter Now, Pikmin Bloom, and their teams, for $3.5 billion, with an extra $350 million in the mix, a total of $3.85 billion. Of course, to put this in perspective, Savvy Games Group paid $4.9 billion for Scopley in 2023. Clearly, the Saudi multinational video game investment, development, publishing, and Esports company is continuing its plans to expand into gaming with Scopley's acquisition of Niantic's games."(Android Police).And Finally...Until now, Genshin Impact players looking to use a controller on Android have been left to use controller mapping, essentially the software simulating taps on the display. It mostly works but isnt perfect. So, the news this week that the popular title will be picking up official Android support by the end of March has been met with a lot of love.(Hoyolab via Reddit).Android Circuit rounds up the news from the Android world every weekend here on Forbes. Dont forget to follow me so you dont miss any coverage in the future, and of course, read the sister column in Apple Loop! Last weeks Android Circuit can be found here, and if you have any news and links youd like to see featured in Android Circuit, get in touch!

The days of yore: A quarter century ago, Dark Souls creator FromSoftware released a toolkit with King's Field so fans could try their hand at modding and level making. It's hard to believe those tools are still around and cranking out modern classics that will take you back to the late 90s. In 2023, a little-known indie developer released Lunacid a retro dungeon crawler that paid homage to FromSoftware games, King's Field and Shadow Tower the progenitors of the Elden Ring series. The studio, Kira LLC, just posted a new Steam page confirming it is ready to release a follow-up called Lunacid: Tears of the Moon.What is interesting about both of these releases is that they were created using FromSoftware's 25-year-old RPG maker Sword of Moonlight. The developer released the toolkit bundled with King's Field in 2000, but only in Japan. Purchasing the game granted buyers an unlimited license to use King's field assets to make homebrewed games with Sword of Moonlight. Creators could even sell their games for profit.The game maker has since found its way onto the internet in open-source form. Downloads and documentation are easy to find, and a relatively substantial community of enthusiasts exists. However, it is unclear if FromSoftware is entirely okay with this. It didn't bother Kira when it released Lunacid two years ago, but that game may have slipped under the radar.The sequel Tears of the Moon is slated for release on April 12, and with increased media focus, we may or may not see FromSoftware take action. We'll just have to wait and see. The developer is likely aware of the widespread use of its ancient tools (albeit now updated via open-source efforts), so there probably won't be any issues.Fans of old-school 3D dungeon crawlers might want to give Lunacid (above) a spin while waiting for its sequel. It's only about $11 on Steam and has earned rave reviews from critics and players. With over 7,500 reviews, the game is ranked "Very Positive" on Steam. One player review said:"Lunacid isn't a game. It's a revelation. A blessing for those attuned to the forbidden frequencies of old-school dungeon crawlers and analog horror. If someone told me this was a lost artifact from 1998, banned because kids who played it went missing, I'd believe them. I'd also still play it."Critics praised the game for its gloomy atmosphere, nostalgic feel, and spooky soundtrack (available as a separate purchase on Steam). Rock Paper Shotgun called it "lo-fi first-person dungeon skulking done right."Similarly, PC Gamer said, "[Lunacid] is a perfect example of how to do PS1 nostalgia right ... Lunacid quickly recalibrated my rather spoiled ideas of what it means for something to look impressive or beautiful."

Showcased at CES 2025 earlier this year, the 27-inch Mobile Pixels Mini-LED 2K QHD gaming monitor has a $50 discount at StackSocial. You just need to input the code GAMING50 upon checkout of the item, and the amount youll have to pay will drop from $400 to $350. Were not sure how long this offer will remain available though, so if you need a new screen to pair with your purchase from gaming PC deals, dont hesitate to take advantage of this bargain.The 27-inch Mobile Pixels Mini-LED 2K QHD gaming monitor will give you a memorable experience with the best PC games at a relatively affordable price. With 2K QHD resolution, youll enjoy sharp details and brilliant images, and with HDR1000 support, colors will be brighter and more realistic. The monitor is also equipped with mini-LED technology, which not only further boosts picture quality but also reduces energy consumption.As you can read in our computer monitor buying guide, the refresh rate is how often the images on the screen are updated, while the response time is how quickly the display shows image transitions. With a 180Hz refresh rate and a 1ms response time, the 27-inch Mobile Pixels Mini-LED 2K QHD gaming monitor is perfect for laying video games as motion blur will be reduced, even when youre engaged in fast-paced gameplay. Additionally, with the two HDMI 2.1 ports and two DisplayPort 1.4 ports, youll be able to connect multiple source devices to this monitor simultaneously and easily switch between them.RelatedYou dont need to spend several hundreds of dollars on monitor deals to get a display with a nice package of specifications and features, as youve got options like the 27-inch Mobile Pixels Mini-LED 2K QHD gaming monitor with a $50 discount from StackSocial. Just input the code GAMING50 upon checkout, and it will be yours for $350 instead of its original price of $400. Theres no telling until when the code will work though, so if you want to make sure that you secure the savings, we highly recommend pushing through with your purchase for the 27-inch Mobile Pixels Mini-LED 2K QHD gaming monitor immediately.Editors Recommendations

Epson SureColor P900MSRP$1,349.00 Score Details Epson's SureColor P900 is a professional tool meant for photographers that want on-demand, large fine art prints with lab-quality results.ProsExceptional photo quality10-color ink systemIncludes half a liter of inkPrints last 200 to 400 yearsTwo paper traysAccepts up to 17 x 22-inch paperHandles cardstock up to 1.5 mmConsToo expensive for casual useFront media tray is finickyRequires a lot of spaceTable of ContentsTable of ContentsSpecsDesignPrinting performanceSpecial featuresSoftware and compatibilityPriceIs the SureColor P900 right for you?I dabble in photography and find large, high-quality prints are the best ways to enjoy a great photo. While full-page borderless looks good, a poster-size print can be a showpiece worth framing.Recommended VideosTo immortalize a moment as artwork, I want lab-quality prints that require the best photo printers available. Thats where the Epson SureColor P900 shines. Its a wide-format printer that features a professional 10-color ink system for exceptional dynamic range and precision color.If youre a photographer or photo enthusiast, youll want to learn more about this printers capabilities, quality, and media handling to help decide if theres enough value to justify the expense.NameDimensions24.2 x 35.6 x 20.5 inchesWeight35.3 poundsPrint speed1.5 minutes (8.5 x 11-inch photo), 2.4 minutes (13 x 19-inch photo)Print resolution5760 x 1440 dpiPortsHi-Speed USB, 100Base-T EthernetPaper capacity120 sheets (main tray); supports up to 17 x 22-inch paperWi-FiWi-Fi 802.11b/g/n/ac, dual-bandThe Epson SureColor P900 is a wide-format printer that requires significant desk space. Photo by Tracey Truly / Digital TrendsEpson gave the SureColor P900 a premium, black finish. It looks great but collects dust rapidly and scratches easily. I kept a micro-fiber cloth nearby for frequent cleaning of the surface panels.The SureColor P900 is a printer large enough to accept poster-size paper up to 17 by 22 inches and an output bin that can hold such a large print. That means you need a sizable space to use this printer.While the unopened footprint is just 24.2 by 14.5 inches, the output bin expands the length to as long as 35.6 inches for printing long sheets. Epson recommends 16 inches of clearance at the back when using the front feed. The SureColor P900 stands just 7.8 inches high when the main rear paper tray is closed. When its open for large prints, the height increases to 20 inches.However, the benefits could be worth the space requirement. The manual front media tray can accept paper up to 1.5 mm thick. That means you can print on specialty papers heavier than most cardstock.To manage this versatile printer, Epson added an adjustable 4.3-inch color touchscreen that tilts up from horizontal 50 degrees for easy viewing while seated or standing.The Epson SureColor P900 prints in photo lab quality on fine art paper of various sizes. Photo by Tracey Truly / Digital TrendsThis is a photographers printer, designed for lab-quality prints in the convenience of your own home or office. It can print on a variety of media ranging from popular small photo sizes like 3.5 x 5, 4 x 6, 5 x7, and 8 x 10, to borderless 8.5 x 11 and 11 x 14 standard paper, all the way up to poster-size sheets at 11 x 17, 13 x 19, 16 x 20, and 17 x 22 inches.The quality is phenomenal. Epsons UltraChrome Pro10 pigment ink system goes fast beyond the standard four colors used by most inkjet printers. With cyan, light cyan, vivid magenta, vivid light magenta, yellow, gray, light gray, violet, photo black, and matte black, the SureColor P900 has a much more expressive palette of colors to choose from to faithfully recreate your favorite moments.Skin tones, yellows, and purples are notoriously challenging for printers, but the SureColor P900 handles difficult tones and shades with ease. True black and subtle shadows can also be hard for many printers but Epson includes two blacks and two grays to expand the range.Everything I printed with the SureColor P900 came out with impressive range and accurate colors. Photo by Tracey Truly / Digital TrendsFine detail and color fidelity arent as important if you rely on an inexpensive phone or compact camera for photography. Epsons six-ink EcoTank ET-8500 might be all you need for casual home use, but youll be limited to letter-size prints and lose some of the sharpness and wide dynamic range that the SureColor P900 provides.I was impressed with the results and pleasantly surprised by the speed. The SureColor P900 can output a full-page photographic print in about a minute and a half. A 13 x 19 photo takes less than two and a half minutes.Draft and standard quality are very good, losing only a bit of fine detail. The best quality mode takes longer but makes a difference when printing the sharpest, high-resolution photos. Color fidelity isnt affected by the resolution and standard prints were good enough for most pictures.While the SureColor P900 is designed for photos, it can also print crisp color documents. Photo by Tracey Truly / Digital TrendsWhile pictures are the SureColor P900s specialty, color document prints are also superb. Gradations are smooth, text is crisp, and graphics are sharp. The best office printers are optimized for productivity and are better suited to text-heavy workloads, but this wide-format Epson printer accepts media that an all-in-one cant.The Epson SureColor P900s operation was quite reliable when using the main rear paper tray. I tried a variety of paper types and sizes, yet prints consistently rolled through with great quality and surprising speed.The Epson SureColor P900 works with a variety of media up to 1.5 mm thick. Alan Truly / Digital TrendsThe Epson SureColor P900 is quite versatile in terms of the media it supports. I didnt test the optional $250 roll adapter but it holds 17-inch rolls with two- or three-inch cores up to 10 feet long. That means long banners are possible with this adapter.The printers front media tray accepts very thick paper with a direct path that prevents curling. The front media tray pulls paper through the printer and out of the back in a manual process that proved to be finicky and error-prone.The big color touchscreen guided me somewhat but it was still confusing. I pulled the front feeder out until it moved down and locked. Then I carefully aligned the paper with an etched line on the media tray.The SureColor P900 instructed me to push the feeder back in, and this is where I first ran into problems. At the first click, the screen gives me instructions to proceed. When I did, the last inch didnt feed correctly, leaving an overprint followed by an unprinted border.Make sure the SureColor P900s front feeder tray is fully engaged before printing, Photo by Tracey Truly / Digital TrendsIm usually very tech-savvy and detail-oriented but I didnt notice that the media tray should be flush with the front of the printer before proceeding with printing.With that mystery solved, the overprint and border were no longer a problem.I also had to change printer settings to thick paper before using cardstock. When printing on expensive paper, its a good idea to triple-check settings to ensure everything works as expected.When the paper successfully loads, the media tray is the best option for thick paper, accepting cardstock up to 1.5 mm thick while keeping it flat and smooth during the print.Epson includes half a liter of ink with the SureColor P900. Photo by Tracey Truly / Digital TrendsFor such a large, complex printer, setting up the Epson SureColor P900 was simple. The printer comes well-packed with plenty of padding, tape, and cling sheets to secure the parts and protect the shiny black surfaces.The big color touchscreen guided me to install the 10 included ink cartridges, alerted me to the 15-minute ink priming time, and helped me connect to Wi-Fi with no issues.Epsons mobile Print Layout app found the printer quickly and I was ready for my first print in less than half an hour. I started with a full-page borderless photo, but the mobile app works with many paper sizes and types.The SureColor P900 was ready to print after just half an hour of set up. Photo by Tracey Truly / Digital TrendsI loaded a 17 x 22 sheet and tried a poster print that came out great. I used an iPad, iPhone, and Android phone with no issues. Epsons desktop software works with Windows and macOS to provide even more controls and custom media types.At $1,349, the Epson SureColor P900 is expensive enough that it might only appeal to photography enthusiasts or businesses that need large format prints. Epson offers a $200 rebate, effectively lowering the price to $1,149.Each ink cartridge costs $44, so a complete set is a $440 investment. The good news is the ink supply lasts a long time. While many inkjet printer cartridges hold 10 ml of ink or less, UltraChrome Pro10 cartridges hold 50 ml of ink. The SureColor P900 comes with 10 full cartridges supplying half a liter (about a quart) of ink.I was impressed by how many photos I could print. After priming the ink, the cartridges showed about a third of the total capacity left. I expected to see low ink warnings after a few 17 x 22-inch prints. However, I printed the equivalent of 44 letter-size pages with 100% coverage before light gray was noticeably low, reaching 7%. Standard gray dropped to 10%. The six colors and two blacks barely moved, showing 25% to 30% remaining.Since cartridges can be purchased individually, I only need to replenish whats low, so ink costs arent the biggest concern. Fine art paper in large sheets can cost several dollars per sheet.The SureColor P900 uses durable UltraChrome Pro10 ink that Epson estimates to last for hundreds of years in ideal conditions. Color prints are rated at up to 200 years while black-and-white can last for as long as 400 years in accelerated aging tests.As a unique professional tool that makes photos into showpieces, the Epson SureColor P900 offers great value for photographers. I cant overstate how important on-demand prints are without waiting days for a print shop or photo lab to see the results. If theres an error, the print job is delayed again.There are other photo printers with great quality, including Epsons more affordable SureColor P700 that can print on media up to 13 inches wide. While the six-color ink system of the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8500 isnt as refined and it only handles 8.5 x 11-inch paper, its a more affordable alternative for budding photographers.For casual, enthusiast use, its harder to justify the expense and space requirements. Still, theres great value in getting such stunning quality on art paper in poster-size prints within minutes.If you want more than a standard inkjet printer can deliver, Epsons Expression Photo XP-8800 is an inexpensive six-color photo printer that makes sense for a home user.

An exhibition at the Los Angeles museum goes beyond the German artists ecological projects, offering an expansive if incomplete portrait of his life and work.

Pathogens in the air, a stroll through Europes last wilderness, the rise of a bitter beverage and more.

Minor refresh 2025 iPad Air hands-on: Why mess with a good thing? Apples annual refresh is a minor one, but not much needed to change anyway. Samuel Axon Mar 14, 2025 6:14 pm | 2 The 2025 13-inch iPad Air. Credit: Samuel Axon The 2025 13-inch iPad Air. Credit: Samuel Axon Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreTheres not much new in Apples latest refresh of the iPad Air, so theres not much to say about it, but its worth taking a brief look regardless.In almost every way, this is identical to the previous generation. There are only two differences to go over: the bump from the M2 chip to the slightly faster M3, and a redesign of the Magic Keyboard peripheral.If you want more details about this tablet, refer to our M2 iPad Air review from last year. Everything we said then applies now.From M2 to M3The M3 chip has an 8-core CPU with four performance cores and four efficiency cores. On the GPU side, there are nine cores. Theres also a 16-core Neural Engine, which is what Apple calls its NPU.Weve seen the M3 in other devices before, and it performs comparably here in the iPad Air in Geekbench benchmarks. Those coming from the M1 or older A-series chips will see some big gains, but its a subtle step up over the M2 in last years iPad Air.That will be a noticeable boost primarily for a handful of particularly demanding 3D games (the likes of Assassins Creed Mirage, Resident Evil Village, Infinity Nikki, and Genshin Impact) and some heavy-duty applications only a few people use, like CAD or video editing programs.Most of the iPad Airs target audience would never know the difference, though, and the main benefit here isnt necessarily real-world performance. Rather, the upside of this upgrade is the addition of a few specific features, namely hardware-accelerated ray tracing and hardware-accelerated AV1 video codec support.This isnt new, but this chip supports Apple Intelligence, the much-ballyhooed suite of generative AI features Apple recently introduced. At this point there arent many devices left in Apples lineup that dont support Apple Intelligence (its basically just the cheapest, entry-level iPad that doesn't have it) and thats good news for Apple, as it helps the company simplify its marketing messaging around the features.As weve written previously, Apple Intelligence very much feels like a work-in-progress, but the companys overall approach to where its chosen to apply generative AI is sound, and some of the features are likely to become useful as models improve over the next year or two. Its not a must-have, but it might be later. The well-balanced LCD screen is the iPad Air's star feature. Samuel Axon The well-balanced LCD screen is the iPad Air's star feature. Samuel Axon On the back, you just see the Apple logo and the small camera lens. Samuel Axon On the back, you just see the Apple logo and the small camera lens. Samuel Axon The well-balanced LCD screen is the iPad Air's star feature. Samuel Axon On the back, you just see the Apple logo and the small camera lens. Samuel Axon Look, its always nice to see more performance, but the M3 didnt offer anything drastically different compared to last years iPad Air, so you shouldnt bother upgrading so quickly on that basis alone.If youre coming in from an older iPad or almost any Android tablet, though, youll be impressedjust like you wouldve been if youd made the same jump last year.A slightly more magical-ish Magic KeyboardThe new Magic Keyboard is a little lighter, and theres a new row of function keys that allows you to quickly adjust the volume or brightness, skip around in media playback, and so on. We loved seeing that addition in the Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro recently, so we also love seeing it in the Airs version.The iPad Airs new Magic Keyboard sits on a middle ground between the old design and the one we see over on the Pro. Yeah, we get the function keys, but the Pros keyboard is backlit and has haptics that arent found here.The good news is that this keyboard is a little cheaper than its predecessor, at $269 (compared to $299). Thats not a huge gap, and its still awfully expensive compared to non-Apple solutions, but well take it. The keyboard layout. Credit: Samuel Axon Apple opted to continue to support the old Magic Keyboard, so those upgrading from a recent prior Air wont have to spend a big chunk of cash replacing their existing keyboards unless they find these updates worth the price. (I doubt it, but theyre nice to see.)I found the typing experience to be quite good compared to other options for the tablet, though it of course cant match a really nice laptop keyboard, and it obviously has nothing to offer the sort of folks who insist on a mechanical keyboard.The trackpad is slightly bigger too, and every little bit helps on that front. The new Magic Keyboard offers some welcome refinements on the old design, and a little bit of price relief going along with that is great to see.Its still really expensive, but hey, you get what you pay for, for the most part.The best option for most heavy tablet usersBy not changing much in a market that is also not moving very quickly, the modestly tweaked new iPad Air (pricing starts at $599 for the 11-inch version and $799 for the 13-inch) remains the best option for most people who plan to use a tablet regularly.It offers way more performance than almost anyone needs, it has a good screen for an LCD, and the new Magic Keyboard introduces several welcome tweaks while slightly lowering the price.The cheaper, base iPad ($349) is still a better option for buying a tablet for your kid, point of sale uses, and various other light applications. Meanwhile, the iPad Pro ($999 for the 11-inch, $1,299 for the 13-inch) is much more robust than most people need, but the nicer screen goes a long way.While there are still some things Id like to see change in the iPads software, theres not much change in this years refresh because there doesnt need to be. Its a good tablet in a mature market, even if its a bit pricey.Samuel AxonSenior EditorSamuel AxonSenior Editor Samuel Axon is a senior editor at Ars Technica. He covers Apple, software development, gaming, AI, entertainment, and mixed reality. He has been writing about gaming and technology for nearly two decades at Engadget, PC World, Mashable, Vice, Polygon, Wired, and others. He previously ran a marketing and PR agency in the gaming industry, led editorial for the TV network CBS, and worked on social media marketing strategy for Samsung Mobile at the creative agency SPCSHP. He also is an independent software and game developer for iOS, Windows, and other platforms, and heis a graduate of DePaul University, where he studied interactive media and software development. 2 Comments