Apple has quietly revised the technical specifications of its recently released M2 iPad Air. Initially announced with a 10-core GPU in its press release, the device’s specifications now indicate a 9-core GPU.
The change comes from an updated specifications page for the M2 iPad Air, spotted by a 9to5Mac reader. This revision looks to have occurred in the past 10 days.
The original press release for the M2 iPad Air still mentions a 10-core GPU. Here’s what it said:
The M2 chip brings another big boost in performance to iPad Air, featuring a faster 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU
The M2 iPad Air support page still lists a 10-core GPU.
This is the first time we’ve seen Apple offer an M2 chip with a 9-core GPU. For example, the M2 MacBook Air is available with either an 8-core or a 10-core GPU. This implies that the M2 chip in the iPad Air is a binned version of the 10-core variant, says 9to5Mac. GPU manufacturing results in some yields that are better than others. The claim here is that Apple might be leveraging some ‘imperfect’ GPUs to put into the iPad Air from the manufacturing line (that tested with 9-core GPUs instead of 10-cores).
Below is a screenshot of Apple’s M2 iPad Air specs page, updated to show a 9-core GPU:
While the specs page on Apple.com reads 9-core GPU, Apple.ca and other international web pages are still showing 10-core GPU.
For most users, the difference between a 9-core and a 10-core GPU is unlikely to be noticeable. It would suck to have purchased an M2 iPad Air thinking you had a 10-core GPU, only to find out it was a 9-core. While it’s not a huge difference, you should be getting what you paid for.
Want to see more of our stories on Google?
P.S. Want to keep this site truly independent? Support us by buying us a beer, treating us to a coffee, or shopping through Amazon here. Links in this post are affiliate links, so we earn a tiny commission at no charge to you. Thanks for supporting independent Canadian media!
