Apple misstated that the new M2 iPad Air comes with 10 GPU cores instead of 9 on its website, which sparked a controversy after the company changed it. There was a slight bit of confusion about whether there could be a performance difference for the devices the company has already sold to the public. Well, Apple has now stated its side of the story, suggesting that the company corrected an error in the marketing material and that the performance claims are identical.
Apple clarifies that the new M2 iPad Air models feature the same performance level that it claimed despite downgrading the GPU
Apple silently edited the marketing material of the M2 iPad Pro recently, mentioning that the device has 9 GPU cores instead of 10, which made us presume that there could be performance differences between the same models. However, this is not the case, as the company has provided a statement to 9to5mac clarifying that it has updated the correct GPU core count of the device and that the performance claims for the device are similar.
We are updating Apple.com to correct the core count for the M2 iPad Air. All performance claims for the M2 iPad Air are accurate and based on a 9-core GPU.
What this means is that Apple is keeping its promise of delivering "nearly 50 percent faster" performance claims, which includes "25 percent faster graphics" compared to the M1 iPad Air. Apple recently updated the technical specifications of the M2 iPad Air and in light of the recent statement, there are no performance differences, which puts the controversy to rest.
However, Apple's mistake on the marketing material front could have acted as false advertising for some users. This is because the company took a few days to rectify the error, and users who purchased the device during this time could have something to complain about to the Apple Store. Users should note that the iPad Air's two-week return period is now over for those who ordered their devices at launch.
Besides the GPU cores, the M2 chip in the iPad Air comes with an 8-core CPU, and while the chip is the same, it could feature certain performance differences compared to the mini-LED iPad Pro. Despite being an older model, Apple still wants the mini-LED iPad Pro to stand tall compared to the Air models. The company upgraded the iPad Pro with an M4 chip which features significantly faster performance compared to the older 'Pro' models as well as the new iPad Air models. However, the device still lacks novelty aside from performance gains.
About the author: Ali Salman is a technology reporter for Wccftech mobile section with a specialized focus on Apple and the intellectual property that drives mobile innovation. He has cultivated a unique expertise in analyzing and deconstructing complex technology patents, translating dense legal and technical documents into clear, insightful reports on future products.
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