Apple has downgraded the new M2 iPad Air, now saying it features a 9-core GPU instead of a 10-core one.

Apple has made a quiet update to the technical specifications of M2 iPad Air, which was first launched last month. Although the iPad Air’s M2 chip was originally touted as having a 10-core GPU, the company now says it has a 9-core GPU.

Apple did not explain this change at all. Instead, simply The technical specifications page has been updated For the new M2 iPad Air to reflect the missing GPU core. Based on archive data, it appears that the change was made within the last 10 days.

the Original press release As for the M2 iPad Air launch, it still says it features a 10-core GPU, as does This has not been updated yet Support page. Apple has also not updated its technical specifications pages in countries outside the US.

These are strange changes for a number of reasons. This seems to imply that wires have been crossed within Apple, and has led some people to believe that the new M2 iPad Air features a 10-core GPU when in fact it uses a 9-core GPU. It’s also strange that the change is not yet reflected everywhere on Apple’s website.

Notably, this is also the first time Apple has sold the M2 chip in any device with a 9-core GPU. For example, the M2 MacBook Air is available in 8-core and 10-core GPU variants. This suggests that the M2 chip used inside the iPad Air is a stripped-down version of the 10-core version.

Realistically, most M2 iPad Air users won’t notice a difference between a 9-core GPU and a 10-core GPU. However, it would be nice to get an explanation from Apple on what exactly happened here.

Thanks Michael Burkhart!

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