How many cores does the new iPad Air with M2 actually have? Here’s what happened

It’s clear that the new iPad Pro and iPad Air have surprised us in various ways. But they have also surprised us in a way we never imagined. Why? Because at the end of last week, as reported by 9to5mac, Apple changed the specifications of the new iPad Air from the initially reported 10 GPU cores to 9 GPU cores. However, this discrepancy only appears in marketing material, meaning that these devices have likely had just 9 cores from the beginning.

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10 or 9 cores? That is the question

This is the most important issue, because after the modification of technical information on its official website, an Apple spokesperson (via 9to5mac) clarified that all previously reported performance data for the iPad Air with M2 are correct and are based on the device’s 9-core GPU.

Apple has stated that the new iPad Air is nearly 50% faster than its predecessor with the M1 chip, thanks to a higher memory bandwidth. This performance improvement is superior to previous models like the iPad Air with the A14 Bionic chip, offering up to three times better performance.

What makes all of this particularly interesting is that this marks the first time Apple sells a device with the M2 chip that features a 9-core GPU. Normally, products that incorporate this chip are available in 8- or 10-core configurations. But beyond that, why has something like this occurred?

One of the most feasible theories is that Apple is working to avoid leaks. Obtaining the specifications for unreleased devices is a very tempting opportunity for leakers to capitalize. Leakers who feed on information provided by some employees from inside the company. Sometimes, certain details of this information are modified so that, when leaked, it’s possible to trace it to the source. In this case, it would appear that the modified information turned out to be official.

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Something, it must be said, that shouldn’t have happened, but the way events have unfolded makes it more of a curiosity than anything else. The performance calculations of this new iPad are correct, as is the improvement they represent compared to the previous generation. So, with 10 cores or 9, go ahead and enjoy these new iPads.