The M2 chip inside the 11-inch iPad Air is an 8-core CPU designed with a hybrid architecture for balancing high performance with power efficiency. Specifically, it contains four high-performance "Avalanche" cores that can operate at speeds up to 3.49 GHz for intensive tasks, alongside four energy-efficient "Blizzard" cores that run at up to 2.42 GHz to handle lighter workloads and preserve battery life. This powerful, yet efficient, design allows the M2 iPad Air to handle everything from demanding creative workflows, like editing high-resolution video and complex 3D objects, to everyday activities with speed and fluidity.