Apple iPad Air Apple 13" iPad Air (M4, 1TB, Wi-Fi + 5G, Review
The new iPad Air packs the powerful M4 chip into a more affordable body. It's a creative powerhouse, but is it enough to justify the high price?
The 30-Second Version
The iPad Air M4 is the creative pro's tablet on a budget. It has almost all the speed of the Pro model, but you're still stuck in iPadOS.
Overview
The 13-inch iPad Air with the M4 chip is basically Apple's way of saying 'you don't need the Pro.' This thing is a powerhouse in a surprisingly affordable package. The one thing to know? It's the most capable tablet for creative work and multitasking that doesn't have 'Pro' in its name, but it's held back by the same old iPadOS limitations.
Performance
The M4 chip is no joke. It lands in the 91st percentile for CPU performance in our database, and the 90th for GPU. That means it chews through 4K video edits and demanding 3D apps without breaking a sweat. What surprised us was the connectivity, scoring in the 94th percentile with Wi-Fi 7 and 5G. The only real letdown is the battery, which sits at a mediocre 48th percentile. It'll get you through a day, but don't expect to forget your charger.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Strong storage (95th percentile) 96th
- Strong connectivity (94th percentile) 94th
- Strong screen (91th percentile) 93th
- Strong cpu (91th percentile) 91th
Cons
Specifications
Full Specifications
Processor
| CPU | Apple M4 |
| Cores | 10 |
| GPU | Apple (9-Core) |
Memory & Storage
| RAM | 12 GB |
| Storage | 1000 GB |
| Expandable | No |
Display
| Size | 13" |
| Resolution | 2732 |
| Panel | IPS |
| Brightness | 600 nits |
Connectivity
| Wi-Fi | WiFi 7 |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 6.0 |
| Cellular | Yes |
Features
| Stylus Support | Yes |
Physical
| Weight | 0.6 kg / 1.4 lbs |
| OS | Apple iPadOS |
Value & Pricing
At $1449, it's a lot of money for a tablet. But if you need a portable creative studio or a business machine that can handle anything you throw at it, this is the one to get. You're paying for the M4 and that beautiful screen, and they deliver.
vs Competition
The obvious competitor is the 11-inch iPad Pro with the M5 chip. The Pro gives you a better 120Hz screen and more advanced camera features, but it costs significantly more for similar core performance. For Android users, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+ is the alternative, offering great performance and a more flexible file system, but app optimization for creative work isn't as good. The Microsoft Surface Pro is the choice if you absolutely need a full desktop OS in a tablet form factor.
| Spec | Apple iPad Air Apple 13" iPad Air (M4, 1TB, Wi-Fi + 5G, | Apple iPad Pro Apple 11" iPad Pro M5 Chip (Standard Glass, 512GB, | Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Samsung 12.4" Galaxy Tab S10+ 256GB Multi-Touch | Microsoft Surface Pro Microsoft - Surface Pro - Copilot+ PC - 13” OLED | Lenovo Yoga Tab Series Lenovo Yoga Tab Plus | Xenarc Xenarc 10.1" RT101-PRO 256GB Tablet (Wi-Fi, 4G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Apple M4 | Apple M5 | MediaTek 9300 | Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite X1E-84-100 | Qualcomm® Snapdragon® 8 Gen 3, QCM8650 | 8-Core: Up to GHz |
| RAM (GB) | 12 | 12 | 12 | 32 | 16 | 8 |
| Storage (GB) | 1000 | 512 | 256 | 1000 | 256 | 256 |
| Screen | 13" 2732x2048 | 11" 2420x1668 | 12.4" 2800x1752 | 13" 2880x1920 | 12.7" 2944x1840 | 10.1" 1920x1200 |
| OS | Apple iPadOS | iPadOS | Android 14 | Windows 11 Home | Android 14 | Android 13 |
| Stylus | true | true | true | false | false | false |
| Cellular | true | false | false | false | false | true |
Common Questions
Q: Is the M4 chip overkill for the iPad Air?
Not if you're doing real work. For browsing and videos, yes. For editing 4K video, 3D modeling, or using complex art apps, the M4's power is what makes this tablet feel future-proof.
Q: Should I get the 1TB model?
If you're using this for creative projects, 100%. 4K video files and app caches eat storage alive. The 256GB model fills up fast.
Q: Can it replace my laptop?
For some people, absolutely. If your work is in specific iPad-optimized apps, it's fantastic. If you need to run full desktop software like Photoshop or code in specific IDEs, you still need a Mac or PC.
Who Should Skip This
If you're just watching Netflix and browsing the web, this is massive overkill. Go get the standard iPad and save a thousand dollars. If you need a true laptop replacement for running desktop software, skip the tablet debate entirely and look at a MacBook Air.
Verdict
We recommend the 13-inch iPad Air M4 if your workflow lives on the iPad. For artists, designers, and mobile professionals who leverage apps like Procreate, LumaFusion, or Affinity suite, it's the best value in the Apple tablet lineup. It has nearly all the Pro's power for several hundred dollars less. Just know you're buying into the iPad ecosystem, for better and for worse.