Apple iPad Air Apple 11" iPad Air (M4, 256GB, Wi-Fi + 5G, Space Review

The Apple iPad Air with the M4 chip packs near-Pro level performance into a more affordable package. It's an excellent choice for creatives and professionals who need power on the go, though it lacks the iPad Pro's premium display. At $849, it's a powerful but pricey step up from the base iPad.

The Apple iPad Air with the M4 chip is the new middle child in Apple's tablet lineup, and it's a surprisingly powerful one. Starting at $849 for this 256GB cellular model, it's positioned as the more affordable alternative to the iPad Pro, but with specs that make you do a double-take. It's got the same M4 chip as the Pro, 12GB of RAM, and a sharp 11-inch Liquid Retina display. People searching for a powerful iPad for creative work or business who don't want to shell out for the Pro will find this model squarely in their crosshairs.

Let's talk about that M4 chip. In our database, its CPU performance lands in the 91st percentile, which is frankly ridiculous for a tablet in this price bracket. The 9-core GPU isn't far behind, sitting in the 90th percentile. What does that mean in practice? You can edit 4K video in LumaFusion, run complex 3D modeling apps, or play demanding games like Resident Evil Village without a hiccup. The 12GB of RAM is a huge upgrade over the previous generation and ensures you can have dozens of Safari tabs open alongside your creative apps without things slowing down. This isn't just a media consumption device anymore; it's a legitimate portable workstation.

At $849, the iPad Air M4 sits in a tricky spot. It's significantly more expensive than the base iPad, but it undercuts the 11-inch iPad Pro by a few hundred dollars. You're paying a premium for that M4 power and the 12GB of RAM. If your workflow genuinely needs that horsepower for apps like Procreate, Photoshop, or video editing, it's a compelling value. If you're mostly streaming and browsing, the standard iPad is a better deal.

The obvious competitor is the 11-inch iPad Pro. For a few hundred dollars more, you get a vastly better mini-LED or OLED display with ProMotion, an even more powerful M4 chip variant, and better speakers. The Air makes you choose: raw processing power or the premium screen experience. On the Android side, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+ offers a fantastic OLED screen and DeX mode for a more laptop-like experience, but its chip can't touch the M4 for pure speed. The Microsoft Surface Pro is the go-to if you need full Windows desktop apps, but it's heavier, more expensive as a full kit, and its battery life is often worse. The iPad Air wins on pure performance-per-dollar in the tablet space.

Skip the iPad Air M4 if you're on a tight budget and just want a tablet for Netflix and web browsing—the base iPad is perfect for that. Also, hardcore media consumers and artists who prioritize display quality above all else should look directly at the iPad Pro for its superior screen. And if you need to run full desktop operating systems and applications, a laptop or a Windows-based tablet like the Surface Pro remains a better fit.

So, should you buy the iPad Air M4? If you're an artist, designer, or mobile professional who needs serious power in a tablet form factor and you're okay with a very good (but not best-in-class) screen, this is an easy yes. It's the most powerful iPad you can get without paying the Pro tax. But if a silky-smooth 120Hz display or the deepest blacks of an OLED screen are non-negotiable for your art or media consumption, you'll want to stretch for the iPad Pro. For everyone else who just wants a great all-around tablet, the standard iPad is still the smart buy.