Apple iPad Air Apple 13" iPad Air (M4, 1TB, Wi-Fi + 5G, Gray) Review
The new iPad Air has the same M4 chip as the Pro models, blurring the line between Apple's mid-range and premium tablets. We found it's incredibly capable, but the value proposition gets fuzzy at this price.
The 30-Second Version
The M4 iPad Air is a pro tablet with an identity crisis. It's incredibly powerful and well-equipped, but the price will make you look twice at the actual iPad Pro.
Overview
The 13-inch iPad Air with the M4 chip is a fantastic tablet that's also a bit of a head-scratcher. The one thing you need to know is that it's basically a Pro in disguise, with performance that punches way above its 'Air' name tag. It's got a killer screen, a ton of storage, and Wi-Fi 7, but it's also priced like a premium laptop, which makes you wonder who exactly it's for.
Performance
The M4 chip is an absolute monster, and it shows. Our database puts its CPU and GPU performance in the 91st and 90th percentiles, respectively. That means it breezes through everything from 4K video editing to demanding games without breaking a sweat. The real surprise isn't that it's fast—it's that this level of power is now in the 'mid-range' iPad. The only real letdown is the battery, which lands in a mediocre 48th percentile. It'll get you through a day, but don't expect miracles.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Strong storage (95th percentile) 97th
- 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
Worth it? That's a tough one. At $1,449 for this 1TB cellular model, you're in premium laptop territory. You get phenomenal performance and a great screen, but you're paying a lot for the Apple logo and the iPadOS experience. If you need this specific combo of power and portability within Apple's walled garden, it's your only real choice. But the price will sting.
vs Competition
This puts the iPad Air in a weird spot. The 11-inch iPad Pro with the M5 chip is often a similar price but gives you a better OLED screen and Face ID. If you're an artist or a note-taker, that screen is a game-changer. On the Android side, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+ offers a brilliant OLED screen, DeX for a better desktop-like experience, and often a lower price, but app optimization can be hit-or-miss. The Microsoft Surface Pro is the real alternative if you need a full desktop OS; it's a better laptop replacement, but a worse tablet. The Air wins on pure app polish and ecosystem integration, but it's no longer the obvious value pick.
| Spec | Apple iPad Air Apple 13" iPad Air (M4, 1TB, Wi-Fi + 5G, Gray) | Apple iPad Pro Apple - 11-inch iPad Pro M5 chip Wi-Fi 256GB with | Microsoft Surface Pro Microsoft - Surface Pro - Copilot+ PC - 13” OLED Touchscreen - Snapdragon X Elite - 32GB Memory - 1TB SSD - Device Only (11th Ed) - Platinum | Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Samsung - Galaxy Tab S10+ - 12.4" 256GB - Wi-Fi - | Lenovo Lenovo - Idea Tab Pro - 12.7" 3K Tablet - 8GB RAM | GPD GPD Pocket 4: Mini Laptop with AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Apple M4 | Apple M5 | Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite X1E-84-100 | Mediatek MT6989 | MediaTek Dimensity | AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 |
| RAM (GB) | 12 | 12 | 32 | 12 | 8 | 32 |
| Storage (GB) | 1000 | 256 | 1000 | 256 | 256 | 2048 |
| Screen | 13" 2732x2048 | 11" 2420x1668 | 13" 2880x1920 | 12.4" 2800x1752 | 12.7" 2944x1840 | 8.8" 2560x1600 |
| OS | Apple iPadOS | iPadOS | Windows 11 Home | Android 14 | Android 14 | Windows 11 Home |
| Stylus | true | true | false | true | true | false |
| Cellular | true | false | false | false | false | false |
Common Questions
Q: Is the M4 iPad Air overkill for just watching videos and browsing?
Honestly, yes. It's like using a race car to go to the grocery store. The M4 is crazy powerful. If that's all you do, save a bunch of money and get the base model iPad or even last year's Air.
Q: Should I get the 256GB or 1TB model?
With iPadOS and apps getting bigger, 256GB fills up fast if you do creative work or download a lot of media. The 1TB model here also comes with 12GB of RAM instead of 8GB, which helps with multitasking. If you're keeping this for years, the 1TB is the smarter buy, even if it's expensive.
Q: Can this really replace my laptop?
It depends on what you do. For writing, emails, web browsing, and light photo/video editing with the Magic Keyboard, absolutely. For serious coding, complex spreadsheets, or professional video editing, iPadOS still holds you back. It's a fantastic companion device, but not a full replacement for everyone.
Who Should Skip This
If you're on a budget or just want a simple media consumption device, this isn't it. Go get the standard 10th-gen iPad instead. Also, if you're an artist or videographer who craves the best possible screen, the iPad Pro's OLED display is a must-have upgrade. Skip the Air and go straight to the Pro.
Verdict
We're giving this a cautious recommendation. The 13-inch M4 iPad Air is an incredibly capable machine. It scores over 90/100 for art, entertainment, and business in our tests. If you're all-in on the Apple ecosystem and need a large-screen tablet for creative work or media consumption, and you absolutely must have cellular connectivity and a ton of storage, this config does the job brilliantly. Just know you're paying near-Pro money without getting the Pro's best features.