Apple iPad Air Apple 13" iPad Air (M4, 256GB, Wi-Fi + 5G, Review

The 13-inch Apple iPad Air with the M4 chip is a powerhouse tablet that nearly matches the iPad Pro's performance for less money. It's perfect for artists, students, and mobile professionals who need a large, sharp screen and laptop-level speed, but its battery life is just okay and the required accessories add up. If you don't need the 120Hz ProMotion display, this is the best high-performance iPad you can buy.

The 13-inch iPad Air with the M4 chip is Apple's latest attempt to blur the line between tablet and laptop. Starting at $1049 for this 256GB cellular model, it packs the same processor as the more expensive iPad Pro, a sharp 13-inch screen, and 12GB of RAM. If you're looking for a powerful, large-screen tablet for creative work or productivity, this is the one most people will be eyeing. It's built for Apple Intelligence and promises to handle everything from video editing to gaming without breaking a sweat, especially when paired with the optional Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil Pro.

Let's talk about that M4 chip. In our database, its CPU performance lands in the 91st percentile for tablets, which is frankly overkill for most tablet tasks. That translates to buttery-smooth app switching, instant rendering in apps like Procreate or LumaFusion, and enough headroom for future AI features. The 9-core GPU sits in the 90th percentile, making this a surprisingly capable machine for mobile gaming or 3D design work. The 12GB of RAM is a huge step up from previous Air models and means you can have a dozen Safari tabs, a video editor, and a few other apps open without any slowdown. The only performance metric that gives us pause is the battery, which ranks in the 48th percentile. It'll get you through a day, but heavy users might need to plug in by dinner time.

At $1049, this iPad Air sits in a tricky spot. It's significantly more expensive than the base iPad or Android competitors, but it's also hundreds less than the 13-inch iPad Pro. You're paying for that M4 power and the large, premium screen. If your main question is 'should I get the Air or the Pro?', the answer often comes down to the 120Hz ProMotion display and the better speakers on the Pro. If you don't need those, the Air offers most of the core Pro performance for less money.

The most direct competitor is, of course, the 13-inch iPad Pro. You pay more for the Pro's OLED screen with 120Hz, better speakers, and a slightly thinner design. For the same core performance, the Air is the smarter buy for most. Stepping outside the Apple garden, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+ offers a fantastic AMOLED screen and more desktop-like multitasking with Dex mode, but its processor isn't in the same league as the M4. The Microsoft Surface Pro is a full Windows laptop in tablet form, which is great if you need specific desktop software, but it's heavier and its tablet app ecosystem can't touch iPadOS for creative work. For digital artists or note-takers, the iPad Air's Apple Pencil support is still the gold standard.

Skip the iPad Air M4 if you're on a tight budget or just need a simple media consumption device. The base iPad is a much better value for watching movies and reading. Also, if you're a hardcore mobile gamer or video editor who demands the absolute smoothest visuals, the lack of a 120Hz ProMotion display on the Air might be a dealbreaker—spring for the iPad Pro instead. And if you need to run full desktop applications, a Windows-based 2-in-1 like the Surface Pro is still a better choice.

So, should you buy the 13-inch iPad Air M4? If you want the most powerful iPad experience but can't justify the Pro's price, absolutely. It's an incredible creative and productivity machine, especially with the accessories. But if you just want a tablet for streaming videos and browsing the web, this is massive overkill. Buy the cheaper iPad instead. For the person who wants a single device for drawing, light photo editing, writing, and consumption, this iPad Air hits a very sweet spot of power and price.