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

The 13-inch iPad Air M4 is a creative powerhouse with a stunning screen and killer performance. It scores a 91.4 overall in our tests. Worth buying if you need a tablet-first device for art or design, but the total cost with accessories is steep.

The 13-inch iPad Air with the M4 chip is Apple's latest attempt to blur the line between tablet and laptop. It's got serious power, a beautiful 13-inch screen, and all the connectivity you could want, including Wi-Fi 7 and 5G.

Our scoring puts it at a 91.4 overall, with its best marks in art and design (92.9) and business (92). It's clearly built for creators and professionals who need a portable powerhouse, but it still runs iPadOS, which is the catch.

Performance is where this thing shines. The M4 chip is a beast, landing in the 91st percentile for CPU power. It'll handle video editing, 3D modeling, and complex AI tasks without breaking a sweat. The 9-core GPU is also top-tier, scoring in the 90th percentile for smooth graphics. The 13-inch Liquid Retina display is stunning and bright at 600 nits, placing it in the 92nd percentile. The only real performance letdown is the battery, which sits in a mediocre 48th percentile. It'll get you through a day, but don't expect miracles.

Here's the rub: the iPad Air itself is a fantastic piece of hardware. But value is tricky. At over $1,000 for this 5G model, you're paying near-laptop money. And to unlock its full potential as a 'laptop replacement,' you're looking at another $350+ for the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil Pro. For that total cost, you could buy a very nice MacBook Air. So the value is only there if you absolutely need the tablet form factor and Apple Pencil for drawing.

Compared to the 11-inch iPad Pro, you're giving up the 120Hz ProMotion screen and the slightly better speakers for a lower price. Against the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+, you get a much more powerful chip and better app ecosystem for creatives, but you lose the flexibility of Android's desktop mode and multi-window support. The new Microsoft Surface Pro with Copilot+ is a more direct laptop competitor with Windows, but its tablet and pen experience isn't as polished as the iPad's. The Air sits in a sweet spot if you want a big screen and M4 power without paying the absolute Pro max price.

Skip this if your main goal is to replace a laptop for heavy multitasking, coding, or complex file management. iPadOS is still a walled garden. Also, if you're just browsing and streaming, this is massive overkill—a cheaper standard iPad or even last year's model will do the job just fine.

Buy this if you're an artist, designer, or note-taker who craves a large, precise canvas and needs the raw power of the M4 for apps like Procreate or Adobe Fresco. It's also a great mobile workstation for business users who live in email, documents, and video calls. But you have to be okay with the iPadOS way of doing things.