Apple iPad Air Apple 11" iPad Air (M4, 128GB, Wi-Fi Only, Space Review

The iPad Air M4 gives you Pro-level performance without the Pro price tag. Its M4 chip and 12GB of RAM handle creative work and multitasking with ease. At $559, it's a powerhouse that undercuts its main rivals, but remember to budget for expensive accessories. It's the best tablet for most people who actually need the power.

The new 11-inch iPad Air with the M4 chip is a bit of a head-scratcher in the best way possible. Apple put last year's Pro chip into this year's Air, which means you're getting performance that was, until recently, reserved for their most expensive tablets. At around $559, it's sitting in a weird middle ground where it's almost too powerful for casual use, but not quite a full laptop replacement.

This thing is built for people who push their tablets. Our data shows it scores highest for art and design work (83.1/100), and it's a strong pick for students and general productivity (scoring 79 and 80.9, respectively). If you're sketching with the Apple Pencil Pro, editing 4K video on the go, or juggling a dozen Safari tabs and a document, the M4 and 12GB of RAM won't flinch.

What makes it interesting is the value proposition. You're getting Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0 connectivity that lands in the 91st percentile, a CPU and GPU in the 90s, and a design that supports all the fancy accessories. But you're making a few classic iPad Air trade-offs, like a screen that's good but not ProMotion-good, and a base storage option that feels a bit tight in 2025.

Let's talk about those percentile numbers. A CPU in the 92nd percentile and a GPU in the 90th means this tablet is faster than almost every other tablet on the market. In real-world terms, that translates to buttery-smooth Procreate canvases with dozens of layers, instant app launches, and the ability to handle complex AI-powered features in iPadOS without breaking a sweat. The 12GB of RAM (82nd percentile) is the real secret sauce here, ensuring you can keep all those apps open in the background.

The benchmarks confirm this isn't just marketing. The M4's neural engine and massive memory bandwidth make it a beast for machine learning tasks, which is where Apple is betting big with Apple Intelligence. For gaming, you're looking at console-quality graphics on a device that weighs less than a pound. The only slight letdown in the performance suite is the battery, which sits right at the 49th percentile. It'll get you through a day, but heavy users might need to plug in by dinner time.

At $559, the iPad Air M4 is playing a brilliant game. It's significantly cheaper than the 11-inch iPad Pro, while delivering nearly identical core performance thanks to the same-generation chip. You're paying less by accepting a standard 60Hz screen, slightly less advanced cameras, and a bit less speaker polish.

The value shines when you compare it to other premium tablets. A similarly configured Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+ or Microsoft Surface Pro will often cost more, especially when you factor in their keyboard accessories. Apple's accessory ecosystem is expensive, but the tablet itself is priced aggressively to get you into that ecosystem. Just know that the real cost of admission is the tablet plus a Pencil or Keyboard.

The most obvious competitor is the 11-inch iPad Pro. The Pro gives you a better 120Hz screen, slightly better speakers and cameras, and Thunderbolt 4. But for most tasks, the performance difference is minimal because they share the same M4 architecture. If your work flows from the Pencil, the Pro's screen is nicer. If you just need the power, the Air is the smarter buy.

Then there's the Windows and Android crowd. The Microsoft Surface Pro (with Snapdragon X Elite) is a full laptop replacement running Windows, which is a different beast altogether. It's for someone who needs desktop apps. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+ offers a fantastic OLED screen and deep Android customization, but its raw performance and app ecosystem for creatives still trails behind iPadOS. The Lenovo Idea Tab Pro is a budget-friendly large-screen alternative, but its performance isn't in the same league.

Skip the iPad Air M4 if your tablet life is mostly about watching Netflix, reading, and casual web browsing. The base model iPad or even a previous-generation Air will save you money and do those jobs just as well. You're paying for power you won't use.

Also, avoid it if you need a true laptop replacement for complex, multi-window desktop workflows. While the Magic Keyboard helps, iPadOS still has limitations in file management and professional software. In that case, look at a MacBook Air or a Windows 2-in-1 like the Surface Pro. Finally, if you're a digital artist who lives by the Pencil and the subtle lag of a 60Hz screen will bother you, the iPad Pro's 120Hz display is worth the extra investment.

Buy the iPad Air M4 if you're a creative pro, a demanding student, or a power user who needs tablet-first versatility with near-Pro-level speed. It's the perfect machine for someone who lives in Procreate, LumaFusion, or graphic design apps, and who might occasionally dock it with a keyboard for writing sessions. The performance-to-price ratio here is exceptional.

Think twice if your main use is media consumption and web browsing. The base iPad or even last year's models offer plenty of power for that at a lower cost. Also, if you need tons of local storage for videos or a massive music library, the 128GB base model will frustrate you, and upgrading storage gets pricey fast. For pure reading, it's fine, but not best-in-class.