The latest iPad Air is faster in almost all facets, packing not just a processor upgrade but improvements to most of the internal bits that make the tablet work, providing laptop-grade power in a skinny, adaptable touchscreen device.
The new iPad Air M4 costs from the same £599 (€649/$599/A$999) as the outgoing M3 model from last year and again comes in two sizes. One with an 11in screen, which is the best size for most people and a more expensive 13in screen version, which is ideal if you want a second TV or a laptop replacement.
As with the last few generations of iPad Air, nothing has changed on the outside. It is still only 6.1mm thick, weighs under half a kilogram and feels like a quality piece of hardware. The Touch ID power button works great, the screen is crisp, bright and colour accurate, its stereo speakers are loud and clear, and the Centre Stage webcam is excellent.
As a media-watching device it is great, but the iPad Air can be far more. Fitted with the right accessory, such as a keyboard case, it can become a laptop replacement. The Apple Pencil stylus turns it into a fantastic note-taking device or digital sketch pad. And it has battery life that will manage at least 9 hours of heavy use or far more just browsing or lightly editing images.
Specifications
Screen: 11in or 13in Liquid Retina display (264ppi)
Processor: Apple M4 (8-core CPU/9-core GPU)
RAM: 12GB
Storage: 128, 256, 512GB or 1TB
Operating system: iPadOS 26.3
Camera: 12MP rear, 12MP centre stage
Connectivity: Wifi 7, 5G (eSim-only), Bluetooth 6, USB-C (USB3), Touch ID, Smart Connecter
Dimensions: 247.6 x 178.5 x 6.1mm or 280.6 x 214.9 x 6.1mm
Weight: 464g or 616g
M4 power and rapid wifi
The M4 chip, last seen in the iPad Pro, MacBook Air and even the MacBook Pro, and the upgraded 12GB of memory gives the iPad Air far more power than most will ever need. It is up to 21% faster on paper than the M3 model it replaces and up to 60% faster than the M1. Very few laptops have this kind of performance at this price, let alone tablets.
The Air now also has Apple’s N1 wifi, Bluetooth and Thread chip, which proved to be very capable, consistently ranking as one of the fastest wifi7-equipped devices I have tested. Similarly, the Apple C1X 5G chip matched some of the very fastest smartphones for mobile data. Both chips will make an immediate impact if you rely on fast data speeds in and out of home, but they also future proof the Air for years to come, particularly as wifi7 becomes the gold standard.
Altogether it means you can easily perform real work on the Air, whether it’s editing video in Final Cut Pro or image manipulation in Pixelmator Pro, or just word processing in Microsoft Word, the tablet sails through tasks without breaking a sweat. But that much power also means it will still be fast five or more years down the line, too.
The Air runs iPadOS 26.3 out of the box, which recently added a lot of vastly improved multitasking tools to Apple’s tablet operating system. It is more like a Mac than ever, with additions such as the menu bar at the top of the screen, free window sizing and placement, the traditional three-dot window buttons and even the proper Preview app for viewing and editing files, PDFs, images and more.
But it still has the option to forgo the desktop-like interface for the traditional iPad full-screen apps, games and media streaming experience.
Sustainability
The battery should last in excess of 1,000 full charge cycles with at least 80% of its original capacity, and can be replaced from £125. The tablet is generally repairable, with a damaged out-of-warranty repair costing from £429.
The tablet contains at least 30% recycled content, including aluminium, cobalt, copper, glass, gold, lithium, plastic, rare-earth elements, steel and tin. Apple breaks down the tablet’s environmental impact in its report and offers trade-in and free recycling schemes, including for non-Apple products.
Price
The 11in iPad Air M4 costs from £599 (€649/$599/A$999) and the 13in iPad Air M4 costs from £799 (€849/$799/A$1,349).
For comparison, the iPad A16 costs from £329, the iPad Pro M5 costs from £999 and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE costs from £399. The MacBook Neo starts at £599 and the MacBook Air M5 starts at £1,099.
Verdict
The iPad Air M4 is the best premium tablet for most Apple buyers. It offers most of the best of Apple’s tech for a more reasonable price, and trounces the competition at the same cost.
It may not have the best screen on the market and lacks the convenience of Face ID, both of which Apple keeps for the iPad Pro. But with long battery life, performance for days, a huge library of both tablet apps, such as ever media streamer under the sun, and now desktop-class apps such as Apple’s Creative Suite, Photoshop, Procreate, DaVinci Resolve and Scrivener, the iPad Air can do so much.
It won’t feel like an upgrade to anyone with an iPad Air or similar from the last few generations. But those hoping to trade in a basic iPad or 2020 iPad Air or older will absolutely see the difference, with the M4 chip ready to go the distance for another six-plus years.
Pros: laptop-level M4 and wireless performance, choice of sizes, great battery life, quality screen and speakers, USB-C (USB3), long software support life, large range of tablet apps, growing collection of good desktop-class apps, plenty of accessories for most uses, Centre Stage camera
Cons: expensive, no multiuser support, no kickstand without case, no Face ID, 60Hz screen, only 128GB starting storage, no big upgrade on M2/M3 predecessors.
