The iPad Air (M4) comes extremely near being the proper pill

I fondly bear in mind utilizing my first iPad ever again in 2011, which was the iPad 2. It had a 9.7-inch show, an A5 processor, 16GB of storage, and launched with iOS 4.3. On the time, it was considered one of my favourite gadgets I’ve ever used, and fast-forward all these years, the iPad nonetheless stays considered one of my favourite items of tech ever. And with the new iPad Air (M4), Apple has continued to refine what’s, in my eyes, almost the proper pill.

The M4 iPad Air is simply an iterative replace, and in comparison with final 12 months’s M3 iPad Air, you will not discover any variations on the skin. It nonetheless has the identical slim design, Liquid Retina show, single rear digital camera, and even the identical colours.

For the previous few years, the primary factor Apple has refined with every iPad Air launch has been its energy, not its design. This 12 months, as its identify suggests, Apple has outfitted the iPad Air with its M4 processor, which is marginally quicker than its M3 predecessor. Additionally, extra surprisingly, Apple has determined to extend the iPad Air’s RAM to 12GB, and given the continued reminiscence scarcity the world is dealing with, I used to be impressed that Apple selected to take action whereas protecting the iPad Air at its beginning worth of $600.

I do not assume it is a secret that when you’ve got an M3 iPad Air, then the M4 iPad Air is not for you. Nonetheless, in case you personal a a lot older iPad that is beginning to present its age, the M4 iPad Air has lots to supply. After spending the final couple of weeks with it, I’ve as soon as once more been reminded of my love for the iPad and its versatility.

4/5

Model

Apple

Storage

128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

CPU

M4

Working System

iPadOS 26

Execs & Cons

• Highly effective M4 chipset
• 12GB of RAM
• Nice construct high quality
• iPadOS 26 may be very intuitive

Value, specs, and availability

Apple revealed the M4 iPad Air in February, and it launched in March 2026. As with earlier iterations, the M4 iPad Air is out there in two display sizes: 11-inch and 13-inch, and 4 colours: blue, starlight, area grey, and purple.

The 11-inch M4 iPad Air begins at $600, whereas the 13-inch mannequin begins at $800. No matter display measurement, the bottom mannequin begins with 128GB of storage, with increased storage choices (256GB, 512GB,1TB) and Wi-Fi + Mobile costing extra.

Underneath the hood, the iPad Air is supplied with Apple’s M4 processor, that includes an 8-core CPU with 3 efficiency cores and 5 effectivity cores. It additionally has a 9-core GPU and 12GB of RAM.

Digicam-wise, the iPad Air is supplied with a rear f/1.8 12-megapixel huge digital camera, and a entrance f/2.0 panorama 12-megapixel Heart Stage digital camera.

The 11-inch M4 iPad measures 247.6 x 178.5 x 6.1 mm and weighs 1.02 kilos. The 13-inch mannequin measures 280.6 x 214.9 x 6.1 mm and weighs 1.36 kilos.

The M4 iPad Air I examined for this overview is the 11-inch 1TB mannequin in blue.

What I favored in regards to the iPad Air (M4)

Gorgeous efficiency and stylish design

The very first thing that stood out to me in regards to the M4 iPad Air is its energy. The M4 chip dealt with every little thing I threw at it effortlessly: Photoshop, video enhancing, gaming, e-mail, internet looking, streaming — you identify it. Apple claims it is 30 p.c quicker than the M3 iPad Air and as much as 2.3 occasions quicker than the M1 mannequin, and people enhancements are clear. For many customers, this efficiency will in all probability be greater than they want, however that is not essentially a nasty factor.

It is also nonetheless wild to me that the iPad Air can play AAA video games. Certain, that is been attainable for a few years now, however I attempted out Resident Evil 4, and because of M4, it ran easily and appeared surprisingly good. When you advised me again once I was utilizing an iPad 2 in 2011 that I might at some point be enjoying console video games on an iPad, I would not have believed you, so it is a cool factor to expertise.

Apple additionally deserves some credit score for bumping up the RAM within the iPad Air this 12 months. The M4 iPad Air comes with 12GB of unified reminiscence, up from 8GB within the M3 mannequin, a 50 p.c improve. As somebody who tends to juggle manner too many apps directly, I positively admire the additional headroom. It must also assist future-proof the machine, particularly with extra Apple Intelligence options on the best way, together with the revamped Siri anticipated later this 12 months.

As for the show, nothing has modified in comparison with final 12 months. You are still getting a Liquid Retina show with a 2360 x 1640 pixel decision on the 11-inch mannequin, and 2732 x 2048 on the 13-inch mannequin, together with a 264 pixel density on each, Extensive Colour (P3), True Tone, and 600 nits of brightness. It seems to be nice, and the colours actually pop in comparison with the bottom iPad, and I loved watching movies and enhancing images on it. Nonetheless, it would not match the OLED panel you may discover on the iPad Professional.

Software program-wise, Apple has made a number of enhancements to iPadOS through the years, and with iPadOS 26, it added a brand new windowing system that allows you to freely transfer and resize app home windows utilizing your finger by dragging an app’s nook, or with mouse controls. I’ve loved utilizing this lots on the iPad Air, and it makes it lots simpler to interchange my MacBook Professional with my iPad once I can.

A number of different issues I favored have been the battery life, which remains to be extremely strong, and on common, I received about 9 to 10 hours of use earlier than I needed to recharge, once I was simply doing basic items like writing or watching movies. By way of construct high quality, just like the earlier iPad Airs, it is well-constructed, skinny, and light-weight, so no complaints there. The equipment for the iPad Professional are nice as nicely. When you’re a note-taker or artist, the Apple Pencil Professional is without doubt one of the greatest styluses I’ve ever used, and its squeeze perform is tremendous helpful for switching instruments and colours whereas writing or sketching. The Magic Keyboard can also be superb, and I like how simply it turns the iPad Air right into a laptop computer, however the $400 worth is de facto steep.

What I did not like in regards to the iPad Air (M4)

Not having Face ID is irritating

Early on, I mentioned the iPad Air is sort of an ideal pill, and whereas there’s lots to love about it, it does have a few flaws that maintain it again from being the very best it may be.

The very first thing that basically bothered me was its lack of Face ID. To be honest, this is not new. For years now, Apple has caught with Contact ID on the iPad Air, whereas protecting Face ID unique to the iPad Professional. I do not thoughts Contact ID, but it surely feels a bit foolish that the iPad Air would not have Face ID at this level. I exploit Face ID on my iPhone all day lengthy, so switching to the iPad Air and never having it feels jarring. Apple even consists of Face ID on the iPhone 17e, its $600 entry-level iPhone, so it is arduous to argue it is nonetheless a “premium” function. At this level, the iPad Air ought to have it too.

Subsequent up, whereas I actually just like the iPad Air’s vivid Liquid Retina show, I am much less impressed by the dearth of ProMotion, which allows a 120Hz adaptive refresh fee. Meaning the iPad Air remains to be caught at 60Hz. After Apple introduced ProMotion to the bottom iPhone 17 final 12 months, I used to be optimistic we might see the identical improve right here, however that did not occur.

I perceive why Apple is holding it again — it is one other option to differentiate the iPad Professional from the Air. However for my part, the one issues that ought to nonetheless be unique to the Professional are its OLED show and quicker M5 chipset. Like with the iPhone 17, including ProMotion to the iPad Air would’ve made a number of sense, and I can not assist however really feel its absence here’s a missed alternative by Apple.

Must you purchase the iPad Air (M4)?

If you have not upgraded not too long ago, it is likely to be value doing

Regardless of a few flaws, there’s nonetheless lots to like in regards to the M4 iPad Air. It is received an upgraded M4 chip and a bump to 12GB of RAM, leading to an extremely quick pill. When you’re on the lookout for one thing that may simply double as a laptop computer or substitute your laptop computer altogether for on a regular basis duties, it is greater than able to that.

That mentioned, if you have already got an M3 iPad Air, this improve is not for you. However in case you’re coming from one thing older — just like the M1 iPad Air, an older iPad mini, or a base iPad — there’s lots right here to love. It is superfast, the show is beautiful, and it retains that skinny, light-weight design that makes it really easy to hold round and slide into your backpack.

With Apple upgrading the internals whereas protecting the worth the identical throughout an ongoing reminiscence scarcity, the M4 iPad is undoubtedly a strong deal, beginning at $600, and is straightforward to advocate if you’d like a strong, dependable on a regular basis pill.

This machine was supplied to Pocket-lint by Apple.