Apple M4 iPad Air review: Pricey, but good

According to our tests, the new iPad Air is indeed measurably faster than its predecessor. Both CPU and GPU performance were around 20% better than last year’s M3 iPad Air. But as you can see from the results, an M4 iPad Pro is still slightly faster, just because it has a better variant of the M4 chip with more CPU and GPU cores. Even so, this is still an exceptionally powerful tablet and will easily run anything you throw at it.

Wireless connectivity is good. Connecting the iPad Air to the Wi-Fi 7-enabled ASUS ROG Rapture GT-BE98, I managed to achieve download and upload speeds of around 1,800Mbps – well beyond the limits of standard Gigabit Ethernet. I have no complaints with cellular connectivity, either. I managed to get speeds of around 70Mbps on my supplementary Gigabuddy plan, which is limited to 4G.

This iPad Air continues to work with the Magic Keyboard for iPad Air and Apple Pencil Pro. Both are excellent accessories to have, but are pricey – a word I’ll use frequently in this review. The Magic Keyboard for iPad Air starts at S$399, while the Apple Pencil Pro is S$199. Of course, you can save some money by using a cheaper Bluetooth keyboard and the Apple Pencil USB-C (S$119).

What’s bad about it?

There’s nothing outwardly bad about the iPad Air. It does have its niggles, but fortunately, none of them are outright dealbreakers. The display is capped at 60Hz. And with the brightness set to around 75%, it would only last around 6 hours, which is alright, but not fantastic. What bothered me the most was the lack of Face ID. I lost count of the number of times I swiped up on the screen and waited to be authenticated, only to realise that I needed to use Touch ID.

But I think the iPad Air’s biggest problem is its price. Even though it isn’t Apple’s flagship tablet, it’s still pretty pricey. Prices start at S$899 for the 11-inch version, and S$1,199 for the larger 13-inch version. And if you want cellular connectivity and accessories, be prepared to fork out a few hundred more. At that point, you’ll start to wonder if you won’t be better served by a MacBook Air.

Here are the prices of the iPad Air:

Final thoughts & buying advice

In the past, I’ve been pretty harsh about the iPad Air, saying that it’s priced too high, and that users would be better off with a basic iPad or the pricier, but considerably nicer, iPad Pro. But in the past year, and given the circumstances around the world, I’ve softened my stance.

The basic iPad remains the choice for those on a budget, but it has its limitations and quirks. And while there’s no doubt the iPad Pro is the pinnacle of iPads, it is an extremely pricey proposition. The iPad Air is a happier middle ground.

Yes, I’d admit that it is by all accounts a costly tablet, but it’s also an exceedingly competent one. With the M4 chip, it’s likely overkill for most people and should therefore last a long time. And I suppose that’s one of the main upsides of splashing the cash for an iPad Air. It’ll last you years.

Perhaps the question you should be asking is if you really need an iPad. While it’s certainly a very versatile device (thanks in large parts to its form factor and the improvements brought about in iPadOS 26), I’d argue that you could probably get by without one if you already have a Mac and an iPhone. But if your answer is still yes, then in light of all that it offers, the iPad Air is the model you should aspire to get.

Note: You can find the M4 iPad Air on the Apple Online Store, Lazada, and Shopee.