Apple iPad Air 13-inch (M4) review

The 13-inch iPad Air has always occupied a particularly appealing position in Apple’s line-up for AV addicts like us. It is, after all, the most affordable way to get your hands on a 13-inch Apple tablet, with the 13-inch iPad Pro being vastly more expensive.

Of course, the iPad Pro boasts an OLED screen these days, whereas the Air has an LCD panel, but thanks to Apple’s still-under-appreciated attention to cinematic tuning, the two previous generations of the Air have proven to be something of a sweet spot in the iPad range.

This new model should prove to be more of the same, because it is, well, more of the same, with identical screen and speaker specs as its predecessors.

The changes are, as the name suggests, to the hardware powering the device, with Apple's M4 chip and 12GB of RAM giving the new iPad plenty of power for demanding productivity and AI tasks, including Apple's new Siri AI.

Those things have very little bearing on movie and music performance, of course, but that’s okay, because this remains an excellent tablet in both regards.

Price

There’s some bad news to get out of the way first. While the 13-inch iPad Air (M4) launched for £799 / $799 / AU$1349, the price has since been raised to £949 / $949 / AU$1599. Predictably, the global RAM shortage is apparently to blame.

That price gets you the entry-level wi-fi version with 128GB of storage. There are also 256GB, 512GB and 1TB versions available, should you need more storage and be willing to pay for it, and adding cellular support will incur a premium of £150 / $150 / AU$250 on whichever capacity model you choose.

If that sounds like a lot of money for a tablet, that’s because it is, but bear in mind that the 13-inch iPad Pro currently starts at £1499 / $1499 / AU$2599, and the 13-inch Air starts to look almost like good value.

Regardless, unless you’re happy to go second-hand (which is a very viable option), this is, as we said, the cheapest way to get your hands on a 13-inch Apple tablet.

Design

While design stagnation is never really something to celebrate, particularly over three product generations (could we not even have new colours, Apple?), there’s no denying that the 13-inch iPad Air remains a gorgeous bit of kit.

At 6.1mm thick and weighing 616g for the wi-fi model, it’s impressively slim and light for a tablet with such a generous screen. The aluminium chassis feels reassuringly solid, while the flat edges, rounded corners and slim bezels give it a clean, understated look. It’s a design that feels premium without being flashy, and the large display makes it a particularly appealing device for watching films and TV on the move.

The familiar Touch ID button sits on the top edge, while the USB-C port handles charging and data transfer. There’s also support for the Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard, should you want to turn the Air into something more laptop-like. As before, though, those accessories come at an additional cost.

Of course, one benefit of the repeated design is that anyone upgrading from either of the last two generations will find that their existing Magic Keyboard remains compatible, so there’s no need to splash out on a new one.

Interestingly, the "Air" monniker that was once reserved for Apple's thinnest and lightest devices is here attached to an iPad that is thicker and heavier than the iPad Pro. That razor-thin OLED-equipped Pro weighs in at just 579g; is it time for Apple to rename the Air?

Nevertheless, there’s little to criticise about the Air’s design, but equally little here that’s new. If you liked the previous model, you’ll like this one just as much; if you were hoping for a fresh look to accompany the M4 chip, you’ll have to wait a little longer.

Features

The big change this time – and the very reason for this new iPad’s existence – is the M4 chip, which is backed by 12GB of memory rather than the 8GB found in the M3 model. It's a substantial amount of power for a tablet, and it’s primarily aimed at people who use their iPad for demanding creative tasks, graphically intensive games and Apple's expanding suite of AI features.

For those with more of a content-consumption persuasion, though, the biggest benefit is likely to be longevity. The M4 gives the Air plenty of performance in reserve, which should help it remain snappy and responsive for years to come, even as Apple adds more demanding features with future versions of iPadOS. It's not a particularly compelling reason for existing 13-inch iPad Air owners to upgrade, but it does make the M4 a reassuring purchase for anyone buying a new tablet now.

Our delay in getting to the M4 iPad Air means our sample is running iPadOS 27, rather than the iPadOS 26 that was pre-installed at launch.

The big news with this is the introduction of Siri AI, Apple's more conversational assistant with personal-context understanding and awareness of what's on screen. It can help find information across your apps, answer questions and assist with writing, and it is genuinely useful, even though it’s currently officially in beta form.

Of course, you don’t need to buy the new version of the iPad Air to get access to Siri AI – it’s compatible with models as far back as 2022’s iPad Air (5th generation).

For watching films, though, nothing has changed on paper. The 13-inch Air uses Apple's Liquid Retina LCD panel, with a 2732 x 2048 resolution, 264ppi pixel density, and a quoted peak brightness of 600 nits. It also has a fully laminated screen and an anti-reflective coating.

What it doesn't have is the OLED technology, higher peak brightness or 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate found on the more expensive iPad Pro. The Air's screen remains a strong proposition for watching video, but those looking for the very best picture quality Apple offers will need to stump up the considerable extra money for a Pro model.

Battery life of the 13-inch iPad Air is unchanged, with Apple quoting up to 10 hours of video playback on a single charge – a number that holds up during testing. That's enough for most flights and train journeys, and means you can comfortably get through a good chunk of a long trip without hunting for a power socket.

Audio is similarly straightforward. The tablet has the same landscape stereo speakers arrangement as the two previous generations. As we'll discuss in the Sound section, that doesn't prevent the Air from being an enjoyable device for watching films and TV, even if headphones remain the better choice for serious listening.

In short, the M4 brings welcome performance and longevity, while iPadOS 27 adds new software capabilities. But for AV enthusiasts, the core proposition remains much the same: a large, capable tablet with a beautiful, big LCD screen and capable built-in speakers, rather than a radical change in how the Air looks or sounds

Picture quality

There’s something incredibly enjoyable about having a 13-inch Apple screen that you can take almost anywhere. Whether you’re watching a film on a flight, catching up with a series on a train or settling down to watch something in bed, the big iPad Air gives you a properly generous canvas without requiring you to pay iPad Pro money.

The picture quality remains a real strength. Firing up F1: The Movie, the Air delivers the kind of sharp, natural and balanced image that captures all of the intended crispness of the super-high-budget production. Colours are rich and engaging without becoming overblown, while the presentation has the subtlety to keep skin tones and more restrained shades looking convincing.

The 13-inch display also makes a real difference to the viewing experience. Watching Detective Hole on Netflix, the extra screen real estate makes it easy to settle into the action, while the Air's refined presentation ensures that all of the gritty details remain clear. It’s an easy screen to watch for extended periods, too, with a natural-looking picture that doesn't feel as though it's trying too hard to impress.

That measured approach is also evident with high-definition material. Contact, purchased through the Apple TV app, is a useful reminder that there's plenty of life left in older films. The Air upscales the HD picture cleanly, keeping the image looking sharp and clean without making it appear artificially enhanced. The tablet’s handling of SDR also ensures that the presentation remains balanced rather than inauthentically punchy.

Back to 4K Dolby Vision, there's enough detail and colour depth to make The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey an engaging watch, too. The Air's picture is punchy but composed, with a blend of vibrancy and naturalness that suits the film's mix of landscapes, character close-ups and darker scenes.

Of course, this isn't the best screen Apple makes. The OLED-equipped iPad Pro delivers superior contrast, with deeper blacks and greater impact, making it the better choice if picture quality is your overriding priority. An OLED iPhone 17 or iPhone 18 Pro can also produce a more impressive image in certain respects, too, but the much smaller screen makes for a very different viewing experience.

And therein lies the trade-off: the Air's LCD can't deliver the same contrast or HDR punch as the Pro, but the Pro costs vastly more, while an iPhone simply can't offer the same cinematic scale.

For watching films, the 13-inch iPad Air remains an extremely appealing compromise: a large, sharp and natural-looking picture in a device that will still fit in a modestly proportioned backpack.

Sound quality

As with the picture, the iPad Air's sound performance remains a strong part of its appeal. The stereo speakers and Spatial Audio processing are capable of making watching films and TV shows enjoyable without headphones, while connecting a decent pair of cans opens up a much more involving listening experience.

For music, we use Spotify Lossless with a pair of AirPods Max 2 connected to the iPad via USB-C for the best quality. Rosalía's Divinize is a good test of the Air's ability to deliver a full-bodied, rhythmically assured sound, while Dark Heaven by President demonstrates weight and impact without losing the definition of its more intricate elements.

The Air gives Feel Around You by Le Youth room to breathe, with its layered electronic production benefiting from the clear, well-organised delivery. A Perfect Circle's To Whom It May Concern, meanwhile, demonstrates impressive separation of instruments and the ability to maintain control when the arrangement becomes more dense.

For movies, we unplug the headphones. F1: The Movie is an excellent test of the iPad's Spatial Audio capabilities. The opening race sequence demands a convincing sense of space, with engines, trackside noise and the wider atmosphere of the event combining to create a surprisingly expansive soundstage.

Dialogue clarity is strong, too, and The Traitors on BBC iPlayer provides a useful test. Hushed conversations remain intelligible amid the programme's music and dramatic sound effects, and the Air's built-in speakers make it perfectly viable to watch an episode without reaching for headphones.

Ultimately, the Air remains a versatile audio companion. Its speakers are good enough for casual viewing, while a quality pair of headphones makes it a much more serious proposition for music and movies.

There are limits to what you can expect from such a slim device, of course, but the overall sound performance remains entirely in keeping with the Air's strengths as a portable entertainment machine.

Verdict

This iPad Air upgrade isn’t really aimed at us. The new chip brings welcome power, but has no real bearing on AV performance.

That’s no great disappointment, though, because the Air remains an excellent portable entertainment device, with a sharp, natural-looking picture, surprisingly expansive sound and battery life that’s ideal for travel.

The OLED iPad Pro offers even better picture quality, but it costs vastly more, while an iPhone can’t match the Air’s cinematic screen size.

If you want a big-screen iPad for films and TV, this remains a highly appealing option. The M4 doesn’t transform it, but there was little that needed fixing.

SCORES

• Picture 5
• Sound 5
• Features 5

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