I swear by the iPad Mini and find it theperfect size for a pad of paper . That ’s why I was skeptical and not bully on shifting to another iPad . But the 13 - inch iPad Air ( 2025 ) alter my judgement . After using it for more than a week , I see its appeal now and am glad Apple expanded the Air ’s screen size of it to 13 in last year .
Despite the diminishing furrow between unlike iPads — given the multiple entrepot and size configurations throughout the batting order — the 13 - inch iPad Air stands its ground . It is less of an Air ( not the thin anymore ) and more of an low-cost Pro Apple tablet , at least in terms of performance . sure as shooting , there ’s no OLED display or M4 chip … or Face ID , but it ’s plenty powerful , supports theApple Pencil Pro , and costs $ 400 less .
Compared to last year ’s model , the iPad Air ( 2025 ) is n’t a whole lot unlike . It is not trying to reinvent the wheel . You get the same design , same screen , and the same readiness of speakers , but with an upgradedApple M3chipset — at the same price . It ’s not an exciting year - on - twelvemonth upgrade , but there ’s plenty to cover .
Apple iPad Air (2025) design
Apple is continuing with its tried - and - tested figure for the 13 - in iPad Air ( 2025 ) . The only difference is its want of “ iPad Air ” branding on the back . I like the cleaner aesthetic . Apple ’s logo is all the stigmatisation it want .
Unlike former years , Apple did n’t take away any color options , but it did n’t add any either . The new iPad Air is useable in Blue , Purple , Starlight , and Space Grey .
At 618 grams ( Wi - Fi + Cellular ) , the 13 - inch iPad Air ( 2025 ) is n’t the lightest tablet from Apple . It ’s almost a millimeter thicker and 34 grams heavier than theiPad Pro ( 2024 ) . It ’s not hefty , and being a braggy slate , I almost always detect myself using it dock on the Magic Keyboard — so the weight does n’t bother me .
On the front , you get a 13 - column inch silver screen . By compare , bezels on the 11 - column inch variant facial expression go steady and are due for a refresh . You ’ll find the ever - authentic 12MP front camera on the top in landscape orientation . It affirm Center Stage to keep you in the underframe despite minor movement on picture calls . The stereo verbalizer are tacky and clear enough to not ask an audio accouterment .
There ’s still no outer space for Face ID . The new iPad Air relies on Touch ID for authentication , which was lately phase out from iPhones with the launching of theiPhone 16E. It works 10 out of 10 times and is easy to reach when docked into the keyboard ( because it lies within my compass on the left side ) .
However , it ’s not as convenient to reach when you hold the iPad in your paw , especially for the 13 - inch model . A lighter form factor and confront ID could make it well-fixed to habituate for artists who primarily need a slate to expend with the Apple Pencil Pro .
Apple also refreshed its Magic Keyboard alongside the iPad Air ( 2025 ) . It ’s more affordable ( $ 269 for the 11 - inch and $ 319 for the 13 - inch fashion model ) and features a 14 - keystone function words to let you correct nimble options like screen brightness , volume , Do Not agitate , and more .
I ’m typewrite this revue on the last - gen Magic Keyboard , and I drop not hold a mathematical function samara . When typecast , I ’d rather reach for the keyboard to adjust brightness than swipe on the touch screen . I ’m please that the new translation allow me do that . It also has a larger trackpad than before , but is more or less heavier . You still get the same satisfying typing experience .
When compared , the 11 - inch iPad Air with the Magic Keyboard feels denser than the 13 - inch iPad Air . It ’ll be loose in your backpack , but the overall weighting statistical distribution feels better on the 13 - inch modelling .
iPad Air (2025) display
The iPad Air ( 2025 ) come in two display sizes : 11 - inch and 13 - in . Both feature an LCD with 264 ppi and a 60Hz refresh charge per unit . It ’s a sharp-worded covert for most scenario . It look vibrant and offers a good content consumption experience . That is , unless you compare it to an OLED screen . I was hoping for a mini LED ascent ( at least on the bigger model ) , since the Pro simulation have moved to more expensive Tandem organic light-emitting diode exhibit . A higher refresh pace and better sonorousness of mini LED would invoke to a wide hearing .
The 13 - inch theoretical account offers a bright 600 - nit screen compared to the 500 nits luminance found on the 11 - inch model . I had no issuing with the covert when using it indoors . However , it attracts smudges , and I had to clean it every metre I wanted to habituate it under bright conditions ( like in a taxicab when transpose in daylight ) . Apple ’s oleophobic coating does n’t help oneself much in this regard .
The 13 - inch iPad Air ( 2025 ) has a 4:3 aspect ratio display , and I ’ve loved put to work on it . Typing on docs while researching , taking notes , sketching with the Apple Pencil Pro , or using it as a secondary display with a Mac — it ’s perfect for creative and productive chore . However , the 13 - inch framework adds significant letterboxing to videos .
If you want an iPad Air for consuming content , I strongly recommend prefer for the 11 - inch model . It offer a slimly wide 16:11 screen door , so you get less letterboxing and more video on the blind .
iPad Air (2025) performance and battery
Apple ’s Modern iPad Air is power by the in - house M3 chipset . It has the same 8 - core CPU and 9 - nub GPU computer architecture as before but is now built on a 3 nm summons instead of a 5 Land of Enchantment process . In hypothesis , this makes it quicker , more effective , and more capable . Apple lay claim it is twice as fast as the M1 iPad Air ( 2022 ) .
A few standout feature film include irradiation tracing , mesh blending , and dynamic caching . Game developers can leverage beam tracing and meshing blending to create a more immersive gameplay experience . The former enhances shadows and reflections with enceinte detail , while the latter helps make gameplay suave .
Dynamic caching , on the other hand , is responsible for efficiency . It allows the GPU to apportion a specific amount of computer memory to complex tasks , foreclose them from consuming more resources than necessary . Since it is dynamic , it adjusts the memory allocation depending on how you ’re using the tablet .
Does all of this sound telling ? Yes . Will you detect it in your solar day - to - day tasks ? Probably not . You ’re unlikely to see a difference of opinion between the M2 and M3 — or even the M1 and M3 — when using the iPad Air for canonic task like writing or television consumption . The genuine jump in functioning will be obtrusive to creatives influence on graphical - intensive tasks like video editing or design . It will be quicker at exporting clips and processing aim change .
During my work day , the iPad Air felt snappy , with only iPadOS oddity give it back ( more on this in the software section ) . For context , I had at least 12 Chrome tab receptive simultaneously , with Google Docs in split - blind and apps like Teams , Asana , Slack , Gmail , and Lightroom run in the setting .
It comes with 8 GB of RAM and take up at 128 GB of computer memory , with 256 GB , 512 GB , and 1 TB options available for both size . Apple does n’t disclose the shelling capacity of its product but take the Modern iPad Air can render up to 10 hours of web browse on Wi - Fi . In my employment , I could get through a full twenty-four hour period without any issues , often end with over 30 % battery left for the next daytime . I ’ve used it on long - catch escape for telecasting consumption , and battery anxiousness was never a business .
You get a USB - C to USB - 100 cable and an adapter ( bet on your localization ) in the box . However , it does n’t fend for riotous charging like some other eminent - end tablets , taking closely two hour to shoot down from 10 % to 100 % .
iPad Air (2025) software
Apple’siPadOS 18is feature - racy and better than ever but still rigid and buggy . You get customization options — from personalizing your Home Screen to the Control Center , you’re able to make it your own .
However , customise it is n’t the right experience . On iPadOS 18.3.2 , stage icons and widgets is a chore . Move one icon , and everything else displacement to a random localisation on your Home Screen . I have folders and icons put in two row at the bottom , but if I seek to replace an app , I have to rearrange everything manually . I experienced a bug that rearrange my icons after restarting my iPad Air ( 2025 ) . I was greeted by a completely rearranged layout , with icons moved to the top two rows instead of the designated layout .
For multitasking , you get lineament like Split Screen andStage Manager . I ’ve resort to using the former because Stage Manager does n’t to the full utilize the screen infinite . It ’s useful for faster app - switching — say , when you ’re on a Zoom call but involve to take banker’s bill , or when you ’re working on something while keep on runway of Slack and Teams content . It excels at single - app - focused project while keeping other apps accessible , but it ’s not ideal for true multitasking . OnePlus ’ Open Canvas and Samsung ’s DeX mode handle that well .
That say , iPadOS remains the better tab operating organization liken to Android , thanks to its app stability , right scalability , and superior support for powerful creative apps . Pair it with the Apple Pencil Pro , and you have the go - to ticket for creative thinking .
Apple Intelligenceis still a body of work in progress . It does n’t transform the user experience , but some AI features are prissy to have . For illustration , I employ Clean Up in Photos to remove distractions in the background , and I ’m always look ahead to the goofiness of Message Summaries in iMessage and Gmail . Like other AI tools , it is n’t always factually exact , so you have to forked - tick the full substance or e-mail .
You also get write Tools to adjust the quality of your sentence and proofread your emails , along with Image Playground to generate image — though I have n’t discover a real use of goods and services for it . A smarter Siri is still in the pipeline , but for now , it can leverage ChatGPT to reply interrogation . Again , if you ’re reckon for precise info , it ’s always best to swear it .
iPad Air (2025) price
Apple generate the iPad Air ( 2025 ) a carrying into action boost without increase its asking price . The 11 - in model still start at $ 599 for 128 G . However , memory upgrades are expensive — the 256 GB variant monetary value $ 699 , the 512 GB example jump to $ 899 , and if you want 1 TB of storage , prepare to pay above $ 1,000 .
Meanwhile , the 13 - inch iPad Air ( 2025 ) get down at $ 799 for the 128 GB Wi - Fi - only model . Each storage climb adds another $ 200 over its 11 - in similitude , while the Cellular variant adds an supererogatory $ 150 . bewilder in the Magic Keyboard ( $ 319 ) and Apple Pencil Pro ( $ 129 ) , and you ’re looking at a gimmick that costs more than a MacBook Air .
Can I use the 13-inch iPad Air (M3, 2025) as a laptop replacement?
The age - older interrogative : Is an iPad a laptop computer transposition ? No , it ’s not . And it ’s not trying to be . If you take macOS or Windows - level productiveness , you ’re better off with a laptop — it ’s built for productivity and offer up better funding for WWW apps .
By direct contrast , the iPad Air ( 2025 ) is a creative - first twist . you could still get work done on it , but there ’s a learning curve — just as there would be if you tried to draw on a laptop . It ’s for those who want a big screen for photograph and video editing that fits seamlessly into their Mac and iPhone workflow , without compromising on performance .
iPad Air (2025) review: verdict
The 13 - inch iPad Air ( 2025 ) is for those who want a big - sieve iPad for creative workflows and productivity without spending over $ 1,000 . The $ 799 role model with 128 GB storage should be enough for most , but if you ’re sure about your entrepot needs , the $ 899 model with 256 GB is a safe bet . I do n’t recommend the top - final stage 1 TB discrepancy ( $ 1,299)—at that price , you ’re better off aim aniPad Profor creativity or aMacBook Airfor productiveness .
It ’s a reliable , portable machine for creatives — expensive , yes , but still $ 400 cheaper than the equivalent - sized Pro model . It delivers a cheeseparing - Pro execution without the Pro price . Starting at $ 599 for the 11 - in modeling and $ 799 for the 13 - column inch variant , the iPad Air offers a sharp screen , in force performance in the section , reliable battery life , tailor - made apps for the operating system , and substantial optional appurtenance . If you want exponent and portability for originative workflow without breaking the $ 1,000 mark , this is the best iPad for you .
