Are you shopping for an iPad , but do n’t need the basic iPad or the all - singing , all - dancing ( and very expensive ) iPad Pro ? This potential very coarse scenario leave you with the iPad Air ( 2024 ) , which come along to be the cherubic spot in the iPad range thanks to its choice of silver screen sizes , monolithic power , and across-the-board versatility , all for a price that only has three human body in it .
I ’ve been using and have it off the iPad Air ( 2024 ) , but there ’s a lot you take to get laid about it before deciding if it ’s the one for you .
Since this recapitulation , Apple update its Air tablet in March 2025 with its powerful M3 chip . you’re able to study ouriPad Air ( 2025 ) reviewnow .
iPad Air (2024): design
If you ’ve seen and view as theiPad Air ( 2022)or theiPad Air ( 2020 ) , then you ’ve also get word and held the iPad Air ( 2024 ) , asall the changesare mainly inside the lozenge rather than out . Despite the screen increase in sizing by 0.1 inch , the dimension of the tab are the same as the late good example . It ’s very thin at 6.1 mm and modestly weighted at 462 grams . The Air name is a number of a conundrum as it suggests this is Apple ’s most featherweight tablet , but it ’s not as tenuous or as light as the new M4 iPad Pro . It is somewhat light and thinner than the10th - generation iPad , though .
The tablet in our photos is the blue version , and it ’s a more elusive , lighter downcast than on the iPad Air ( 2022 ) . It ’s also available in Space Gray , Starlight , and purpleness . The refinement is soft and warm to the touch , and the matted polished alloy chassis is nicely rounded to make it comfortable to grip and book . I have had no problem using it without a grammatical case , but have found it ’s more various when it ’s come in in one . For example , it operates perfectly with the officialApple Magic Keyboard . For something lighter and less productivity - focalize , I ’ve ground theZagg Crystal Palace Foliois a good option , as it even has a space for an Apple Pencil build in .
For certificate , the iPad Air ( 2024 ) has a Touch ID fingerprint detector in the power key . It ’s faster than the iPad Air ( 2022 ) detector and far more precise than theGoogle Pixel Tablet’sfingerprint sensor . There ’s no aspect ID despite the front camera being relocated to the side of the slating , which is a piece of a pain when it ’s used with the Magic Keyboard .
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
The iPad Air is still a great - sounding , expensive - finger tablet .
Apple is convinced it has discover the right design for the iPad Air , as it has n’t depart from it for several years . There ’s only so much it can do with a pad , and while the 2024 Air is n’t breaking new ground , it ’s still a great - looking , expensive - feeling tablet that ’s ergonomically impressive , making it excellent for use at house and out and about . I ’ve slipped it into my base to use after on or else of my MacBook Air , and it ’s substantially more convenient . It ’s the idealistic in-between ground for those undertaking that sit between using my telephone or requiring my laptop . Should you deem such a twist necessary , as I often do , the iPad Air ( 2024 ) is the ideal sizing , figure , and weight .
iPad Air (2024): performance and gaming
Let ’s start off with some estimable news . The cheapest iPad Air ( 2024 ) arrive with 128 GB of intimate entrepot quad , up from thepitiful 64GBon the previous two models . This is a very good thing , and though iPadOS 17 take up about 16 GB of place , there ’s still plenty left over for apps , games , photo , and video . you may also spend more to get 256 GB , 512 GB , or even 1 TB of internal storage space should you want , making the iPad Air ( 2024 ) potentially last a bunch longer than older Airs , which only had two options — 64 GB or 256 GB .
Now , on to some unsurprising tidings . The major tech update for the iPad Air ( 2024 ) is the Apple M2 C.P.U. . Like the M1 flake in the previous mannikin , it is an 8 - core CPU with a 16 - pith Neural Engine , but with a 10 - core GPU . Most of the time , I have n’t noticed any difference in operation over the iPad Air ( 2022 ) , as it ’s liquid , libertine , and improbably satisfy to use irrespective of whether you ’re just watching picture , multitasking , or turn . set up the two recent iPad Airs side by side and performing the same labor show absolutely no difference between them to my eyes .
I do n’t run many graphically intensive games , and remark no remainder playingSkate City , Mini Motorway , orAngry Birds Reloaded . They all run perfectly and search brilliant on the big screen . But the iPad ’s gaming brilliance for me is in its simplicity , PlayingSolitaire+while the goggle box is on in the setting is relax in a agency it ’s not on an iPhone , all due to the big screen and the nonrational and responsive touchscreen . This well-to-do multitasking has been a huge welfare of an iPad since the very first framework , and it ’s wonderful to see it has not alter even after a ten .
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
I ’m certain that in sure circumstances , the M2 chip will make the iPad Air ( 2024 ) a sound performing artist than the iPad Air ( 2022 ) , but I expect most citizenry wo n’t come close to discommode the very high limits of this iPad . It may sound like the M2 ( or even the M1 ) is overkill , but I ’d much rather have too much functioning than not enough , as may be the case with the A14 Bionic ( a mobile cow dung ) in the 10th - generation iPad for avid gamers and workers .
Apple iPad Air (2024): screen
The iPad Air ( 2024 ) has an 11 - inch Liquid Retina screen with a 2360 x 1640 pixel resolution and a maximum brightness of 500 nits . It ’s 0.1 inches bigger than the iPad Air ( 2022 ) screen , but you wo n’t notice unless you put them side by side , and even then , it ’s hard to spot . The spec is the same though , and this is a disgrace as I really hopedApple would bring its 120Hz ProMotion technologyto the iPad Air this time around , but it remain a 60Hz CRT screen .
Refresh pace aside , I scramble to rule any faults with the iPad Air ’s screen .
How much this bothers you will depend on your usage and eyes . I notice the departure the most when using iOS and scroll through apps like Reddit or Chrome , where it ’s not as smooth or blur - free as on the iPad Pro . I have n’t acknowledge any extra center strain playing game or reading volume . The problem is more about making the 2024 Air a worthwhile upgrade . If Apple added a 120Hz screen , it would have made it more worthy to proprietor of older versions . But as it resist , the visuals and performance of the 2024 version are either identical , or it ’s hard to blemish the change liken to other recent Airs under normal enjoyment .
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
For the first time , you’re able to grease one’s palms the iPad Air in two different screen sizes , either the 11 - in we are testing here or a 13 - in adaptation . The latter has the same overall stipulation , and although the screen solution is higher at 2732 x 2048 , the pixel concentration is the same at 264 pel per column inch ( ppi ) , so you wo n’t see any conflict in timber . Both patronize theApple PencilandApple Pencil Pro , along with the “ hover ” modality that ’s not available on the tenth - propagation iPad .
Refresh rate by , I fight to find any faults with the iPad Air ’s cover . It ’s bright enough so I can see it perfectly in and out of the home base , it has a wide view angle , colors are vibrant , and there ’s very piffling reflexion from the laminated , specially coated crank . It plump for both Apple Pencil mannequin , and I really savour playing games and watch videos on it . If it had ProMotion engineering science , it would be just about perfect , which is perhaps why Apple has n’t stick in it , as it still wants to deal iPad Pro tablets .
iPad Air (2024): productivity and software
I find the iPad Air ( 2024 ) is great for work , but I revalue that others may not . I use Apple ’s Pages , Outlook , Teams , Asana , Chrome , and a few other apps to get thing done , and the iPad Air handles them all without a problem . Also , iPadOS 17 ’s multitasking functionality works for me as I do n’t put huge demands on the computer software , which means it never gets frustrating . But when it come to editing photo or videos , or anything that really necessitate quick multitasking or using multiple apps at once , I would change by reversal to my Mac Mini and a admonisher .
The Magic Keyboard remains one of the proficient mobile keyboard around , and I ’m still using the modeling I bought in 2020 . Aside from a broken sack paint after an unfortunate drop , it does n’t need replacing , and I like that it has been reliable and is still bear out , conceive the $ 300 Mary Leontyne Price . It ’s unfortunate Apple has removed support for the Magic Keyboard Folio on the 2024 iPad , as anyone require a cheaper keyboard supplement will have to bet at another maker .
Is the iPad Air ( 2024 ) a laptop alternative?Kind of , but it ’s more of an in - between equipment , where a smartphone is n’t enough to get things done quickly , but the employment you ’re doing does n’t demand a laptop . AN iPadOS 17 is really herculean , but you do have to take time to take its gesture and multitasking feature and take over that it will never quite match macOS or Windows for everlasting productivity king . I like that it ’s easy to link an SSD drive with USB C , though , and the Files app makes explore it loyal and uncomplicated .
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
There ’s a lot to be say about the iPad and Apple ’s ecosystem , too , as it not only exercise dead with the Magic Keyboard ( it really does feel like using a touchscreen laptop ) , but also connect seamlessly to myAirPods Pro , links to theiPhone 15 Pro Max’smobile hot spot , and makes signing up to and using Apple ’s service like Apple Arcade so very easy . Even the frame-up process was unbelievably smooth . I used myiPad Pro ( 2020)to transfer write up and app information over , and I scarce needed to even signal in to apps on the new tablet . I be intimate this simplicity , and it endears you to the iPad Air the moment you switch it on .
iPad Air (2024): cameras
You ’re not going to grease one’s palms the iPad Air for its cameras , but what you do get works well . There ’s a single 12 - megapixel camera on the back , which can shoot video up to 4 K tone at 60 frames per 2d ( Federal Protective Service ) , plus another 12 - megapixel camera with 1080p/60fps video transcription on the front . It support a 2x “ zoom out ” wide - slant mode mode and Apple ’s Center Stage feature of speech .
For video call , the iPad Air is fine , and I ’ve had no complaint about lineament from others on my calls . Center Stage is an interesting feature , as it ensures you are always in the frame during call , even when you move around . It ’s surprising how much movement it pay off for , and the on - screen angle fitting is quiet and natural .
If you want to take photograph with the iPad Air , just call back that this is n’t a smartphone designed for picture taking , so you do n’t get anything like a broad - slant mode , an optical rapid growth , or even a Portrait mode . It ’s a elementary , one - camera affair . pic are passable enough , but I ’ve used it mostly for general bureau - type task such as document scanning , which is a helpful feature article in iOS and better fits with how most people will apply the tablet .
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
iPad Air (2024): battery and charging
Apple does not officially tell the mAh capacity of the shelling inside the iPad Air , but it does say it ’s a 28.93 - watt - hour cell . It should provide around 10 hours of assorted - usance for the Wi - Fi reading or nine hr if you use the cellular model . If you get the 13 - column inch interlingual rendition of the iPad Air , the shelling also increases in capacity , but the use metre is figure to be the same .
During my time with the tablet , the bombardment life has matched the iPad Air ( 2022 ) and ( mostly0 matched my iPad Pro ( 2020 ) as well . For example , a 45 - min video call over Teams took 20 % from the battery , and a 30 - minute YouTube telecasting at 1440p take about 6 % . It used up about 7 % when I attach it to the Magic Keyboard and typecast for 30 minutes in Pages . Overall , with a cosmopolitan intermixture of work , videos , gambling , and video call , the iPad Air ( 2024 ) ’s battery has hark back an combat-ready screen door time of about six hours on a exclusive charge so far .
Apple does not admit a battery charger in the boxful , but it does admit a USB - C to USB - C cable , which can be used to level the iPad Air using your computing machine or a USB wall courser . Again , Apple does not state the maximum charging wattage for the iPad Air , but some sources state it ’s 20W. I used an Apple wall charger and cable to recharge the iPad Air from almost flat to 100 % in about two hours and 15 proceedings .
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
iPad Air (2024): price and availability
The 11 - column inch iPad Air ( 2024 ) cost $ 599 for the 128 GB version , $ 699 for the 256 GB version , $ 899 for the 512 GB model , and $ 1,099 if you want 1 TB of intimate store . The 13 - column inch iPad Air ( 2024 ) starts at $ 799 , and each storage capacity increase costs another $ 200 over its 11 - inch equivalent , leave in the top 1 TB 13 - inch iPad Air ( 2024 ) cost $ 1,299 . A cellular version is available thatstarts at $ 749 for the 11 - column inch iPad and $ 949 for the 13 - inch iPad Air .
Add a Magic Keyboard and the Apple Pencil Pro to the 1 TB 13 - column inch iPad Air ( 2024 ) with cellular connectivity , and you could spend more than $ 1,900 on it . That ’s a lot of money for a laptop , let alone an iPad Air , particularly when the iPad Pro exists . Whether you drop that much is up to you , but we think the sweet spot for the iPad Air is when it cost a little more than the 10th - coevals iPad — otherwise , the iPad Pro ( 2024 ) becomes the better purchase .
What about alternatives ? The iPad , in general , is the best tab you could buy . Although theSamsung Galaxy Tab S9 seriesperforms well and looks heavy , Android for pad of paper just ca n’t keep up with iPadOS , and the range of available ( and aright formatted ) apps is smaller . TheAmazon Fire Max 11 , with its keyboard instance and stylus , is a much chintzy alternative and is astonishingly open — provided your expectations about the software system are kept in check . But the most likely alternative is the Modern M4 iPad Pro , which costs more , but is really thebiggest rise you’re able to makefrom an older iPad , and the modelling that will last the longest if you ’re an iPad newcomer . Just be organise for a gamy toll .
iPad Air (2024): is it the iPad for you?
I open this reassessment by say I make love the iPad Air ( 2024 ) , and I really do . It ’s a vivid tablet that does absolutely everything I want , including supercede my laptop computer , provide I ’m not doing anything too intensive . turn over the big saltation in terms to get the M4 iPad Pro and that the 10th - generation iPad is now more than two years former , the iPad Air ( 2024 ) seems to be the iPad for everyone this yr .
The iPad Air ( 2024 ) seems to be the iPad for everyone this class .
This is the trouble . I ’ve gone from using the iPad Air ( 2022 ) and iPad Air ( 2020 ) to entirely using the iPad Air ( 2024 ) , and I have n’t really notice the shift at all . It show how fantastic late iPad pad of paper have been , rather than any substantial parachuting from the new iPad Air . If you ’re looking for your first iPad or an rise to one that’smany yearsold , the iPad Air ( 2024 ) is brilliant and by all odds my pick for 2024 iPad theoretical account . Except for a 120Hz ProMotion CRT screen , I really could n’t ask for anything more .
