Apple’s new M4 iPad Air arrived in users’ hands this Wednesday, and today our first reviews of the upgraded iPad arrive. A summary of the reviewers’ opinions follows:
Comparison of M4 iPad Air performance and M5 iPad Pro
Many reviews compare the performance of the M4 iPad Air not only to the M3 model (which is slightly better than the M3 model), but also to the much more expensive M5 iPad Pro.
Kyle Barr writes: gizmodo:
There’s still a gap between the performance of iPad Air and iPad Pro, but this latest version narrows that gap significantly. The M4 iPad Air runs just a few hundred points shy of the M5 iPad Pro in the CPU benchmark. In graphics tests, the M5 iPad Pro with a full 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU still holds the edge with a score of 3,984 on the Steel Nomad Light benchmark compared to the M4 iPad Air’s score of 3,166. Performance is still the main reason to buy the M5 iPad Pro, but if you’re looking to save a lot of money, the M4 iPad Air is the best choice for most creators.
Maria Diaz writes: ZDNET:
As a writer who also does photography, video, and graphic design on the side, I’ve found the iPad Air to be the most affordable tablet that handles my workload comfortably without a single hitch. Starting at $599, it’s $400 cheaper than the iPad Pro, but the M4 processor, faster connectivity, and 12GB of unified memory make it worth the price.
Apple’s C1X chip for cellular
Switching to the C1X modem on the M4 iPad Air could be a worthwhile upgrade for heavy cellular users.
David Pearce writes: The Verge:
Apple’s C1X in particular seems to be something of a revelation. I’ve long been a big believer in the mobile-enabled iPad. There’s something about that always-on connection that instantly makes the iPad useful for doing the things it’s designed for: email, reading, Web browsing, and more on the go. It also makes a great hotspot thanks to its huge battery. In previous tests, the M4 Air has consistently been the fastest cell-enabled device I’ve owned, sometimes achieving speeds several times faster than recent iPhones, Pixels, and even other iPads in areas with poor coverage.
A compelling alternative to MacBook Neo
Unsurprisingly, some reviews compared the new iPad Air to Apple’s other notable $599 product, the MacBook Neo.
Mike Prospero writes: tom’s guide:
The question many people probably have is: should I buy the iPad Air, or should I buy the spring for the Macbook Neo, which is $250 cheaper considering the cost of the Air’s keyboard? The Air has a touchscreen and is highly portable, but if you’re looking for an inexpensive productivity device, its value proposition becomes much more questionable when compared to Apple’s laptops.
Yes, the iPad Air is the best Apple tablet for the masses, but it may just have been replaced by the Neo as the best cheap Apple product to get the job done.
M4 iPad Air: Video review and summary
tech radar As for the new iPad, it sums it up nicely: “iPad Air has long been the ‘pro model for most people,’ and the 2026 refresh keeps that reputation intact.”
It’s not a revolutionary update, but it helps keep the iPad Air a good intermediate option between the base iPad and iPad Pro.
Here’s another video review worth checking out.
best ipad accessories
