Apple iPad Air M4 review: a solid slate that showcases the true power of the ecosystem
A few weeks ago, Apple went on a launch spree and unveiled one device after another, all within days of each other. The MacBook Neo (review) sent waves across the laptop segment with the crazy value for money it offers, while the iPhone 17e (review) came as a relatively affordable option for those looking for a no-frills, compact daily driver carrying the Apple logo. Another noteworthy unveil came in the form of the new iPad Air, powered by M4. Interestingly, all these launches seem to be value-focused, serving as compelling options for those buying their first Apple device. However, it’s the iPad that stands out as a true showcase of the software ecosystem and its capabilities. I’ll tell you why.
A tablet, the way I see it, isn’t much more than a slab and a screen, put crudely. The screen is super important, of course – being the main point of interaction between the user and the device. But after a point, though, core specs like processor, RAM, battery, etc., take a backseat and are expected to do their job. It’s the software bit that then drives the user experience. While the new iPad Air M4 does have a strong story to tell on the hardware front, I feel that the real story is the platform and app ecosystem. The slate comes in two sizes – 11-inch and 13-inch, and I have the smaller one for review. Let me take you through my experience with it.
Table of Contents
Design and display
Sticking to what Apple is known to do, there isn’t much new ground in terms of design. The new iPad follows the same design language as its predecessors, without breaking the mould. The aluminium chassis, rounded corners, the single camera on the rear top corner, stereo speakers, etc, all combine into a familiar form factor that’s devoid of any surprises. The placement of ports and controls is standard too, with stereo speakers on the sides (in landscape), a Type-C port on the right, and volume keys on the top left. The power/top button integrates the Touch ID sensor for user authentication.
The 11-inch Liquid Retina IPS display is a beauty, offering a resolution of 2,360 x 1,640 pixels and up to 500 nits of brightness. The screen is sharp and quite vivid in terms of colours, etc., and while it can’t match the deep blacks offered by AMOLED displays, it does the job well. It’s still stuck at 60Hz, though, which is a bummer. This seems to be one of the ways Apple is trying to differentiate the Air from more loaded Pro models. And while I’m on the subject, it’s worth mentioning that the Air misses out on Face ID too, which seems a bit odd, especially if you’re used to an iPhone.
Performance
Moving on to the innards, things are at a level where one doesn’t really need to think about whether it’ll deliver in terms of performance or not. The latest iPad Air comes powered by Apple’s M4 silicon, which is paired with 12 gigs of unified memory. The combination packs more than enough grunt to handle everything with ease – whether you’re jumping between apps, playing games, streaming your favourite show or working with graphics or video editing tools. Emphasis on the word “more” – the chip might just be overkill for most tasks. The 13-inch model might be a better fit for that last use case I mentioned, and the larger screen real estate should come in handy for pretty much everything else, too. But I personally like the 11-inch size better – it’s more portable and easier to carry around, and works well, especially for content consumption on the go.
Another point to note is that the iPad Air M4 works with the Magic Keyboard, and there’s support for Apple Pencil and Apple Pencil Pro, too. Now I didn’t get the keyboard or the pencil to try out, so I can’t really comment on their usefulness. That said, the Pencil should serve you well if you have a creative bent of mind (drawing, doodling, etc.), while the Magic Keyboard could be a worthwhile accessory to purchase if you’re considering the iPad Air as a potential laptop replacement.
Audio, cameras, connectivity
The stereo speakers on the iPad Air M4 are great – they churn out loud, rich audio. While you can’t expect an immersive, dedicated speaker-rivalling sound quality, the audio works well for typical use cases like Zoom calls and streaming Apple TV+ shows in your hotel room. The 12MP rear snapper is fine for tasks like document scanning, etc., while the 12MP front camera with Center Stage handles the job well for video calls – no complaints there.
From a connectivity point of view, the iPad Air M4 doesn’t skimp at all. Thanks to the Apple N1 wireless networking chip. You get support for the latest Wi-Fi 7, along with Bluetooth 6, which means that not only can you expect fast and reliable connectivity over 5GHz networks, but your purchase is future-proof too. The review unit I have is the Cellular variant, which features Apple’s C1X modem and comes with an integrated eSIM for on-the-go usage. Apart from 5G connectivity, Apple C1X also promises power efficiency benefits.
Software and ecosystem
This is one aspect where the iPad manages to edge out its Android-powered rivals. Three things stand out:
- iPadOS feels super smooth and fluid, thanks to the optimisation Apple can offer due to its complete control over both hardware and software.
- The app ecosystem on iPadOS still seems richer as compared to Android. Furthermore, while many apps on Android tablets look like magnified versions of their smartphone counterparts, most third-party apps on iPadOS are optimised well, scale properly on the bigger screen, and in many cases, try to make better use of the real estate available.
- The ecosystem benefits Apple can offer are unrivalled, and compound as you buy and use more devices from the brand. If you have an iPhone and a pair of AirPods already, for instance, buying an iPad means you can make use of various interconnectivity features between the phone and the tablet, and use the buds with both devices seamlessly. Similarly, if you’re a MacBook user and then buy an iPad, the latter can be used as an extended display for your laptop.
On the other hand, Android tablets do have a few tricks up their sleeves as well. Not only do you get a bunch of options across different price points and screen sizes to choose from, but you also get multi-user support. Now that’s something iPadOS could use, given that a tablet can work well as a shared device around the house.
On the iPad Air M4, you get iPadOS 26. If you’ve used an iPhone or another iPad before, you’ll feel right at home, but there’s hardly any learning curve involved, even if you’re a first-time user. The latest platform offers quite a few features, including a new windowing system for apps, which gives you more flexibility and enhanced multitasking capabilities. Basically, it lets you run apps in windows, resize them and move them around on the screen, thereby making jumping from one app to the next quite simple. iPadOS 26 also includes a revamped Files app, plus a dedicated Preview app that allows you to view and edit PDFs natively. Apple Intelligence, the brand’s own take on AI, is included too and brings a bunch of features such as Writing Tools, Image Playground, Clean up etc that let you work with text and images to add to your productivity and creativity.
One of the best aspects of iPadOS has to be the ecosystem advantages it offers, though. With a single Apple ID being the common thread, the brand’s consumer devices like iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, AirPods, Watch, etc., work together seamlessly and almost magically, so much so that in many cases, one doesn’t even need to toggle a setting or explicitly pair them together. One of the best examples of this is how the iPad can be controlled using your MacBook’s keyboard and trackpad. All you need to do is place the two devices side by side and push the mouse pointer on the notebook screen to the edge where the tablet is placed, and voila, the pointer simply jumps the fence and moves over to the other screen. Similarly, there are quite a few other interconnectivity features that you can take advantage of on your new iPad if you already own an iPhone or a MacBook.
Verdict
By now, you’d have already figured out where I’m headed with this review. There’s no doubt that the iPad Air M4 is an extremely capable and useful device, both from a hardware and software perspective. The real question is, whether you should buy one. Before I answer that, you should know that the starting price of the 11-inch model is Rs 64,900. Add a Magic Keyboard and an Apple Pencil, and the total outlay adds up to Rs 99,700. In comparison, the new MacBook Neo starts at Rs 69,900, while the MacBook Air with M5 starts at Rs 1,19,000. Purely in terms of what you can do using it, an iPad can’t really replace a MacBook, especially when it comes to serious work and heavy workloads. An iPad, however, is not only more portable (especially the 11-inch model), it can also work better for creative uses with Apple Pencil and also for content consumption on the go. So whether it’s for you or not depends on your requirements and specific use cases. Long story short, if it’s a tablet you’re after and you’re invested in the Apple ecosystem, the iPad Air M4 makes a very strong case for itself.
Editor’s rating: 8.5 / 10
Pros:
- Smooth performance
- Solid battery life
- Software & app ecosystem
Cons:
- 60Hz LCD display
- No Face ID
