Buying an iPad is a genuinely confusing affair in 2024, due to how many different models are out there, and the sometimes vague differences between them. The iPad Air is a prime example. This is a tablet with a powerful M2 processor, but lacks the pro features of the iPad Pro. This makes it sit in a weird middle ground between the iPad and the iPad Pro, which probably is going to make some people skip the iPad Air for one of the other models. It’s a shame, because the iPad Air is the best tablet for most people.
While the iPad Air is using the M2 processor, instead of the M4 chip in the latest iPad Pro, it’s still an extremely powerful laptop processor that makes it one of the best devices for watching TV shows or reading. Plus, the entry price of $599 puts it within reach of the regular iPad, which is still rocking the same processor as the iPhone 12. Either way, the iPad Air shakes out to be the best iPad model, and really makes a case for just discontinuing the basic iPad.
iPad Air (13-inch, 2024) – Design
True to its name, the iPad Air is an incredibly thin device, measuring just 0.24 inches thick, which is thinner than the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Oddly, though, it’s actually thicker than the iPad Pro, which measures 0.20 inches thick. It’s not a world of difference, but the iPad Air technically isn’t the thinnest iPad anymore, which is just weird. The extra 0.04 inches are not noticeable, though, and this is still an extremely slick piece of hardware.
At the top of the iPad Air is the power button, which has a fingerprint reader built in for TouchID. That does mean that it doesn’t support FaceID like the iPad Pro does, but it turns out to be a huge win. The amount of times I use the tablet in portrait mode, playing games like Marvel Snap or reading comics is astronomical, and scanning my fingerprint is much more convenient than turning the tablet sideways for a minute so it can scan my face.
The fingerprint sensor is accompanied by two speaker grilles on the top, which are paired with two more down by the USB-C port. This is a little misleading, because the iPad Air only has two speakers, one at the top and one at the bottom. The speakers sound incredible, though, and while the iPad Air’s built in speakers aren’t going to be giving much competition to competent headphones, they’re still great for watching shows in your downtime.
Around the back, you’ll find a camera, and it looks absolutely quaint by 2024 standards. It’s a single lens with a flash sensor. And while it still protrudes from the back of the device, it’s not as big of a camera bump as other mobile devices these days. I do wish Apple either got rid of the rear camera or just committed to a low-end shooter that can be flush with the chassis. It’s not like the camera is any good – more on that later – and being able to lay the iPad Air flat on a table without a case would be awesome. Remember when phones and tablets could be laid flat on a surface? Those were the days.
iPad Air (13-inch, 2024) – Display
While the iPad Air doesn’t have the same Tandem OLED display as the iPad Pro that came out at the same time, the 2048p IPS display is extremely good. It features the same P3 color gamut support as its more expensive sibling, and can still pump out 600 nits of brightness. That’s not enough to watch a dark show outdoors on a sunny day, but it’s still more than bright enough to enjoy your shows indoors. It does struggle a bit in dark scenes, like any IPS display does, especially in bright lighting.
Indoors, however, the iPad Air display is incredible. I brought the tablet on a recent trip to LA, and when I was watching The Acolyte in my hotel room, I was floored by the vivid colors and smooth motion that this display can pull off. It still doesn’t have the brightness of an OLED panel, but this is an incredible display to watch movies on the go, especially if you go with the 13-inch model Apple sent over for review.
The iPad Air is also compatible with the new Apple Pencil Pro, and the two devices combine to be one of the best ways to take notes on the road. The display is extremely responsive, even if it doesn’t support Apple’s ProMotion technology, and can actually keep up with me as I write. Although, it’s not exactly accurate at translating my handwriting to text, but that probably comes down to my handwriting more than anything.
iPad Air (13-inch, 2024) – Camera
The iPad Air has one camera, and it’s a 12MP rear shooter. It’s not exactly an impressive camera, but the iPad Air isn’t a device that’s really meant to take vivid pictures all the time. I use it a lot when I’m taking notes, as the native notes app will let you just snap a picture and instantly place it into your current document. It’s an awesome feature, but any time I tried to capture anything in a low-light environment, all I got was a pixelated mess.
It’s good that the iPad Air has a camera, but don’t expect it to come anywhere close to the shooter on your phone.
iPad Air (13-inch, 2024) – Specs and Performance
While the M2 chip powering the iPad Air is old tech at this point, it’s still quite powerful for a tablet. However, compared to the M4 in the latest iPad Pro that released at the same time, this tablet does struggle, but the iPad Air is still an affordable alternative that’ll be more than good enough for most people.
In Geekbench, which measures raw CPU performance, the M2 in the iPad Air scores a respectable 9,660 points for its multi-core performance. That’s more than enough juice for most people, but compared to the iPad Pro’s M4 with 14,636 points, you can see where the extra money is going for Apple’s creative powerhouse. Gaming benchmarks tell the same story, with the iPad Air scoring 2,007 points in the GFXBench Aztec Ruins (High Tier) test, compared to the 3,861 points scored by the iPad Pro.
It doesn’t help that the 8GB of RAM that accompanies the M2 is a little lackluster, and could really hold the tablet back in creative workloads like video editing. The tablet isn’t really meant for creatives, though.
With how optimized iPadOS is, you’re not going to run into any situation where you’re memory-limited if you’re using the thing for light web browsing or media consumption.
In the two weeks I’ve spent with the iPad Air, I’ve been floored with just how responsive it is, even after hours of playing Zenless Zone Zero. Framerates for the new gacha hotness are incredibly stable, though I can definitely tell the tablet has its work cut out for it, with the amount of heat radiating through the chassis and the display. I would recommend getting a case for the iPad, just because the thinness of the device can lead to it being extremely hot in your hands after a while. Plus, it’s an expensive device and you’re going to want to protect it.