Apple IPad Air 2024 ( Review )
Apple iPad air 11 (2024 release, space gray) - specifications
- Battery Life: Approximately 10 hours
- Processor: Apple M2 Chip
- Dimensions: 9.74 x 7.02 x 0.24 inches
- Operating System: Apple iPadOS 17
Apple's latest iPad Air, priced at $599 for the 11-inch model, positions itself as a solid middle ground between the premium iPad Pro and the more affordable standard iPad.
While the 2024 Air doesn't offer the same groundbreaking advancements as the Pro, it does boast notable upgrades, including a slightly larger display, a new processor, a repositioned camera, and other performance enhancements. These improvements make it a compelling choice for users who require more than the basic iPad can provide but don't need the full-fledged power of the Pro.
Ideal for students and casual creators, the iPad Air's balance of performance and affordability has earned it our Editors' Choice award.
Design
The 2024 iPad Air, while featuring new technology, maintains a familiar design similar to its 2022 predecessor. A notable addition is the availability of two screen sizes—11 inches and 13 inches—offering flexibility for those seeking a larger display without the Pro price tag. I tested the 11-inch model.
The iPad Air retains its compact size and weight, making it highly portable. The 11-inch model closely resembles the dimensions and weight of both the iPad Pro and the standard iPad, making it easy to carry in smaller bags. In comparison, the 13-inch iPad Air is slightly larger and heavier but still manageable. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE, priced at $549.99, is also a good option for portability, offering similar dimensions and weight to the 11-inch iPad Air.
The iPad Air features an aluminum body with a glass front, providing a sleek and durable design. While it lacks water and dust resistance, unlike the IP68-rated Tab S9 FE, it offers stereo speakers that deliver impressive sound quality, especially when used in landscape mode.
The iPad Air maintains a similar button layout to the Pro, with the power button and volume buttons conveniently placed on the left and top edges. The power button also functions as a reliable fingerprint reader, allowing for easy unlocking. A USB-C port, Smart Connector pins, and a magnetic Apple Pencil connector are located on the bottom and rear of the device. Cellular models utilize eSIM technology instead of a physical SIM card tray.
The iPad Air's front-facing camera is now centered, making video calls more natural. Additionally, the Air offers a wider range of colors, including Blue, Purple, Space Gray, and Starlight, while the Pro is limited to Silver and Space Black.
Camera's in the sweet spot
The recent iPad models, including the 10th-generation iPad and the 2024 iPad Pro and Air, have improved their front-facing camera placement. By positioning the camera on the long landscape edge, these iPads offer a more natural and centered view during video calls, especially when used with a case or keyboard case. The iPad's cameras generally outperform MacBook Air cameras, making them ideal for video conferencing applications like Zoom.
Will iPadOS ever become macOS
Given the powerful M-series processors in high-end iPads, including the iPad Air, there's growing speculation about whether iPads could eventually fully replace Macs. While iPadOS has made significant strides, it still differs significantly from macOS. Many users continue to rely on Macs for their workflows, but the future of computing may involve a more seamless integration of iPad and Mac functionalities.
The iPad Air offers substantial upgrades that justify the investment for those seeking a more powerful and versatile tablet. However, it's important to be mindful of potential overspending.
Pencil Pro: A mandatory upgrade
The iPad Air and Pro 2024 models support the new Pencil Pro, which offers enhanced features like rotational capabilities and haptic feedback. However, this upgrade comes at a cost: the new Pencil Pro is incompatible with the older Pencil 2. This means users who already own a Pencil 2 will need to purchase the new model or use the less advanced USB-C Pencil stylus, which lacks pressure sensitivity. This forced upgrade can be seen as wasteful and frustrating for users who may not have otherwise needed to replace their existing accessory.
iPad Air (2024)comprehensive specifications
Price:
- 11-inch: Starting at $599 (Wi-Fi) or $749 (Wi-Fi + Cellular)
- 13-inch: Starting at $799 (Wi-Fi) or $949 (Wi-Fi + Cellular)
Processor:
- M2 chip with an 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine
Storage Options:
- 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
Display:
- Liquid Retina Display with a resolution of 2420 x 1968 at 264 ppi
- Optional nano-texture glass on 1TB and 2TB models
Cameras:
- 12MP Wide rear camera (supports 4K video)
- 12MP Ultra Wide front camera in landscape orientation
Ports:
- USB-C connector
Connectivity:
- Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, MIMO, and 5G Cellular (on Wi-Fi + Cellular models)
Battery Life:
- Up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi (9 hours on cellular, as tested)
Weight:
- 11-inch: 1.02 pounds (462 grams)
- 13-inch: 1.36 pounds (617 grams)
Dimensions:
- 11-inch: 9.74 x 7.02 x 0.24 inches
- 13-inch: 11.04 x 8.46 x 0.24 inches
Color Options:
- Blue, Purple, Space Gray, Starlight
Warranty:
- One-year limited warranty
Display
While the iPad Air (2024) doesn't offer the same extreme brightness as the iPad Pro, its Liquid Retina display still delivers vibrant colors and excellent viewing angles. Its resolution and brightness are suitable for most indoor activities, but those who frequently use their tablet outdoors might find the iPad Pro's higher peak brightness more beneficial.
During testing, the iPad Air's display performed admirably for various tasks, including gaming, streaming, reading, and comic book viewing
Outstanding performance
The iPad Air (2024) excelled in performance, largely due to its M2 chip, which features an 8-core CPU and a 10-core GPU—the same powerful chipset found in the previous generation iPad Pro. In our tests, we compared the new iPad Air with last year’s M1-powered iPad Air to assess the performance difference. Even without running any benchmark software, the increased power of the sixth-generation iPad Air was immediately noticeable.
We also conducted additional subjective tests. While late-model iPad Pros might execute these tasks slightly faster, we found that Logic Pro for iPad 2 and Final Cut Pro for iPad 2 performed very well on the 2024 iPad Air. In AI-related tasks, the M2 chip’s 16-core Neural Engine showed significant improvement, reportedly 40% faster than the M1. This speed boost was evident in AI-driven tasks such as using Live Text to copy text from photos and videos, translating languages, and employing Visual Look Up to identify objects within images in the Photos app.
On the objective side, we utilized two benchmarking apps to compare the performance of the iPad Air (2024) against the fifth-generation iPad Air (2022) and the iPad Pro (2024). Running Geekbench on the new iPad Air yielded a CPU single-core score of 2581 and a multi-core score of 9377. For comparison, the last-generation iPad Air scored 2390 in single-core and 8735 in multi-core performance, making the upgrade quite impressive. To put it into perspective, the 2024 iPad Pro scored 3788 in single-core and 14347 in multi-core performance on Geekbench, underscoring the iPad Pro's superior processing power.
What are the standout features of the iPad Air (2024)?
The iPad Air (2024) offers double the storage capacity compared to its predecessor at the same price point. With options ranging from 128GB to 1TB, the 11-inch iPad Air now starts at $599, which was previously the price for the 64GB model.
