First look: Apple’s new iPad Air – is it worth it?

There are now six types of iPads to chose from, with the Air sitting between the pricey Pro and standard model. Confused what to buy? Here’s our cheat sheet.

The 11-inch iPad Air and 13-inch iPad Pro.

Apple has unveiled its latest iPad Air, and you might be wondering who this device is for?

When Steve Jobs launched the first iPad 15 years ago, it was a revolutionary but relatively straightforward moment. While it transformed the way we interact with digital content, there was only one size, one model, with two key options: Wi-Fi or cellular.

Now there are six types of iPads (including different screen sizes), from the Mini - which is a couple of inches bigger than an iPhone Pro Max - all the way to more pricey Pro models, with the standard and Air in the middle.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed. Thankfully, we’re here to help.

We got our hands on one of the new Air’s late last week and have been taking it through its paces since. So let’s start with answering the first question.

Who’s it for?

The iPad Air packs in a lot of features from iPad Pro, with a few notable exceptions: the swish OLED screen, the ability to unlock the device with your face, and an M3 instead of the latest M4 chip.

If you can live with those, you’re in for a bargain. The iPad Air is priced from $999 compared with $1699 for the Pro.

The M3 chip – the same found in the 2023 line-up of MacBook Pros – is more than enough firepower for most people. Apple says it’s almost two times faster than the models fitted with the M1 – its first in-house chip – which was launched in 2022. The standard iPad, which costs $400 less, has the two-and-half-year-old A16 chip

The M3 chip also means that users can access Apple Intelligence on iPad Air. The standard iPad does not support Apple’s AI offering, which includes the ability to summarise emails.

Customers can also choose between two screen options: 11 inches and 13 inches. The standard iPad only comes in 11-inches. The difference between the two screen sizes is noticeable. I can comfortably watch a movie on a 13-inch screen but struggle a bit with the 11-inches.

As Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering John Ternus said last year, iPad Air is for people who want “advanced features of an iPad Pro at a more affordable price”.

Everyday use

Apple also launched a new Magic Keyboard with the latest iPad Air. The new keyboard has bigger a trackpad aimed at delivering greater precision for detail-oriented tasks, and a new 14-key function row allows easy access to features like screen brightness and volume controls.

Apple has released a new Magic Keyboard, which attaches magnetically to the iPad, converting it into a laptop replacement.

All this makes it easier to convert iPad Air into a laptop replacement. And for the most part, it can do this job well.

But there are limitations – namely that despite having an M3 chip, it still runs on Apple iPad operating system. This hinders its ability to truly match the power of a laptop of Apple’s M3 MacBooks. From Apple’s perspective, this makes sense. From mine, it’s a frustration.

The content management system I use for work, while URL-based, is not supported to run on the iPad’s operating system. This means that I have to carry around both devices, which can be annoying going through airport security.

On the plus side, packing an iPad allows you to have a second screen with a MacBook. If you’re like me and want to spread your work across multiple windows, this makes travelling a bit more comfortable, and is better for eyestrain.

Is Apple Intelligence worth it?

Apple chief executive Tim Cook says the company’s AI offering makes using its products “profoundly different”. As upgrades become more incremental, you can see why he’d say this. And he’s not the only one touting AI as a reason to buy a new device. Samsung, Microsoft and virtually every other manufacturer have jumped on the AI bandwagon.

Apple's new iPad Air is can run Apple Intelligence, which features tools such as Image Playground that allows people to make custom illustrations via basic verbal prompts.

The main feature I’ve enjoyed using is the ability to summarise a group message chain. In one group, I had 13 new messages, but Apple was able to tell me what had been going on with a quick glance at the screen rather than reading each one. I value anything, which can save me time.

But iPadOS 18 – Apple’s latest iPad operating system – has a few useful tricks. For example, in Maths Notes, users are now able to write out mathematical expressions or type to see them instantly solved in handwriting like their own. They can also create and use variables, and add an equation to insert a graph. Users can access their Maths Notes in the Notes app and use all of the math functionality in any of their other notes.

Verdict 

There is a method to Apple’s myriad of iPad models. The Pro, with its OLED screen, is a great tool for digital artists and other creatives, and worth the price premium. For most other professionals, iPad Air does the job – in a package that’s $700 less.

Compared with the standard iPad – which is $400 less – it is a significant step-up, with many citing access to Apple Intelligence to justify the price jump. The standard iPad is still a great tool – just like the original – for browsing the internet, streaming and using it as a digital notepad. Then there is also gaming.

Originally published as First look: Apple’s new iPad Air – is it worth it?