The iPad Air M2 delivered a pretty strong entrance earlier this year (2024) in the form of a larger 13-inch display, a faster M2 chip, and all the base storage it ships with. The real question now is if this midrange tablet can cut the mustard at the being price, especially as iPad Pro looms. Apple’s updates are not exciting, but for those looking at its upgrades as a precursor to a bigger screen and slightly better performance, they will be the ones to impress.
A Bigger, Brighter Display
The shift to a 13-inch display is a game changer and while Apple’s iPad Air still delivers its trademark lightweight design, it is a different beast to the smaller tablets before it. Featuring a 2,732 x 2,048-pixel Liquid Retina display, with a wide 60 percent true tone color gamut, the Retina display delivers crisp visuals and a peak brightness of 600 nits, which works well for most situations. However, under direct sunlight, it really gets by. Apple also picked an LCD panel, as well as a 60Hz refresh rate, which feels antiquated with tablets positing serving with OLED or 120Hz displays.
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Undeniably the larger display is beneficial. So regardless of whether you are watching another show or want to set up a second screen for work, the bigger real estate brings a more spacious, more enjoyable experience. But the absence of mini-LED tech has some users wanting more, given the tablet’s $800 price.
Performance Boost: M2 Power
A big step up, in fact, is the inclusion of the M2 chip, which promises faster speeds. Smooth performance is enabled by the 8-core CPU and 9-core GPU, and you’ll be able to do just about anything should you need to. Using one if you are moving from an older iPad, the M2 iPad Air will feel like an entirely new machine. Multiple apps with numerous browser tabs, and video calls, all without it slowing down. However, for people upgrading from the M1 version, a jump in performance will be less noticeable.
Earning value with new features is also another reason that the storage offered in the base variant was doubled to 128 GB, making it more valuable for your use. The iPadOS still remains restrictive if it is trying to mimic the full experience of a PC. The system still does not come close to replacing a full desktop environment, even with Apple’s Stage Manager which lets you group apps more, something which allows or minimizes windows a bit more. The iPad Air M2 is a great thing for using light tasks such as email, video calls, and basic editing – but not so much for more intensive stuff.
Heavier Yet Less Convenient?
It is interesting how the iPad Air, which is named that way, is heavier than the iPad Pro. It seems less “Air” than before at about a full millimeter thicker. But it also made matters worse by leaving colors off the menu entirely, such as beloved fans’ greens and pink, in favor of a more mellow purple, blue, starlight, or space grey.
The repositioning of the 12-megapixel front-facing camera to a more convenient landscape setting is a small but important improvement. Because of that, video calls feel much more natural, since users do not have to awkwardly move themselves in order to stay in the frame. Already a neat touch is the new Center Stage feature, which tracks and zooms to keep you in focus during calls, but you are always in center stage.
Accessories: Worth the Extra Cost?
The new Apple Pencil Pro for the iPad Air M2 also comes with a squeeze function for easier access to the tool palette. The Apple Pencil USB-C is not backward compatible with the second generation Pencil, and at its heavy price, does not offer many extra features you would not get from the 2nd gen. They will be disappointed to learn that the iPad Air does not include the new Magic Keyboard Case, while you are stuck with the original model which lacks a more specialised trackpad and function keys.
The higher the accessory costs add up, the more it makes sense to ask yourself whether it is worth spending money on an iPad Air. In total, including these accessories, the highest-end configuration will cost nearly $2,000, about as much as a MacBook Air, yet barely more powerful than even a Mac Mini.
End Note
Overall, the iPad Air was just a solid tablet, rich with great features like its large display, increased storage capacity, and an M2 running the show, which provides a serious performance boost over the Air 5. The higher price point and absence of more advanced display tech may keep you from buying the iPad Pro if you are still using an older model of iPad or really want a laptop substitute.
If you are a content creator, a student, or a person who has a lot of media to consume on it then the 13-inch iPad Air might be your perfect buddy. However, if you are looking for the lightest tablet or the most advanced display, this model is not going to satisfy.