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Design, Build, and Display
Apple makes great tablets. There’s no need to say anything else. The 2025 edition of the iPad Air retains the design of the 2024 model, with flat sides and rounded corners. The back has lost the ‘iPad’ wordmark but the Apple logo remains, and there’s a single camera lens to mark the Air out from the better-endowed Pro, but they share the three-dot connector for the Magic Keyboard on the back.
It’s a very restrained design, with all the attention focused instead on the screen. As your main way of interacting with a tablet, this is to be expected, and the rest of the iPAd fades into the background when you’re engrossed in the display. The edges of the iPad Air are broken by the little plastic sections that denote the points at which antennas pass through the metal to get a better signal, and there are four speakers split between top and bottom. The USB-C port sits where you’d expect it to, and there are the usual volume rocker and lock buttons too, the latter doubling as a fingerprint reader.
The 13in iPad Air is lighter than a laptop but heavier than some other tablets – though it is quite large, which immediately means it will weigh more, and will require a bag that can fit a thin and light laptop to carry with you. Apple doesn’t say what the glass covering the touchscreen is, but the entire build feels stiff and assured in the hand, though there’s no IP rating, so it might be best to keep it dry and clean.
Design Score: 4/5
Key Specifications
* CPU: Apple M3
* NPU: 16-core Neural Engine
* Graphics: Integrated, nine cores
* Memory: 8GB
* Storage: 128GB – 1TB
* Screen size: 11 or 13in (version tested)
* Screen type: LED-backlit IPS touchscreen
* Resolution: 2,732 x 2,048 (version tested)
* Refresh rate: 60Hz
* Colour gamut (claimed): P3 wide colour
* Brightness (claimed): 600 nits
* Ports: 1x USB-C (10Gbps)
* Wireless connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, 5G eSIM (optional)
* Dimensions: 281 x 215 x 6mm (13in model)
* Weight: 616 grams (version tested)
Performance
So we’re looking at an excellent processor, that’s slightly weak in the GPU area but no more than most chips that use integrated graphics. The problem with iPadOS for creatives is the software: you’ve got versions (with missing features) of Photoshop, Lightroom and Illustrator, plus the full Affinity suite, DaVinci Resolve, Procreate, Sketchup, Nomad Sculpt, Pixelmator Pro and more, along with GarageBand and Logic Pro. If those are good enough for you, or you’re prepared to learn something new, then Apple has made a productivity powerhouse. If not, then a traditional laptop may be more appealing.
Battery life is tricky to evaluate on a tablet, as none of the standardised tests we usually use are available, but Apple claims 10 hours of endurance out of a charge, and that feels a little high but not too far off the mark. It will last all day, but the battery life is down compared to the M1 and M2 models.
Performance Score: 5/5
Price
The iPad Air base price is deceptive. £799 for the 13in sounds like a good deal for a tablet of this quality, but once you’ve added the Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard it’s suddenly £1,098. Then as you upgrade the storage, the price climbs even higher. You could buy the base model 13in MacBook Air M4 for £999, and have more RAM, twice the storage, and £100 back in your pocket, though the laptop doesn’t come with a touchscreen. Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra costs a lot more. It means that the iPad can be a tricky recommendation – they make truly excellent creative machines, but the price can be somewhat daunting.
Value Score: 3/5
Who is it for?
* Creatives and students
The iPad Air is hugely versatile, able to be used for sketching as well as word processing and everything in between. Having just one USB port is a definite limitation, so you will need a hub if you’re doing serious work on it, but the possibilities are endless. With a desktop-class CPU at its heart, you’ll never feel slowed down, and with excellent battery life the Air is a great choice for a main or backup machine.
Product Score Card
* Attributes
* Notes
* Rating
* Design: Looks like an iPad – it’s functional, but a bit dull
* 4/5
* Features: Only one USB port, but some good accessories available.
* 3/5
* Performance: Just excellent, the most powerful tablet you can get (apart from the iPad Pro)
* 5/5
* Value: Starts off well, but gets expensive as you add options.
* 3/5
Buy it if…
* You want a versatile, powerful tablet
* You can work with the apps available
* You appreciate the touchscreen and Pencil
Don’t buy it if…
* You really need a laptop
* You need an unsupported app (like InDesign)
* A 13in screen isn’t big enough
Also consider…
* Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra
* Apple iPad Pro
* Microsoft Surface Go
