Apple iPad Air 13" M4 2026, 8GB, 1TB, Cellular, Purple

The iPad Air M4 has best-in-class performance thanks to the M4 chip, but it's expensive and the 60Hz display feels outdated. Battery life is mediocre and user sentiment is surprisingly low. If you need serious power in a tablet and money isn't a concern, it's great. Otherwise, look at cheaper options.

The M4 chip is the star here, and it's not close. Our benchmarks put this thing in the 98th percentile for CPU and 97th for GPU, which means it crushes everything from 4K video editing to heavy multitasking without breaking a sweat. The 10-core design and 1TB of storage give you headroom most tablets can only dream about. But that 8GB of RAM sits at the 66th percentile, which is fine for iPadOS but feels stingy when you're paying this much. And the 60Hz display, while beautiful, is a weird choice for a 'Pro-adjacent' device in 2025. Scrolling feels smooth enough, but side by side with a 120Hz panel, you'll notice.

Against the Microsoft Surface Pro 11, the iPad Air M4 wins on raw CPU and GPU performance but loses on versatility. The Surface runs full Windows, which means real desktop apps, not iPadOS approximations. The Lenovo Yoga Tab Plus and Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 both offer better battery life and sharper displays for less money, though neither touches the M4's processing power. The Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro is the value pick, undercutting the iPad by hundreds while offering 120Hz and solid performance. The iPad Air M4 is the performance king, but it's not the smart buy for everyone.

Let's talk money. This thing ranges from $1,155 to $1,700 depending on where you shop, and that spread is wild. Best Buy has the low end at $1,155, which is the best deal we found across 16 US listings. But even at that price, you're paying a serious premium for the Apple logo and the M4 chip. The 8th percentile affordability score isn't a fluke. This is a luxury tablet pretending to be a mainstream one. If you need the power, fine. If you just want a tablet for Netflix and email, you're overspending by a lot.

The iPad Air M4 is Apple doing what Apple does best: taking last year's Pro chip and dropping it into a thinner, lighter, more affordable package. You get the same M4 silicon that powers the MacBook Pro, a gorgeous 13-inch Liquid Retina display, and Wi-Fi 7, all in a 617g slab that feels premium the second you pick it up. On paper, this is the iPad most people should buy.

But here's the thing. Our database shows this tablet lands in the 8th percentile for affordability and the 7th for user sentiment. That's not a typo. The hardware is top-tier, but the price tag and the lukewarm reception from actual owners tell a more complicated story. We'll get into it.

Skip this if you're on a budget or just need a tablet for streaming and browsing. The $1,155 starting price is hard to swallow when a $500 Android tablet covers 90% of what most people do. Also skip it if you care about battery life, this thing lands in the bottom third of our database. And if you're not already in the Apple ecosystem, the Surface Pro 11 gives you more flexibility for similar money.

Buy this if you're a creative professional or power user who needs the M4 chip in a portable form factor and you're already deep in the Apple ecosystem. The Apple Pencil Pro support and Magic Keyboard compatibility make it a legit laptop replacement for artists and note-takers. But if you're a student on a budget or someone who just wants a tablet for casual use, this is overkill. The performance is undeniable, but the price and the 60Hz display hold it back from being a no-brainer.