iPad Air M3 evaluation: A modest replace that's nonetheless straightforward to advocate

In case you’ve picked up an iPad within the final 5 years or so, the new iPad Air won’t shock you. It’s, in each approach however one, an identical to the iPad Air that Apple launched final spring. The one distinction is that the most recent iPad Air has the M3 chip inside, as an alternative of the already-capable M2. Even the (extraordinarily muted) colours seem an identical this yr. Apart from the 13-inch display screen possibility Apple added final spring, the iPad Air is barely totally different from the one which was released way back in 2020.

That makes this iPad exceedingly straightforward to evaluation — every little thing I wrote final Could when I reviewed the 13-inch iPad Air M2 applies right here. I like that it has a long-lasting battery, loads of energy, an inexpensive quantity of base storage and a front-facing digital camera on the panorama edge. The 13-inch mannequin remains to be pretty massive, but it surely’s skinny and light-weight sufficient to carry with out subject — although should you choose holding an iPad to utilizing it with a keyboard, you’re in all probability higher off with the 11-inch mannequin. The Apple Pencil Professional launched final yr is a pleasant improve for severe visible artists. I don’t like that it nonetheless depends on Contact ID as an alternative of Face ID, and I believe it’s time the iPad Air had a greater show.

Provided that the M3 chip is the principle change right here, it’s value giving it slightly extra consideration. Geekbench 6 scores present that the iPad Air with the M3 is about 16 p.c extra highly effective in each single- and multi-core scores. That’s fairly spectacular provided that the M2 iPad Air is lower than a yr previous, but it surely’s not one thing that’ll transform how you employ the gadget. It does imply it’s slightly extra future-proof, although, and I’m at all times comfortable about that. In actual use, the iPad Air dealt with multitasking by way of my workday, taking part in video games, transcoding video and making an attempt out numerous Apple Intelligence options with completely no hiccups and slowdowns.

Apple has been aggressive about placing extraordinarily highly effective chips within the iPad Air and Professional lineups for just a few years now, and it’s good that you just principally by no means have to fret about slowdowns. And the newer chip had no unwell results on battery life — I simply obtained eight hours throughout a workday with the Magic Keyboard related the entire time, and near the ten hours Apple guarantees when doing extra causal actions or watching video.

Nathan Ingraham for Engadget

Apple additionally fastened considered one of my two main complaints in regards to the final iPad Air. It has a brand new Magic Keyboard modeled after the much-improved one which was introduced alongside the iPad Pro M4. It’s thinner and lighter than the previous iPad Air keyboard, has a row of helpful perform keys and the trackpad is a bit larger. These aren’t main adjustments, however they’re sufficient to make me a lot happier with the keyboard expertise this yr. It doesn’t have just a few niceties you’ll discover on the iPad Professional Magic Keyboard, although: The highest case is easy plastic fairly than aluminum, the keys aren’t backlit and the trackpad has a bodily click on fairly than haptic suggestions. Nonetheless, this keyboard can also be $30 cheaper than the one it replaces. It’s nonetheless wildly costly — $269 for the 11-inch Air and $319 for the 13-inch mannequin.

Apple iPad Air (M3) — The iPad Professional M4 on the left and the iPad Air M3 on the precise. The iPad Professional’s keyboard has a barely larger trackpad.

In actual fact, this complete package deal I’m making an attempt is wildly costly. The 13-inch iPad Air with 1TB of storage and 5G connectivity prices $1,449, and that’s not together with the keyboard. Nonetheless, a comparably specced iPad Pro prices, look forward to it, $2,099 with out its keyboard. The 13-inch Air begins at $799 with 128GB of storage, a value that appears truthful to me. Equally, the 11-inch Air at $599 looks like a terrific worth and has quite a few significant enhancements over the essential iPad.

With the brand new iPad Air so just like final yr’s mannequin, I began occupied with the compromises that Apple makes to maintain the worth of the Air at a extra approachable stage, and whether or not these are affordable in 2025. The main benefits the iPad Professional M4 has over the iPad Air M3 are: a a lot better OLED show with a better refresh price, extra space for storing on the bottom mannequin, a extra highly effective chip, higher audio system and microphones, Face ID as an alternative of Contact ID, a thinner and lighter design, a LiDAR sensor and some additional picture and video seize capabilities. The iPad Professional additionally provides a nano-texture entrance glass possibility (to scale back display screen glare) on the 1TB and 2TB fashions, and people fashions with extra storage even have 16GB of RAM as an alternative of 8GB.

In virtually all instances, I don’t have any subject with these options staying unique to the iPad Professional. However after utilizing the iPad Air for a bit, I believe it’s time Apple finds a approach to enhance on the display screen. In actual fact, I believe there’s a strong resolution ready within the wings: deploy the mini-LED display that Apple used in the iPad Pro from 2021 and 2022. That display screen refreshes at as much as 120Hz, the identical as others that Apple manufacturers as ProMotion-capable, and max brightness when watching films was 1,000 nits — and will leap as much as 1,600 nits for HDR content material. Brightness when not watching video maxed out at 600 nits, just like the iPad Air, however given how widespread iPads are for watching video, this may be a significant enchancment.

Chances are high that between the upper refresh price and improved brightness, Apple feels the mini-LED display screen would nonetheless be too near the iPad Professional’s OLED panel (which stays shockingly good, in all probability one of the best transportable display screen I’ve ever seen). And Apple by no means made a mini-LED show for the 11-inch iPad Professional, so it must develop one thing new for the smaller iPad Air.

There are many causes not to do it, however I believe the iPad Air deserves a greater display screen. In actual fact, I’d be comfortable sufficient if Apple simply gave me the identical display screen with a better refresh price. The corporate nonetheless reserves that function for its most costly “Professional” gadgets, however the panorama is loads totally different in 2025 than it was in 2020. Loads of midrange telephones have 90Hz or 120Hz screens. After all, Apple has by no means actually cared about what different producers do; it has fairly constant guidelines about what gadgets get what tech. The iPad Air’s display screen is actually the identical because the one on the MacBook Air, whereas the dearer iPad Professional, MacBook Professional and iPhone Professional traces all get larger refresh charges. That’s simply the place we’re at, however I’m prepared for it to alter.

After all, I additionally must admit that the iPad Air’s display screen stays fairly pretty. Apple has fine-tuned its LCD tech to inside an inch of its life, and it exhibits within the vibrant colours, general sharpness and nice viewing angles. Positive, I discover that blacks aren’t as “actually black” as they may very well be with an OLED or mini-LED, however I’m not sitting round occupied with that after I watch films or play video games. I simply take pleasure in what I’m doing with out fussing over display screen specs.

The decrease refresh price is extra noticeable in day-to-day utilization — you’re continuously touching, swiping and scrolling by way of content material on an iPad, and it simply doesn’t really feel as fluid. My major gadgets are a MacBook Professional, iPhone 14 Professional and iPad Professional, all of which use ProMotion. Stepping all the way down to the iPad Air is only a little bit of a bummer. And whereas Apple clearly feels it doesn’t at all times have to answer bigger trade traits, it’s laborious to think about it sticking with 60Hz screens for many of their merchandise for much longer.

My different main quibble with the iPad Air is Contact ID. At this level, Face ID actually doesn’t really feel like a “Professional” function. Excluding the iPhone SE lineup, each new iPhone since 2018 has had Face ID, however you continue to must spend $1,000 or extra to get it on an iPad. That feels slightly excessive! Contact ID is okay, however there are plenty of websites and companies I usually must log in to for work and having to continuously attain up and contact the highest button is a little bit of a problem. Particularly in contrast with simply ensuring my face is in body with the entrance digital camera. This in all probability felt like extra of a ache throughout my evaluation, because the iPad Air is model new and establishing requires a ton of logging in to numerous apps. Nonetheless, Face ID positively doesn’t really feel like a function that must be locked to Professional gadgets at this level.

Every thing else you might want to know in regards to the new iPad Air is roofed in my evaluation from 10 months in the past, however I’ll sum it up. I believe the Air stays a transparent improve over the bottom iPad — I respect its improved show, stronger efficiency, extra sturdy multitasking expertise and higher equipment. To not point out the 13-inch Air is the one method to get a big-screen iPad with out breaking the financial institution. I’m glad Apple constructed a greater keyboard too, and when you have an older iPad Air, the brand new keyboard will work with it.

However the new iPad with the A16 chip can also be higher than its predecessor as a result of Apple has fastened quite a few subject with it since 2022. The worth is decrease, storage is doubled and the dumb Lightning Pencil charging state of affairs is now gone. In case you do not care about Apple Intelligence, extra superior multitasking and a greater or larger display screen, lots of people in search of “only a good iPad” will not miss the Air’s upgrades, particularly in the event that they’re saving $250.

Nonetheless, for individuals who need extra from their iPad, the Air is simply as straightforward for me to advocate because it was final yr. You may get 80 p.c of the iPad Professional expertise for lots much less cash, and the overwhelming majority of patrons aren’t going to overlook the Professional’s additional options.

My major caveat is that this iPad Air looks like a slightly-upgraded stopgap forward of an even bigger redesign, much as the iPad Pro was in 2022. That iPad went from an M1 to an M2 and obtained some good software program updates, however was largely the identical as its predecessor — after which Apple gave it an enormous replace a yr and a half later. The iPad Air M3 feels prefer it’s in the same place, simply ready for an enormous refresh. I do not assume it’s going to be too lengthy earlier than Apple has to replace a few of its older bits, notably the show. In case you’re the sort of one that actually loves a superb display screen, it may be value ready one other yr to see if Apple lastly brings quicker refresh charges to extra iPads.

This text initially appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cellular/tablets/ipad-air-m3-review-a-modest-update-thats-still-easy-to-recommend-130045196.html?src=rss

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