Samsung Galaxy Tab S11: Two-minute review

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 is the brand’s answer to the iPad Air, with its premium design and compact form factor.

It certainly looks the part, taking cues from Apple with its sleek and minimalist aesthetic. It only comes in two colors — or rather shades, since it’s merely a choice between Grey and Silver. My review unit was the former, and I have to say that I enjoyed its classy appearance.

Beyond this, Samsung has also nailed the S11’s build quality. The one-piece metal chassis feels as expensive as they come, thanks to its incredibly smooth texture (so be careful when holding it) and supreme solidity. It easily ranks among the best tablets in terms of sheer construction.

The display, however, is less impressive. At 11 inches, content already feels squeezed, but the thick inner bezel only exacerbates the issue. What’s more, it's a magnet for dust and debris, while the grabby touchscreen is far from class-leading.

Thankfully, the included S Pen fairs better than fingers. There’s no dragging with the stylus, as it glides effortlessly across the screen. It’s also perfectly responsive and comfortable to grip, thanks to its ergonomic hexagonal form that provides extra security.

As with Samsung’s smartphones, the S11 features numerous first-party apps, which vary in their usefulness. Many fail to offer anything over and above Google’s suite of apps (which also come preinstalled), although I have to concede that some of the AI features, such as those for editing images, impressed me with their effectiveness. The One UI operating system is as clear and as stable as you could hope an Android fork to be, too.

The overall performance of the S11 is also impressive. Whether you're working, browsing, streaming content or even gaming, it can seemingly handle it all. What’s more, it does so while staying relatively cool; only parts of the rear heat up, and never to an uncomfortable degree.

The battery life of the S11 measures up well against its rivals. Samsung claims it can survive 18 hours of continuous streaming, whereas the iPad Air can only manage 10. Charging is quick, too, thanks to its 45W wired charging support.

There are certainly things to like about the S11, such as its premium design and excellent all-round performance. However, the touchscreen is somewhat disappointing. On balance it’s a little hard to recommend over the iPad Air given it it's slightly dearer, but if you want an Apple-inspired design while remaining in the Android realm, the S11 is far from a terrible choice.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 review: Price & availability

• Starts from $899.99 / £869 / AU$1,399
• Available now in two colors
• Very expensive for a small tablet

The S11 starts from $899.99 / £869 / AU$1,399 and is available now in two colorways: Grey and Silver. The base model features 12GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. All models come with Samsung’s S Pen. If you want cellular capability, you’ll need to part with an additional £50 / AU$250. US customers only get the Wi-Fi-only model.

This is undeniably expensive for an 11-inch tablet, even one as premium as the S11. An equivalent iPad Air model bundled with the Apple Pencil currently costs slightly less. What’s more, it’s one of the best tablets we’ve reviewed, thanks to its excellent performance and display.

If you want to stick with Android, the OnePlus Pad Go 2 is a great budget alternative to the S11. It comes in at a mere $399.99 / £319 (around AU$570), yet still has a respectable spec and impressive performance. It may have less RAM (8GB), but we still found it capable enough for everyday use.

• Value score: 3/5

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 review: Specs

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 review: Display

• Slight lack of fidelity
• Thick bezel
• Grabby touchscreen

Despite the high 1600 x 2560 resolution of the S11, there’s a slight but noticeable softness and fuzziness to some elements of the UI, as if the resolution is stretched a little too thin for this size of display. This also means that Ultra HD content isn’t quite as pinpoint sharp as you might expect. Thankfully, there’s plenty of brightness and colors are vibrant, so it still makes for a pleasurable viewing experience.

The thickness of the bezel is also disappointing. At 11 inches the display is already small, so you’d think Samsung would want to maximize its real estate to its fullest potential, but instead a thick black border constricts the frame even more.

Perhaps the worst aspect of the display, though, is its touchscreen functionality. I found there was too much friction to perform gestures and swipes easily. What’s more, it’s also prone to attracting debris, more so than other tablets I’ve used. This is not only a visual impediment but no doubt affects the performance of the touchscreen, too.

• Display score: 3.5/5

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 review: Design

• Fabulously premium design
• Compact and relatively light
• Slippery back panel

To say that the S11 takes inspiration from the iPad Air is an understatement. It’s virtually indistinguishable from Apple’s compact tablet, but this isn’t exactly a bad thing, given its stylish looks. However, the S11 lacks the same vibrant color options, with only grey and silver to choose from. My unit was the former and it still looked smart and sleek though.

But the resemblance is more than skin deep. The metal chassis feels just as high-grade as the iPad’s; in fact, it might actually be a cut above the best iPad constructions. The back panel folds around to form the edges, rather than being created from two separate pieces, which is very impressive. On the front, the join to the screen is also close to seamless.

It’s also reassuringly solid and durable, as well as being incredibly smooth. This latter aspect is a slight issue, though, since it can feel quite slippery, so you'll need to take care when holding it upright. At least it’s comfortable to hold, owing to its compact dimensions, minimal weight, and generously rounded corners.

The included S Pen is a fairly basic affair but I found its hexagonal design comfortable and secure. It features a well-placed and easy-to-use button, which is used like a ‘right-click’ to bring up context menus in apps and in the OS itself.

Both of the tablet’s long sides are magnetic, so can be used to attach the S Pen, which is convenient. It’s a shame that the top edge isn’t, though, since it can be awkward to hold the tablet in portrait mode when the stylus is attached to the side. The magnetic hold is strong without making it difficult to remove the stylus when needed.

• Design score: 4.5/5

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 review: Software

• Numerous first-party apps
• Their usefulness varies
• OS is clear and fast

Plenty of Samsung apps are preinstalled on the S11. You’ll have to create a Samsung account to use them, which is a frustrating barrier for using any app. At least it’s easy to set one up if you already have a Google account, as you can use these credentials instead.

Although there’s a lot of them, the first-party apps are mercifully unintrusive. And since this is the year 2026, there are plenty of AI features, too. The most interesting of these is the photo assist mode, which allows you to effortlessly edit images to remove certain elements — such as photobombers and unwanted objects — and add others in based on text prompts.

I have to say I was impressed by this mode when I tested it on photos I shot. As with all things AI, its results aren’t perfect every time, but for rescuing images from unwanted aspects and adding all kinds of extra content, it’s a capable and easy-to-use tool. You can also stylize images by selecting presets, of which there are several, from Anime to Pop Art. Again, this is effective a lot of the time, but not always.

There’s also a drawing app with enough basic illustration features to please budding artists. It’s intuitive to use and it was fast and stable during my time with it, without any glaring bugs or slowdowns occurring.

More basic productivity apps are included as well, such as a note taker and a calendar. The main issue with these — and indeed any first-party Android apps that aren’t owned by Google — is that they fail to outperform Google’s counterparts. And given Google’s cloud platform is similarly superior, you’re much better off using its apps if you plan on working across multiple devices.

One UI 8.5 is an intuitive and amenable operating system. As you might expect, it’s very similar to its smartphone counterpart, which is part of the reason why the Galaxy models are some of the best phones around. The UI is clear and uncluttered, and it's quite easy to navigate and adjust settings.

It’s also easy to resize app windows and move them around on screen, since the options to toggle between fullscreen and pop-out windows, as well as minimize them altogether, are ever-present in the top-right corner of every app, just like a desktop app.

However, I found switching between windows in gesture mode too awkward and slow. After dragging from the bottom of the screen, you have to hold your finger in place for a long time until all your app windows are displayed for selecting. What’s more, that aforementioned grabbiness of the touchscreen makes the action even more difficult. I much preferred using the navigation bar, with its three buttons at the bottom much simpler and quicker to use.

• Software score: 3.5/5

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 review: Performance

• Capable all-round performance
• Fluid and responsive S Pen
• Low-fidelity cameras

The S11 performs well at the kinds of tasks you’d expect from a tablet. It can handle web browsing, light productivity, and 4K streaming without any frustrating slowdowns and stutters.

I was pleasantly surprised with its gaming prowess, too. I managed to play Hitman: Blood Money — Reprisal, a fairly demanding mobile game, without issue. It looked great and ran very smoothly, while my controller worked flawlessly over Bluetooth.

What’s more impressive is that the S11 stays relatively cool during such intensive tasks. A few hotspots appear on the back, but these are far from alarming in my experience, with the tablet remaining comfortable to hold.

Despite the aforementioned touchscreen issues, I’m pleased to report that the S Pen fairs a lot better on the screen. Glides and gestures are frictionless and responsive, making it great for all kinds of scenarios, from basic navigation to drawing and note taking. The palm block feature works as intended, too.

Using the S Pen also gives you access to a handy shortcut menu with selectable functions such as screen drawing and AI search. You can also add your own app shortcuts to this menu, which is convenient.

Despite the impressive image editing capabilities, the cameras in the S11 are disappointing. The low megapixel count means photos lack fidelity, and the basic enhancements available in the camera app can’t fix the lackluster quality of the camera hardware.

• Performance score: 4/5

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 review: Battery

The battery life of the S11 is impressive. While its 8,400mAh battery has a lower capacity than the the 11,600mAh one in the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra, the smaller tablet is less power-hungry.

After a couple of days, it drained to 30%. My use during this time wasn’t constant, but I did use it for a variety of tasks, from productivity and browsing to streaming and gaming. Samsung claims it can stream continuously for 18 hours, and the brand is usually accurate on such matters. This makes it significantly more enduring than the iPad Air, which can last about 10 hours under similar conditions.

Charging the S11 is a quick affair, too, thanks to its 45W wired charging capability, the same as the Ultra’s. It took about a couple of hours to fully replenish in my experience.

• Battery score: 4.5

Should I buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11?

Scorecard

Buy it if…

Don't buy it if…

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 review: Also consider

How I tested the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11

• Tested for several days
• Used for a variety of task
• Tablet reviewing experience

I tested the S11 for several days. I used it for a variety of tasks, from general browsing and light productivity to streaming and gaming.

I also used the included S Pen for drawing, writing, and navigation. I tried its various first-party apps and AI features, and tested the cameras by taking photos and holding video calls. I wasn’t able to use the S11 with the optional Book Cover Keyboard, though.

I have experience reviewing tablets and other mobile devices, such as smartphones and laptops. I’ve also used such devices personally for decades.

• Read more about how we test
• First reviewed: July 2026

Well, we saw this coming: Apple just announced major price hikes across its product portfolio, meaning popular devices like the MacBook and iPad are getting more expensive.

• Browse the full Amazon Prime Day sale

In fact, they’ve already gotten more expensive — the Apple store went offline this morning and reappeared an hour later with the new product prices. These increases are a response to “an extraordinary surge in demand for memory and storage,” Apple confirmed to TechRadar, adding that “we have shielded our customers from these increases so far, but we have now reached a point where we need to begin raising prices.” Sigh.

As TechRadar’s Phones and Tablets Editor, I’m particularly irked by the fact that the iPad Air now starts at $749 / £749 — that’s a $150 / £100 increase over its former $599 / £599 starting price, which taints its appeal as an affordable all-rounder.

The iPad Air has long been my go-to tablet recommendation for most people, but at this new price, I’m more inclined to recommend the iPad 11-inch (2025), which continues to start at a comparatively cheap $349 / £329.

The good news among all this doom and gloom is that Amazon’s annual Prime Day sale is happening right now, and several excellent Prime Day iPad deals are live in both the US and the UK. The iPad Air is among these discounted Apple tablets, so if you’ve been considering buying one, I’d recommend doing so ASAP — it may never be this affordable again.

For more details on Apple's iPad price increases, head to the bottom of the page.

Today's best iPad deals in the US

• iPad 11-inch (2025): was $349 now $299
• iPad mini 8.3-inch (2024): was $499 now $399
• iPad Air 11-inch (2026): was $599 now $519.99
• iPad Air 13-inch (2026) (256GB): was $899 now $789
• iPad Pro 11-inch (2025): now $999 now $899
• iPad Pro 13-inch (2025): was $1,299 now $1,199

Today's best iPad deals in the UK

• iPad 11-inch (2025): was £329 now £310
• iPad mini 8.3-inch (2024): was £499 now £475
• iPad Air 11-inch (2026): was £599 now £578.99
• iPad Air 13-inch (2026): was £799 now £768.99
• iPad Pro 11-inch (2025): was £999 now £944
• iPad Pro 13-inch (2025): was £1,299 now £1,242.25

Full iPad price changes

Here's a rundown of Apple's iPad price changes in full:

More Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Beauty: 50% off toothbrushes & hair tools
• Cheap TVs: smart TVs from $69.99
• Garden: tools, mowers, planters from $24.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Mattresses: Sealy, Serta & more from $186
• Patio: outdoor furniture, rugs & decor from $19.99
• Sports: 50% off fitness gear, treadmills & clothing
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

More Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: get a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: Fire, Ring & Blink from £13.99
• Amazon Haul: up to 30% off
• Apple: up to 33% off AirPods & Apple Watch
• Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja & Tefal
• Beauty: up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B
• Essentials: household goods from £5
• Fans: from £20
• Fashion: up to 50% off
• Gaming: £90 off PlayStation 5
• Headphones: up to 50% off Beats & Sony
• Laptops: from £149
• Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £79.99
• Toys: up to 25% off Lego and Tonies
• TVs: from £129.99
• Vacuums: up to 40% off Shark & Roborock
• Wearables: up to 30% off Garmin & Oura

It’s almost time for WWDC 2026, where Apple is expected to announce iOS 27 and all sorts of other software updates. But will we see new hardware? And more specifically, new iPads? Well, we can’t say for sure, but we do have a fairly good idea of what to expect (and not expect).

Sadly, the answer to that question is probably 'no' — for two reasons. The first is obvious — WWDC is Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, with the key word there being ‘developers’, meaning that the focus is on software, not hardware.

Now, that doesn’t completely rule out new devices. After all, Apple has announced various Macs and MacBooks at WWDC in recent years. The HomePod was also unveiled at WWDC back in 2019, and looking back further, some early iPhones even got a WWDC unveiling.

In fact, the iPad Pro (2017) was even announced at that year’s WWDC, so a new iPad in 2026 isn’t completely out of the question.

But it is very unlikely — while hardware does sometimes make an appearance at WWDC, most years, there’s next to none, and we haven’t heard any indication that a new iPad will land at this year’s event.

Plus, in recent years, Apple has tended to unveil its new tablets either early in the year, in March or occasionally April, or towards the end of the year, in September or October. Mid-year launches are rare.

And this year, we did indeed see an early-year launch, with the iPad Air (2026) landing back in March. That was only a few months ago, so it would seem odd for Apple to launch another model so soon.

So, based on all of that, I’d say it’s very unlikely that we’ll see a new iPad at WWDC 2026. That said, if you’re an iPad fan, it could still be worth tuning in to the keynote, which kicks off at 1pm ET / 10am PT / 6pm BST today (Monday, June 8,) or 3am AEST on Tuesday, June 9 if you’re in Australia.

Why you should still tune in

While we probably won’t see new iPads at WWDC 2026, Apple is almost certainly going to unveil some new software in the form of iPadOS 27, which could include some major changes and upgrades.

Nothing has been announced on that front yet, but leaks and rumors point to the long-awaited Siri overhaul, which could turn Apple's voice assistant into a proper AI chatbot, powered by a custom version of Google Gemini.

This upgrade reportedly won’t be limited to just making Siri smarter, though; it’s also likely to include new capabilities, like better AI photo editing prowess and on-screen awareness, so Siri can understand and respond to whatever’s on your screen. It will probably also be able to perform multi-step actions across multiple apps.

Beyond that, iPadOS 27 is also likely to bring improvements to various apps, such as the ability to use natural language to create shortcuts in the Shortcuts app, more customization options in the camera app, redesigned Safari and Weather apps, and a Grammarly-style keyboard upgrade.

These are all things that we’ll probably see in iOS 27 too, but on the iPad-specific side, reports point to new layouts for Apple Music, Apple TV, and the Podcasts app to make better use of the iPad's larger display. Plus, there are likely to be various performance and stability improvements.

While iPadOS 27 will probably be announced at WWDC 2026, it’s unlikely to launch in finished form until September — but in the meantime, we expect various betas to roll out, giving you a chance to try many of the features early if you don’t mind some bugs.

So, if you want to see exactly what Apple is cooking up on the software side, here’s how to watch WWDC 2026 live — though, of course, we’ll be covering all the announcements here too.

When might we see new iPads?

So, if we probably won’t see new iPads at WWDC, when might we? Well, the next point in the year when Apple would typically announce new tablets is September or October — either alongside the iPhone 18 line in the former month or separately a month later. The latter, though, has been more common, especially in recent years.

Of those two months, I’d guess October is the more likely, so the new tablets have some time to shine rather than getting buried in the iPhone launch. Of course, there’s a chance we won’t see any more new iPads this year, and that Apple will instead wait until March of 2027. After all, we don’t always see late-year iPad launches, but we have in the last two years.

Whenever we do get new iPads, the most likely models are the base model iPad (2026) and an iPad mini (2026), both of which have been rumored for a launch this year. That said, Apple doesn’t stick to yearly updates for its iPads, so it’s hard to predict.

There may also be a new iPad Pro this year, but with no real reports of one and the previous model only landing last October, we wouldn’t count on it. And with the latest iPad Air having landed earlier this year, it’s unlikely the next model of that will be among Apple’s next tablet releases — especially if we do see new slates this year.

Apple’s iPad Air has been a great middle-ground tablet in recent years, sitting between the top-tier workhorse iPad Pro and the base model iPad.

While it’s tempting to get this year’s model with the desktop-class Apple M4 processor, last year’s iPad Air with the M3 chipset is currently discounted on Amazon Australia at AU$797, which is 20% off the RRP of the new version.

The current model might have the more powerful processor and more RAM (12GB vs 8GB in the M3 model), but our tests have shown that you really won’t feel the difference in speed between the two iPad Airs when browsing, streaming, taking notes or drawing. The power upgrade really only makes a difference if you’re doing a lot of heavy 3D or AI work with the tablet. For the average user, the M3 silicon is plenty powerful and then some.

In our iPad Air M3 review, the tester found the chipset helped make the tablet fly with nearly every task thrown at it, handling video editing and graphically demanding AAA games effortlessly. They even said that the tablet performed almost similarly to the M4 iPad Pro at the time, which had them question exactly which specific use cases might require someone to make that jump to the top-tier offering.

While the iPad Air is still capped at a 60Hz refresh rate, the Liquid Retina display is excellent and has punchy colours, good contrast and 500 nits peak brightness.

The M3 model is also perfect if you’re upgrading from an older iPad Air, an entry-level iPad or another tablet, providing you with enough processing power to last you a few more years before it feels sluggish.

If you want to take full advantage of the iPad Air’s features, you can use your savings to invest in the Apple Pencil Pro to take notes with, or get a keyboard folio to make it a laptop replacement.

It’s been years since I last invested in one of the best laptops, but now my trusted Chromebook is looking a little worse for wear. For a while, I’ve been toying with the idea of replacing it with the iPad Air with M3 — until Apple unveiled the rather attractive MacBook Neo.

Apple’s first entry-level MacBook is one of three new models on the way (along with the MacBook Air M5 and MacBook Pro M5 Pro), marking Apple’s first budget MacBook starting at $599/ £599/ AU$899. Though I’ve gone my whole life without having owned an Apple laptop, the MacBook Neo has me in a trance, and I’m seriously tempted to abandon my initial plan to convert to iPad for a number of key reasons.

The MacBook Neo puts the iPad in a very vulnerable position indeed, especially since more users gravitate towards iPads over MacBooks as a simpler option, primarily because of the laptop's high price point, which also saves them money on advanced features they know will go unused. The Neo shakes this up, not just because of its value, but because of its simple yet plentiful tools — and I like what I see.

1. iPads and its accessories are annoyingly expensive

Price-wise, the MacBook Neo is more or less the same cost as the best iPads, with the exception of the standard iPad range, which starts from a slightly lower price point ($349/ £329/ AU$599). But it adds up even more if you want all the gear, such as the Apple Pencil (starting from $79/ £79/ AU$139), or the Magic Keyboard (starting from $249/ £249/ AU$399).

2. macOS offers a better experience

As far as operating systems, macOS is a lot more flexible than iPadOS for multitasking and app availability, especially when it comes to offering full-featured versions of apps such as Adobe Creative Cloud. More often than not, iPadOS versions of popular apps aren't as extensive in comparison, which isn't a huge setback if you're using an iPad as a tablet, but rings alarm bells if you want to use it like a laptop, as iPadOS is designed to be touchscreen first.

Historically, iPad has also been late to the game with rolling out its own versions of popular apps. It didn’t make its WhatsApp debut until May 2025, and its official Instagram app followed in September 2025.

3. Same size, same fun colors…

The MacBook Neo comes with the same 13-inch screen as most iPad models and, for the first time in forever, comes with a variety of fun color options, just like the standard iPad lineup. Despite the lack of a touchscreen, the MacBook Neo adopts similar design quirks — plus you don’t have to fork out more money to add a keyboard, what more could you want?

4. …and the same Liquid Retina display

Similar to the iPad Air’s screen size and color options, the MacBook Neo also packs Apple’s high-res Liquid Retina display, which could’ve easily been compromised to lower the cost even more.

5. Solid battery life that gets you by

As well as display quality, the battery life on the MacBook Neo is pretty solid for a base-level laptop. Packing an all-day battery life that can run on a single charge (it’s up to 16 hours for continuous video playback), the Neo matches the iPad Air on the battery front.

The Apple March event was held earlier this week and unveiled the all-new iPad Air M4, available for preorder starting at $599. While you can find trade-in offers from other retailers, Walmart is actually offering a $40 discount on the iPad Air, bringing the price down to $559.

That's not only an incredible discount on a brand-new Apple device, but also a great price for a powerful 11-inch Apple tablet packed with features.

Preorder the iPad Air M4 and save $40 at Walmart

The latest iPad Air packs Apple's M4 processor, which Apple claims is 30% faster than its predecessor, delivering laptop-like performance and powering Apple Intelligence. The tablet also features an 11-inch LED display, Wi-Fi 7 support, LTE or 5G connectivity, and now includes 12GB of RAM. You also get a 12MP front and rear camera, Touch ID, and an all-day battery life.

The iPad Air M4 ships on March 11, and I can't guarantee Walmart will have this impressive discount once preorders are over. If you want to get Apple's newest iPad for the lowest price possible with no strings attached, then I highly recommend this deal while it's available.

This week's Apple March event unveiled new devices, including the iPhone 17e, iPad Air M4, MacBook Neo, and MacBook Pro M5, all of which are available for preorder. As TechRadar's deals editor, it's my job to find the best preorder deals, and as of right now, Best Buy is leading the pack.

• Shop Apple's full shopping event sale

The retailer is offering discounts, trade-in offers, and free gift cards on the iPad Air, the MacBook Neo, and the MacBook Pro 5. Preorder deals on Apple devices are extremely rare, which is why Best Buy's current offers are so incredible.

Perhaps the best deal is on the iPad Air M4, thanks to a trade-in offer that can get you the tablet for as little as $249, plus a $40 discount with no strings attached. If you're interested in Apple's cheapest MacBook, you can get a free $50 e-gift card when you preorder the $599 MacBook Neo. And last but not least, you can score a $100 free e-gift card with the powerful MacBook Pro M5.

One thing to keep in mind while shopping Best Buy's preorder offers is that its apart of its Apple event sale. That means today's deals are limited-time offers that end on Sunday at Midnight, and this might be your only chance to preorder a brand-new Apple device at a discounted price.

The best preorder Apple deals at Best Buy

The all-new iPad Air M4 was unveiled earlier this week at the Apple March event, and it's officially available to preorder. If you're looking to upgrade to the powerful iPad, then Apple has an incredible trade-in offer that can get you the tablet for free.

• Shop all of Apple's newest devices

Apple is offering up to $670 in credits toward your iPad (starting at $40) when you trade in a qualifying Apple device. When you pre-order your iPad, you'll select 'add a trade-in,' and you'll be asked a few questions to get your estimated trade-in value. If you choose to finance your iPad, Apple will apply the trade-in value as instant credit. If you pay the full amount, they'll credit your payment method once they've received and evaluated your trade-in.

Today's best preorder deal on the iPad Air M4

The Apple iPad M4 starts at $599 for 128GB, $699 for 256GB, $899 for 512GB, and $1,000 for 1 TB. The newest iPad packs Apple's M4 processor, which delivers laptop-like power and seep and powers Apple Intelligence. The tablet also features an 11-inch LED display, Wi-Fi 7 support, LTE or 5G connectivity, and an all-day battery life.

Apple's trade-in offer can get you the iPad Air M4 for free, depending on what model you pick and your estimated trade-in value. This is a fantastic offer if you have an older iPad and want to upgrade to the newest iPad Air.

Shop more of today's iPad Air M4 deals

• Amazon: in stock from $599
• Best Buy: $40 off, plus up to $350 with trade-in
• Walmart: on sale for $559 - save $40

Apple recently announced a new iPad Air and there’s already a great way to save on preorders. From 9:15am ET on March 4, you will be able to preorder the Apple iPad Air (M4) at Best Buy from as little as $249 when trading in.

To grab the best discount, you need to trade in a fairly new device. For instance, if you trade in the iPad Air (M3) 11-inch model or an iPad Pro 12.9 (4th Gen), you get $350 trade-in towards the iPad Air (M4). If you trade in the iPad mini (6th Gen), you get $200 off.

It’s worth playing around with the trade-in system to see how you can save while getting rid of unwanted older tech. Bear in mind that how cheap that makes the Apple iPad Air (M4) depends on which model you’re aiming for.

The Apple iPad Air (M4) provides the same design as previous models, but it now uses Apple’s much more powerful M4 chip. There’s also Wi-Fi 7 support, and LTE or 5G for relevant models. Think of this all as a small but important upgrade if you want the fastest iPad Air around. It's sleek enough to carry around easily, too.

iPad Air preorder deal at Best Buy

As the Apple iPad Air (M4) has only just been announced, we haven’t had any hands-on time with it yet. However, we gave the iPad Air (M3) a highly respectable 4.5 stars out of five. We appreciated the power that the M3 chip offers, its “vibrant screen”, and “strong battery life and audio."

That seems almost certain to carry over to this M4 model, so we’re counting on it riding high in our look at the best iPads soon.

For Apple enthusiasts, it’ll be one of the best tablets to upgrade to, even if it’s a relatively subtle improvement over the previous model. If you need something more powerful than your phone but more portable than your laptop, this is a great way to bridge the gap.

If you can’t wait for the latest model or you want to buy something a little cheaper, take a look at the other iPad deals currently going on. There are some good tablet deals around for every budget and need.

• Apple has announced a new iPad Air
• The iPad Air now features the M4 chip alongside the N1 and C1X
• It keeps the starting price as the previous iPad Air with M3

Well, Tim Cook teased a big week ahead of Apple’s invite-only March 4, 2026, event, and the Cupertino-based tech giant is wasting no time. Apple has just announced an upgraded iPad Air with the M4 chip inside.

Now, while there isn't much to speak about in terms of design, Apple is supercharging things under the hood with better-equipped, more powerful silicon. And that’s really something we’ve come to expect from Apple’s now-annual refreshes of its mid-range iPads.

The iPad Air still sports a modern design, available in two sizes – 11-inch and 13-inch – with Touch ID for easy authentication and support for the Apple Pencil Pro, but the real upgrade here is the swap to Apple’s M4 chip from the M3. Apple promises a big boost, even generation over generation, as the M4 iPad Air is up to 30% faster than the M3.

It’s also not just the M4 chip, though; Apple is also upgrading connectivity with its own in-house chips – the N1 and C1X – for fast Wi-Fi 7 and LTE or 5G connectivity. All of this should make iPadOS 26 run smoothly and, honestly, continue to position the iPad Air as the Pro-level iPad for most consumers.

It still comes in four color options – blue, purple, starlight, or space gray – and starts at the same price in the United States. That’s $599 / £599 / AU$999 for the 11-inch iPad Air and $799 / £799 / AU$1249 for the 13-inch iPad Air, both with 128GB of storage and Wi-Fi connectivity.

The M4 chip should keeps things fresh

As I noted above, the main change with the iPad Air in 2026 is the chip. The M4 chip inside is configured with an 8-core CPU, 9-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine. It's also getting a 50% increase in RAM, now up to 12GB, which should make this iPad well-equipped for multitasking and more intense processes. With the latter, think 3D rendering in apps and large exports.

Beyond the improvements for general use I shared above, Apple also promises that the M4 iPad Air will deliver up to 4x faster 3D pro rendering with ray tracing compared to the original iPad Air with M1. I suspect this will really shine with video and photo editing, alongside other creative tasks and gaming on the iPad Air.

Alongside the Apple-made M4 chip, there are two other additions inside that bring more robust connectivity. The N1 chip means the iPad Air supports Thread, Bluetooth 6, and Wi-Fi 7 connectivity, with the latter being new. Apple’s own C1X modem, which debuted on the iPhone Air, will power cellular connectivity on eligible iPad Air models. As with most previous iPad models, the Air with M4 is eSIM-only.

Between the M4 chip, the N1, and the C1X silicon, that about wraps up the major changes for the iPad Air. It still offers Touch ID in the power button paired with either an 11-inch or 13-inch Liquid Retina display with support for True Tone, Wide Color (P3), and an anti-reflective coating.

One note on display size: Apple is rounding up slightly, but these are the same as the last generation — the 11-inch is actually 10.86 inches, and the 13-inch is 12.9 inches, both measured diagonally.

The iPad Air with M4 still starts at 128GB of storage, but you can configure it up to 1TB. Pricing starts at $599 / £599 / AU$999 for the 11-inch iPad Air with Wi-Fi or $799 / £799 / AU$1249 for the 13-inch iPad Air with Wi-Fi. As always, cellular models start a bit higher at $749 for the 11-inch and $949 for the 13-inch. It's still compatible with the Magic Keyboard for iPad Air — both sizes — and works with the Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C).

Apple will kick off preorders for the iPad Air with M4 on March 4, 2026, and it will officially launch on March 11, 2026.

We'll be going hands-on with the latest iPad Air as soon as we can. Let us know what you think about the upgrade from M3 to M4 in the comments below.

Apple has just announced a press event – well, technically an 'experience', which suggests something slightly lower-key – taking place on March 4, 2026, in New York, as well as London and Shanghai.

As ever, the company is keeping tight-lipped about what product launches we might see at the event, with nothing specific mentioned in the press invite itself.

However, we have a pretty good idea of what might be coming already based on the very active rumor mill when it comes to Apple. Indeed, one of the main fonts of speculation, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, has already tweeted that a clue in the invite points to a new affordable MacBook.

I'll come back to that shortly, but as well as that lower-tier MacBook, further laptops are expected to be launched by Apple, namely new MacBook Pro models.

Remembering that the iPhone 16e was launched around this time last year, we are also anticipating the successor to that handset, the iPhone 17e. On top of that, we may well witness the revelation of new iPads.

Let's break down the likely revelations for the March event, which Gurman believes is going to consist of online announcements and hands-on previews at the three locations. Then we'll look at what we might not see at this event (sorry – 'experience', which again hints at a hands-on feel).

1. MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips

There have been strong rumors that Apple will release new MacBook Pro models with more powerful processors early this year, and tipster Mark Gurman has previously suggested these laptops would debut in the first week of March. Obviously, that lines up perfectly with this event.

Also, don't forget that we've recently seen that new MacBook Pro M4 Max orders are delayed substantially, which is normally the case with an outgoing model, as stock is run down to prepare for its successor. So, all signs point to these new portables being imminent.

Of course, the new processors in the MacBook Pro will be the M5 Pro and M5 Max, but there might be something very different about them this time around – namely that both CPUs may be built on the same base chip. The M5 Max, a recently aired theory runs, would effectively be the higher-binned silicon, and the M5 Pro would be a lower-binned variant with a lesser amount of CPU and GPU cores based on the configuration chosen.

Take that with some seasoning, but it might mean MacBook Pro buyers are going to benefit from more customization options with these higher-end processors.

2. A cheaper MacBook with A18 chip

Another much-rumored possibility is a new bottom-tier MacBook that's much more affordable than the MacBook Air.

Apparently, Apple's plan with this is to use an iPhone processor – the A18 Pro, seemingly – to cut the cost of making such a device, as well as dropping down to 8GB of system RAM. (Which notably would defy its recent stance to deploy 16GB with all its Macs).

The idea with the price is obviously to make it affordable, possibly around the $699 to $799 mark in the US, or so runs the latest speculation – which has also put forward the belief that Apple's going all-in with this one. We're told shipments could be in the order of 5 to 8 million units, which would represent about a quarter of last's years total sales for Macs.

The clue I mentioned at the outset, flagged by Gurman on X, is that the colors on the press invite are light green, blue and yellow – which just happens to be the same colors seen on the test laptops for the affordable MacBook. It could mean nothing, of course, but I think that's a pretty heavy hint.

3. iPhone 17e

As noted at the outset, the iPhone 16e arrived at a press event a year ago, and there were already firm rumors that the iPhone 17e is 'imminent' – in fact we heard that last week. With this press event now revealed, we can put two and two together and, erm – actually, maybe we should be putting 8.5 and 8.5 together to get 17.

Again, it's Mark Gurman who believes this mid-range iPhone is close on the horizon, but the bad news is that the leaker isn't anticipating the device to be much of an upgrade on the existing model.

The main move will simply be upgrading the engine from the A18 chip to A19, which will obviously help the smartphone to be peppier – and another neat extra could be the introduction of MagSafe support.

While it may not be a hugely exciting new launch, and more of an iterative upgrade, the better news is that Apple is expected to hold the price of the iPhone 17e steady at $599 / £599 / AU$999 for this punchier handset. That's particularly good to hear given that we're in a full-blown RAM crisis (and storage is facing serious price hikes, too).

4. iPad Air (8th-gen)

We're expecting a couple of new iPads, including a refreshed Air model. A bit like the rumored iPhone 17e, this iPad Air is not supposed to be a major step forward, but it will get a chip upgrade – from the M3 in the current model to the M4. A tablet packing the M4 chipset would be quite something in terms of power and portability, of course.

5. iPad (12th-gen)

Along with the iPad Air, we're expecting a new iPad (which would be the 12th-gen incarnation). Again, this is expected to be a modest revamp, with the key move being Apple upgrading the A16 chip to an A18.

That's a sizable leap, and one that should see the iPad incorporate Apple Intelligence – with the current model not able to do so. Those keen on AI, then, will be glad to see that happen – if it does.

As ever, take all these rumors – all this iPad speculation again comes from Mark Gurman – with a suitable dose of seasoning.

What we're less likely to get – although you never know…

A revamped Studio Display, or Mac Studio, is a possibility that some people are certainly keeping their fingers crossed for. These devices are rumored for a refresh in the first half of 2026, but I'm not sure we'll see them just yet.

The same is true for the MacBook Air M5, which has also been rumored for early this year. But the new MacBook Pro models, and affordable MacBook, feel like more likely inclusions – and Apple surely won't be launching too many MacBooks at once.

Some folks are hopeful for a new Apple TV, but that seems unlikely to happen just yet, and Gurman explicitly pours cold water on the idea of Siri's big AI overhaul taking center stage here (though we'll likely hear something about it, or be treated to some teasers at least – or maybe a bit more).

• Apple will reportedly launch two new tablets soon
• These will be new models in the iPad and iPad Air lines
• They could have new chipsets but few other upgrades

If you’re in the market for a new standard iPad or iPad Air then now is just about the worst time to buy one, as it sounds like new models could be launching very soon.

This is according to reputable Apple watcher Mark Gurman, who in his latest newsletter for Bloomberg (via MacRumors), claims that new models in these lines are “coming soon".

He doesn't mention an exact date, but the iPad (2025) and iPad Air (2025) both launched in early March last year, so another early March launch would make sense, and would definitely count as "coming soon".

These don’t sound like they’ll be massive upgrades over their predecessors, but one major thing is apparently changing, with Gurman claiming that the next iPad will have an A18 chipset (an upgrade from the A16 Bionic in the current one), while the next iPad Air will have an M4 chipset (up from an M3 currently).

An AI upgrade

So the iPad Air will unsurprisingly be the more powerful of these tablets if this claim is accurate, but the standard iPad would arguably be getting the bigger upgrade, since the move to an A18 should allow it to handle Apple Intelligence, which the current standard iPad can’t. For fans of AI, that’s a big deal, and should help seriously future-proof the slate.

Beyond the chipsets, though, not much is apparently changing, with these two tablets said to look much like their predecessors and have generally similar specs.

If that's the case then they might not be worth upgrading to if you already have an iPad or iPad Air from 2025; but for new buyers or anyone currently using an older model they should absolutely be worth waiting for compared to what’s available right now.

2025 will be remembered as the year when, while we were still waiting on a truly smarter, AI-infused Siri, Apple introduced next-generation AirPods Pro, an ultra-thin iPhone, took its Pro iPhones to the next level, and delivered speedy Macs in several designs.

But perhaps the most exciting additions were to Apple’s iPad lineup. We got three new models: the entry-level 11th-Gen iPad, the iPad Air with M3 chip, and the iPad Pro with the M5. There was nothing new design-wise, but, with a nod to Bruce Springsteen, it was all about the fuel injection rather than the chrome wheels.

The fuel injection came courtesy of the latest Apple silicon, and Apple made the most of that extra power with arguably the biggest changes to iPadOS yet. With true windowing and the introduction of some of the best aspects of macOS, iPadOS 26 is what really made 2025 a landmark year for Apple's tablets.

Apple showed more of its cards with the iPad than ever before

It’s clear that Apple has been performing a balancing act with the iPad for many years – many users rely on their tablets for a mix of entertainment and productivity, and others want their iPad to be the one device to rule them all.

Much of what iPadOS 26 delivered was productivity focused, in the shape of a proper menu bar and dock; more flexible, reliable, and customizable multitasking; a major update to the Files app; and support for background tasks. It’s more macOS-like than ever before, including the red, yellow and green buttons for closing, minimizing and expanding windows, and even a menu bar that feels right out of macOS. We got a Mac-like experience in a form factor that offers easier portability, unique experiences, and – maybe most importantly – flexibility in terms of input.

You can operate the iPad with your fingers, a trackpad, the Apple Pencil, or even a connected mouse or trackpad. It’s a supremely versatile performer, but given how far Apple had taken performance – remember the redesigned iPad Pro launched in 2024 with the M4 chip, before that piece of silicon hit the Mac – the company needed to offer a more robust software experience. As my colleague Lance Ulanoff learned from senior Apple execs, it was something the company had been working on for quite some time.

iPadOS 26 shipped with most of its promised features in September 2025. I’ve used it across a broad range of iPad models, including the current lineup (11th Gen, mini, Air, and Pro) and the 9th-Gen entry-level iPad – while that model isn't as capable as the 11th-Gen iPads or the iPad Pro, the software upgrades have blurred the lines between models when it comes to performance.

As I wrote back shortly after Apple unveiled the fresh software, while it was still in beta, it was a purpose-built upgrade for the iPad – one that catered to the iPad faithful and stayed true to Apple’s ethos. It wasn’t blowing up the classic iPad experience, but it did introduce a familiar, easy-to-grasp way to manage windows. It also delivered some more advanced features that catered to users already maxing out the iPad experience.

Keeping the hardware ticking along

I reviewed all the iPads that Apple released this year, and the common theme is speed upgrades – to the point where the advantages you'll get from going Pro are less obvious than previously. The iPad Air comes in two sizes and is really a stunner, even if it’s not as ultra-thin as the iPad Pro.

In either an 11-inch or 13-inch size, with fun colors to pick from, long battery life, support for key accessories like the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil, and with the M3 chip now under the hood, it really feels like the model to choose if you want a larger size without the Pro price premium, and don't need sufficient power to use it as your main device.

It’s a strong performer, and a device I keep coming back to, even after testing the latest-generation iPad Pro with the M5 under the hood. If you don’t need the extra vibrancy or contrast capabilities of the OLED screen or Face ID – though I do wish this were on more models – it really comes down to budget.

Complicating your choices further is the 11th-Gen iPad – Apple Pencil quirks aside – which is an excellent model, and likely the best iPad for most users. The A16 Bionic chip under the hood provides plenty of headroom for both work or play, and while it doesn’t support Apple Intelligence, it doesn’t really matter here. It checks the boxes for what you’d want from an iPad, and at an approachable price point.

The iPad mini didn’t receive an update, which means the dream of an OLED screen in this size remains just that for now. But even that device supports iPadOS 26’s new windowing, which makes the case for a Magic Keyboard even more palpable than in years past. Please, Apple.

What’s to come in 2026?

While I can’t predict the future, the ever-churning Apple rumor mill gives us some idea of what we can expect to see from Apple in 2026, and it’s also instructive to look at what Apple did this year. I think the next entry-level 12th-Gen iPad could arrive at some point in the coming year, but don’t expect a treasure trove of new features.

I think the big upgrade here will be a better A-series chip from Apple that's not only more efficient but also adds support for Apple Intelligence. Hopefully, whatever version of iPadOS follows will also, finally, arrive with the AI-infused Siri. Similarly, rumors suggest the iPad Air will keep the same looks and feature set but gain a slightly faster M-series chip, likely the M4.

Basically, this would be a carbon copy of Apple’s approach to iPad upgrades that we saw this year and last year. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has reported that new entry-level iPad and iPad Air upgrades will likely arrive sometime in 2026.

The more exciting model we could see next year is an iPad mini with a refreshed design, a better chip, and an OLED screen. This likely wouldn't arrive until the second half of the year, and it’s also reported that it might get a more water-resistant case.

The smallest iPad will likely be the most exciting change next year, while the iPad Pro could receive a chip upgrade, although nothing major in terms of a redesign is planned until 2027, according to recent reports.

Where we might see more exciting developments is in a refinement of the new iPadOS experience and the introduction of new features – maybe more customization around windowing to start. It’s one of the biggest ways Apple can improve the experience for people who already have an iPad and potentially tempt others to upgrade.

But if Tim Cook is listening, let’s keep the list of supported models long when it comes to future updates. I think that’s a major reason why 2025 was so successful for iPadOS 26 and the iPad as a whole.

Few tech products are more consistently popular during big sales than tablets, and Black Friday 2025 is no different, with tablet deals trending once again.

If you’re one of the many people looking to snag a bargain slate this year, the big day is finally here and we’re happy to report that retailers are delivering the goods when it comes to tablet deals.

However, with sales from seemingly every retailer in the country to analyse, it can be hard to actually separate the good deals from the best ones. Luckily, we've been tracking tablet deals for nearly a month already, so we know what's what.

Whether you need an iPad that can handle your entire workload, a Galaxy tablet for watching Disney+ in the bath, or to snap up your last Christmas gift idea for a loved one, we’ve rounded up six Australian Black Friday tablet deals that cater to almost every use case.

Below, we've ordered them from cheapest to most expensive to make things even simpler.

Not looking for a tablet specifically? We're covering all sorts of November tech sales, including discounts on Apple devices, the top Samsung deals and just the all-round best Black Friday sales we've found.

Black Friday season is well and truly underway, and the TechRadar mobile desk is keeping a lookout for the best phone deals and best tablet deals around. As a recent graduate myself, I have to highlight this great discount on the best iPad for students – you can now get the iPad Air 11-inch (M3) for $449 (was $599) at Amazon.

• Shop Amazon's full Black Friday sale

That’s one of the best Black Friday deals I’ve seen so far, as considerable cash savings are hard to come by for Apple products. Furthermore, the iPad Air is one of the most powerful tablets on the market, and can easily hold its own against Android tablets that cost twice as much.

(Not in the US? See today's best deals in your region below)

Today's best iPad Air 11-inch (M3) Black Friday deal

The iPad Air is our pick for the best iPad for students for a few key reasons. With 11 inches of screen (measured diagonally), it’s portable enough to go anywhere with you, but it still offers enough screen space to make the most of iPadOS 26 (I know first hand as an 11-inch iPad Pro user).

What’s more, the iPad Air has the M3 chipset, a desktop-class piece of silicon that enables complex multitasking, scaled output to external displays, and heavy workloads. Students who need to edit videos, audio, photos, and other documents will have no trouble doing so on the iPad Air.

Then there’s the great accessories the iPad Air can use, including the Magic Keyboard for iPad Air and Apple Pencil Pro. While both are sold separately, this $150 discount gives you some headroom to pick up Apple’s first-party keyboard case or famously feature-rich stylus, should either take your fancy.

If you’re an iPhone user already, there’s no question that the iPad Air is a great buy for high school, college, postgraduate study, or indeed just as a personal device. Its looped in to the Apple ecosystem, and supports all the best apps (and games, for when you need some downtime). At $449, it’s still a considerable investment, but it's the best tablet you can buy at this price. Be sure to check out our full iPad Air 11-inch (M3) review for more details.

Shop more of today's best Black Friday sales

• Amazon: 45% off TVs, AirPods, air fryers & vacuums
• Apple: iPads, AirPods & MacBooks from $119
• Best Buy: $1,000 off TVs, laptops & headphones
• Dell: laptop deals from $249.99
• Home Depot: 40% off appliances, furniture, grills & tools
• Lenovo: 45% off laptops & tablets
• Lowe's: up to 30% off appliances, holiday decor & tools
• Samsung: up to $2,000 off appliances, TVs & phones
• Target: 40% off Christmas decor, clothing & furniture
• T-Mobile: up to $1,100 off latest iPhone 17
• Walmart: furniture, cheap TVs & vacs from $69
• Wayfair: 54% off Christmas, furniture & decor

• Apple has released iPadOS 26.1
• The new update brings back Slide Over multitasking, which was removed with iPadOS 26
• Fan-favorite Split View is still missing

Apple has released iPadOS 26.1, the first major update to iPadOS 26, bringing fixes and new features to the best iPads.

Many of the new features, like a tinted mode for Liquid Glass and new gestures in Apple Music, are shared between iPadOS 26.1 and iOS 26.1, which launched simultaneously, but there is one key feature exclusive to Apple's tablet lineup.

For iPad users specifically, the update brings marks the return of a much-loved iPadOS 18 feature, giving touchscreen-focused users back some of the multitasking power they lose with iPadOS 26.

iPadOS 26.1 brings Slide Over back to the iPad, serving up touchscreen users some extra multitasking power. The feature allows users to quickly access an app in a floating window on the edge of the display which can be swiped away off-screen when not needed.

Slide Over was a staple iPadOS feature for years up until the release of iPadOS 26, when it was quietly removed. Of course, iPadOS 26 also brought with it massively expanded multitasking capabilities with new free-floating windows and background processing. But for some users it seems that this shifted the priority to keyboard users, inspiring plenty of annoyed Reddit threads.

Luckily, Slide Over is back in iPadOS 26.1, and thanks to a new resizeable window could be considered more powerful than ever. As MacRumors reports, you can now access Slide Over by tapping the green full-screen button on the app window and pressing “Enter Slide Over”.

That’s sure to feel like a win for touchscreen users who felt left behind by iPadOS 26 – but there’s still more Apple could do to cater for its hands-on audience.

Split View is still missing

Apple didn’t just remove Slide Over with iPadOS 26 – it also took out Split View, which through iPadOS 18 allowed users to quickly and easily open two apps side by side, with a slider in the middle of the display controlling the size of each app.

And while Slide Over has made a return with iPadOS 26.1, filling the screen with two apps remains more tedious than before.

You can still do so, but now you’ll need to work with the new windowing system, dragging apps around and holding the full-screen button to access different app layouts.

As someone who uses their iPad with a keyboard and on its own in roughly equal measure, I’ve been missing Split View since the launch of iPadOS 26 – as much as I love the new windowed multitasking, I do think Apple needs to keep a good range of features available for people who want to use their tablet's touchscreen to get things done.

Will you be using Slide Over in iPadOS 26.1, or are you waiting for Split View to return? Let us know in the comments below.

The iPad Air is the long-serving middle child of Apple’s tablet lineup, and while mid-tier devices in the iPhone and Mac ranges have come and gone, the iPad Air has managed to hold down its position and shows no signs of leaving any time soon.

In fact, unlike the cursed mid-tier iPhone (think the iPhone mini, iPhone Plus, and dare I say it, the iPhone Air?), the iPad Air is the furthest thing from experimental. You take a base-model iPad, throw an M-series chipset in there, give it a 13-inch option, and boom: you've got one of the best iPads.

That’s been the formula for a few years now – more hardware power than a standard tablet without any of the design or display upgrades exclusive to the iPad Pro – all of which makes recent rumors of a major display upgrade for the iPad Air all the more surprising.

Bloomberg’s resident Apple analyst and tipster supreme, Mark Gurman, has shared fresh rumors that suggest the iPad Air, iPad mini, and MacBook Air could all get OLED displays in coming generations. That’d be the biggest display upgrade the iPad Air and iPad mini have ever received.

If we got shiny new OLED panels without any changes to brightness, resolution, or refresh rate, I’d welcome the upgrade – but if Apple is willing to go one step further, I think it has a shot at turning the iPad Air, specifically, into the best tablet for most people.

Once again, I am asking Apple to give another of its devices a ProMotion display.

For reference, ProMotion is how Apple brands its variable refresh rate displays. Refresh rate refers to how often a display redraws the on-screen image. The current-gen iPad Air has a 60Hz display. ProMotion displays, like the one on the iPad Pro, automatically modulate between 1Hz and 120Hz depending on the amount of movement on-screen – and that maximum 120Hz creates a much smoother experience.

In the past, asking Apple to fit the iPad Air with a ProMotion display might have seemed like a slightly pointless request; variable refresh rate panels were, up until recently, only found on devices with a Pro title – the iPad Pro, iPhone Pro and Pro Max, and MacBook Pro, to be exact.

However, with the release of the iPhone 17 series, Apple extended ProMotion to a non-Pro device for the first time by giving the standard iPhone 17 a ProMotion panel, which, in conjunction with those aforementioned new display upgrade rumors, gives me real hope that the iPad Air could be next.

Though the iPad Air’s 60Hz LCD display is nice enough, it’s perhaps the only thing holding the tablet back from true greatness. The M3 chipset is more than powerful enough for iPadOS, so much so that the vast majority of users won’t feel the difference between it and the iPad Pro’s M5 chipset. The Air’s design, while not as thin as the iPad Pro, is time-tested and pragmatic. And its accessory choices are excellent, with support for the Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard.

If Apple were to equip the iPad Air with ProMotion while retaining its starting price of $599 / £599 / AU$999 for the 11-inch model and $799 / £799 / AU$1,349 for the 13-inch model, it’d get my recommendation for all but the most budget-conscious users or the most power-focused professionals. Apple has shown renewed willingness to equip its everyday devices with Pro-grade tech – now it’s the iPad Air’s turn.

The tough part is that Gurman’s report suggests we might not see any kind of display upgrade for the iPad Air until after the expected 2026 refresh, as the iPad mini is apparently the priority (a great tablet in its own right, but not as universal as the larger iPad Air). Let us know if you want to see OLED and ProMotion come to the iPad mini or iPad Air in the comments below.

Apple's all-new, all-powerful M5 iPad Pro is set to release on October 22, but if you're looking for a tablet that can act as a laptop replacement, you don't need to spend the AU$1,699 minimum it demands. Apple’s M3 chip is still mighty powerful, and this Amazon deal cuts the 11-inch iPad Air with M3 by 27% – down to just AU$727.

This is the lowest price we've seen on the latest iPad Air in Apple's arsenal, released in March of this year. In our 11-inch iPad Air with M3 review, we said it "stretches the value even further" – taking what was already a winning recipe in the Apple iPad Air 13-inch (2024), and giving it a powerful boost with the M3 chip, and all for the same price.

Cutting AU$272 off its high-value price, it's easily the iPad to buy no matter your use case.

Launching less than 12 months after its predecessor, this tablet retains the M2 model's design and vibrant Liquid Retina display, and just receives a welcome boost of power to make everyday use slicker than ever. Even with Black Friday on the horizon, we can’t imagine you’ll find it much cheaper than AU$727.

Not convinced the M3 chip offers much of an advantage over the M2 it replaces? As soon as you attempt intense tasks like editing 4K video or playing AAA titles such as Death Stranding and Resident Evil, you’ll soon realise it handles them all with ease. Our tester was able to edit photos in Photoshop and Pixelmator, draw in ProCreate, edit a movie in Final Cut Pro and then swiftly export those files. It even sometimes outpaced his MacBook Air.

It can do all that without dying on you, too, as its battery life is one of its most impressive assets – lasting the day even with extended gaming sessions. And, while most people would wear headphones in most environments, the M3 iPad Air's stereo speakers offer an impressively loud, immersive audio experience.

It might not come with the Magic Keyboard, which you'll want to pick up if you plan to use this as a productivity device, but this is still a stellar buy for most people. Since it's already a fantastic-value iPad for high-power users, grabbing it at this lowest-ever price is a must if you need more from your tablet.

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When it comes to buying a new iPad, making a choice can be difficult. Apple’s tablet lineup has expanded in recent years, and now contains a total of six models under four different names (due to some models having different screen size options).

Naturally, many iPad customers will look to the lower end of the lineup in a bid to not overspend; while the high-end iPad Pro is a lovely bit of kit, its high price point and extreme hardware power will be overkill for some users.

The standard iPad, once one of the more premium devices in Apple’s portfolio, has taken on the role of Apple’s budget-friendly tablet, with a chipset borrowed from the iPhone 15, an 11-inch display, and a variety of fun colors to choose from.

The next step up is the iPad Air, which offers a mid-point between the iPad and iPad Pro. It’s got the M3 Apple Silicon chipset, support for Apple Intelligence, and comes in both 11-inch and 13-inch sizes.

For a lot of buyers, the choice between the iPad and iPad Air will be a tough one to make. Keep reading for our detailed head-to-head, so you can make the right decision for your tablet-buying needs.

Just a note: some of the images of the iPad Air in this comparison are of the previous-generation M2 model - the design is identical to the current-gen M3 model.

iPad vs iPad Air: Specs comparison

This guide contains a detailed breakdown of the iPad and iPad Air, but if you just want a rundown of the essential features take a look at this handy specs table:

Later on in this guide we'll go into detail about the key functions and features for the iPad and iPad Air, but if you just want a quick specs comparison check out the table below:

iPad vs iPad Air: Price and availability

As we’re talking about Apple here, availability for the iPad and both models of the iPad Air shouldn’t be an issue. Apple products of all kinds are widely available in western and global markets.

As for price, the base-model iPad comes in at $349 / £329 / AU$599 for the model with 128GB of storage. We frequently highlight base-model iPad deals because of this low starting price, which lends itself to great bargains in seasonal sales at third-party retailers.

The 11-inch iPad Air is quite a bit more expensive, starting at $599 / £599 / AU$999 for 128GB of storage. This rises to $799 / £799 / AU$1,349 for the 13-inch model, with the same 128GB of storage.

The base-model iPad is a great deal and by far the best tablet you can buy at its price point. The 11-inch iPad Air asks for quite a big step up price-wise, so it’s best to know you’ll get good use out of its exclusive features, such as Apple Pencil Pro compatibility and Apple Intelligence support. However, the 13-inch iPad Air is priced pretty well for such a large tablet, and is a lot cheaper than the 13-inch iPad Pro, which starts at $1,299 / £1,299 / AU$2,199.

iPad vs iPad Air: Design and display

Both the base-model iPad and 13-inch iPad Air follow Apple’s modern all-screen iPad design language, with a unibody aluminum enclosure, flat edges, no home button, and black bezels around the 10:7 display. The 13-inch iPad Air follows the same design language, but is, naturally, a bit larger, and has a squarer 4:3 aspect ratio.

As mentioned below, the three tablets all have the same 12-megapixel rear camera, and have a small camera bump on the upper-left corner of the rear panel. The two 11-inch models look practically identical other than color; the base-model iPad comes in a vibrant selection of Silver, Pink, Blue and Yellow, while the iPad Air comes in a choice of pastel shades including Space Gray, Blue, Starlight, and Purple.

All three models come with the ability to attach an Apple Pencil to the right-hand side of the tablet, though which Apple Pencil models are supported vary between models (see the Performance section for details).

As for displays, the base-model iPad and 11-inch iPad Air have similar displays; both have 11-inch panels with a resolution of 1640 x 2360 pixels and a peak brightness of 500 nits. The iPad Air, however, has a laminated display, which eliminates the visible gap between the glass and the LCD panel underneath. This can make drawing and swiping feel more connected to the visuals on screen.

As for the 13-inch iPad Air, its display comes in at a resolution of 2048 x 2732 pixels, with the same peak brightness of 500 nits. All three displays have the same 60Hz refresh rate and identical pixel densities of 264ppi – you’ll need to get the iPad Pro for Apple’s 120Hz ProMotion display.

The iPad Air just barely wins it in the display category thanks to its laminated screen, but there’s little in the way of difference here. Naturally, the Air also wins in terms of size when we factor in the 13-inch model.

iPad vs iPad Air: Cameras

The camera systems on the iPad and two iPad Air models are almost exactly the same. As far as I can tell, the rear camera on all three is the exact same, with a 12MP sensor, f/1.8 lens, and video recording up to 4K at 60 frames per second.

All three have a 12MP selfie camera, though the aperture is slightly different on the base iPad. The iPad Air has an f/2.0 selfie lens, while the base iPad gets an f/2.4 lens. This means selfies on the iPad Air should be slightly brighter than the base iPad. All three support 1080p recording at 60fps, and support Apple’s Center Stage feature, which keeps you in-frame for video calls.

This is all to say that the photo and video experience is very, very similar between the iPad and iPad Air, and should be a rather small consideration when trying to decide between the two.

iPad vs iPad Air: Performance

The iPad and iPad Air are most obviously set apart by their performance. Other than the 13-inch iPad Air’s large display, this category contains the main considerations for whether an upgrade is worthwhile.

First, software: both the iPad and iPad Air run iPadOS 26, and benefit from the same windowing, file management, and background task upgrades as a result. It’s likely you’ll be able to open more windows at once on the more powerful iPad Air.

The base-model iPad comes equipped with the A16 chipset, a mobile system-on-a-chip also found in the iPhone 15. This is paired with 6GB of RAM, and either 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB of storage depending on configuration.

The iPad Air comes in two sizes, but other than battery capacity its internal specs are identical. It comes equipped with the M3 chipset, a desktop-class chipset also found in previous-generation MacBooks and the current-gen iMac. It is perhaps the single biggest upgrade over the standard iPad, and allows the iPad Air to take on serious multitasking, heavy, media-intensive workloads, and high-intensity gaming.

The iPad Air also gets 8GB of RAM, which assists with said multitasking while also enabling the tablet to run Apple Intelligence tools and processes. It comes with 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of storage depending on configuration – that 1TB option ramps the price up, but could be a deciding factor for those with lots of photos, videos, or apps to store locally.

The base-model iPad and iPad Air are also set apart by their varying compatibility with first-party accessories, which lends to similar but distinct experiences.

The standard iPad is compatible with Apple’s Magic Keyboard Folio, a two-piece accessory composed of a kickstand case and detachable keyboard. The iPad Air is compatible with the creatively named Magic Keyboard for iPad Air, which is a single unit that folds into a folio-style case, with an adjustable viewing angle.

As for Apple Pencils, the iPad is compatible with the Apple Pencil with USB-C, which is charged with a wired connection. The iPad Air is compatible with either the Apple Pencil with USB-C, or Apple Pencil Pro, which charges while attached to the side of the iPad and supports a wider variety of gestures and features.

Compared to the base model there’s no doubt that the iPad Air is the better-performing tablet and has access to much better accessories. However, it’s worth noting that the Magic Keyboard for iPad Air and Apple Pencil Pro are both more expensive than their base-model counterparts, which, combined with the iPad Air’s higher starting price, can make upgrading a pretty costly proposition.

iPad vs iPad Air: Battery

iPads are known for their great battery life, and there isn’t that much difference in battery capacity or measured battery life between the base-model iPad and 11-inch iPad Air. The 13-inch iPad Air beats both by some measure, but that’s to be expected from a much larger device.

Apple doesnt share exact battery capacities for its products, so we have to turn to third-party sources. According to PhoneArena, the standard iPad has a battery capacity of 7,698mAh. According to GSMArena, the 11-inch iPad Air has a battery capacity of 7,606mAh, with the 13-inch model bumping that up to 9,705mAh.

In our own Future Labs testing, the base-model iPad managed 11 hours and 25 minutes, while the 11-inch iPad Air survived just over 9 hours. That could be down to the iPad Air’s more powerful M3 chipset requiring more power – the two devices have near-identical displays.

As for the 13-inch iPad Air, we’ve not tested the latest generation model for battery life, but the 2024 version with the M2 chipset lasted around 11 hours and 30 minutes per our iPad Air 13-inch (2024) review.

All of these tablets offer great battery life, but our testing reveals the base-model iPad as the winner. That’s possibly due to its lower-powered A16 chipset, or could be because of other hardware requirements.

Of course, battery life depends on activity and settings like screen brightness, so these test figures can’t tell the whole story. It’s worth keeping in mind that the iPad Air’s M3 chipset will break less of a sweat during intensive tasks like video editing, which could affect overall battery life.

iPad vs iPad Air: Verdict

With the iPad and iPad Air, Apple’s strongly tiered pricing is as visible as it gets. The iPad is a great choice for everyday users, families, and even students and professionals thanks to its low price point, reasonably powerful chipset, and great display.

The 11-inch iPad Air is a straight upgrade when it comes to performance, thanks to its M3 chipset. It’s also the obvious choice for AI fans thanks to its Apple Intelligence compatibility and greater amount of RAM. Additionally, it supports better (but more expensive) first-party accessories. Otherwise, the two tablets are very similar, with near-identical designs and displays.

Of course, the 13-inch iPad Air stands as Apple’s cheapest larger tablet, and will be the obvious choice for those who just want a really big screen. Other than its larger display and battery, it’s effectively the same tablet as the 11-inch model.

Overall, you can’t beat the base-model iPad when it comes to value for money, and the 13-inch iPad is actually quite competitive with its pricing. The 11-inch iPad is both sleek and powerful, which is perhaps why Apple makes it rather expensive – still, the M3 chipset is a very fast piece of silicon, which helps to allay this somewhat. If you need to save money, go for the base-model, if you need performance, go for the 11-inch Air, and if you want performance plus a big screen, the 13-inch Air is your go-to.

Which iPad would you choose? Let us know in the comments below.

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The best tablets are becoming a viable alternative to owning a laptop and properly come into their own when your smartphone's screen just isn't large enough. Over the years, I've loved using multiple different tablets, but there's no better, in my opinion, than the iPad Air. That's why I'm shouting out this Apple iPad Air 11-inch (M3) at Best Buy for a record-low price of $479 (was $599).

That's a record-low price for the new iPad Air, which will save you a whopping $120. If you've been waiting for a mouth-watering deal on one of the best tablets in the world right now, then your wait is officially over.

The iPad Air is a tablet that has evolved with each version. It's now better than it's ever been with this newest model, which boasts the excellent M3 chip for impressive power, a stunning display and lengthy battery life.

Today's best iPad Air deal

In our iPad Air 11-inch (M3) review, we praised the speedier performance on account of the upgrade from the M2 chip to the M3. Despite Apple releasing an M4 chip, this hasn't found its way into the iPad Air yet. That means this deal is for the fastest iPad Air ever released.

The 11-inch iPad Air (M3) is a supercharged tablet that seamlessly runs applications all day long. In our testing, we found that it was capable of 10 hours of general use, such as watching videos and web surfing at 70% brightness. These are just some of the reasons that the iPad Air (M3) is currently our best iPad for students.

If you'd like to explore other Apple tablet options, then we have a dedicated guide to all the best iPads. We'd also recommend comparing the 2025 iPad Air vs 2024 iPad Pro.

Like Christmas in July, Amazon is slashing prices on its bestselling tech for its biannual Prime Day. The mega-sale is about to end tonight, so you've only got a little time left to score one of the best tablet deals I've seen. It's the Apple iPad Air 11-inch (M3) at Amazon for a record-low price of $479 (was $599).

The iPad Air 2025 replaces the M2 chip in last year's models with the more powerful M3 chip, previously only used in the iPad Pro, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro. All colors are on sale, including the new spring-hued Blue and Purple. You get 128GB of storage for the advertised $479, but you can pay up to $979 for 1TB if you need more space.

Overall, 128GB is the most cost-effective storage option because the discount caps at $120. That's plenty for most people, unless you're an app hoarder or mobile gamer.

Today's best iPad Air deal

The iPad Air M3 is currently our best iPad for students. The 11-inch model is cheaper and more compact, and it performs just as well as the larger 13-inch version. In our review for the 11-inch iPad Air (2025), we found speedier performance with the upgrade from the M2 chip to M3, but the design remains mostly unchanged from the already excellent iPad Air M2 (2024).

The iPad Air M3 can manage a full day of use without charging in between. As per our testing, this can translate to about 10 hours of general use, such as watching videos and web surfing at 70% brightness. Our reviewer also used the iPad Air M3 with a Magic Keyboard, which didn't seem to significantly subtract from its battery life. On the other hand, demanding tasks like photo and video editing or playing games drain the battery much faster.

In short, the 11-inch iPad Air M3 is a little powerhouse that seamlessly runs applications and offers plenty of battery life. It's pricier than the standard iPad, but worth it for anyone planning to use it as a workstation or gaming hub. Even though we recommend the standard iPad for most people, it's not as strong as Apple's pricier devices (like the iPad Air M3) and doesn't support Apple Intelligence.

For more, browse the best iPads and learn how to choose which one is best for you. I'd also recommend comparing the 2025 Pad Air vs 2024 iPad Pro.

iPadOS 26 is on the way – revealed at WWDC 2025, Apple’s next-generation tablet operating system is the biggest single update to iPadOS we’ve ever seen (Apple’s Craig Federighi said as much during the keynote).

Amongst other new features, iPadOS 26 brings support for windowed multitasking to all currently available iPads, from the cheapest base-model iPad to the pricey and powerful iPad Pro.

If you ask me, that makes now a great time to pick up the base-model iPad. Just a few years back, windowed multitasking was a pipe dream on even the most powerful iPad Pros, and now it’s coming to all models.

With that in mind, it’s a good time for prospective iPad buyers to consider whether they need the power of an iPad Pro or iPad Air, or if the base model, with its upcoming suite of multitasking tools, might be enough for their needs.

The 11th-generation iPad comes equipped with an A16 chipset and 6GB of RAM, as well as 12MP front and rear cameras, an 11-inch display, and support for the Apple Pencil and the Magic Keyboard Folio.

You certainly save a good bit of money by going with Apple’s cheapest tablet, which starts at $349 / £329 / AU$599, compared to the iPad Air, which steps the price up to $599 / £599 / AU$999.

The latest iPad Pro comes in at an even heavier $999 / £999 / AU$1,699 – almost three times as expensive as the base model. And that's for the smaller 11-inch model – choose the larger iPad Pro 13-inch (2024) and it costs even more.

And while the iPad Pro is powerful, the standard 11th-generation iPad is honestly no slouch when it comes to internal hardware, especially for the everyday user. It has the same A16 chipset and 6GB of RAM as the iPhone 15, which we found could handle action games and 4K video editing while testing for our iPhone 15 review.

It also helps that the base model iPad is currently discounted in both the US and UK:

Sure, the iPad’s A16 chipset isn’t at the same level as the iPad Air and iPad Pro’s M-series chipsets, but it’s a solid choice for the things people use tablets for every day – web browsing, watching videos and movies, social media, messaging, and typing up notes and documents. Pair that with the ability to do all of the above in desktop-style windows, and the standard iPad starts looking rather capable.

It’s still true that the iPad Air and iPad Pro, with their desktop class chipsets, increased RAM capacity, and Apple Intelligence support will be a better choice if you’re in need of pro-level power, AI, or heavier multitasking.

And as a disclaimer, we don’t know how well the new window system will run on the base-model iPad. iPadOS 26 is still upcoming, so it shouldn't be the only reason you buy an iPad.

But, personally, I’m not worried. It’d be very unlike Apple to release a feature to a specific piece of hardware if it didn't at least work decently well; we saw this in practice with the limited launch of Apple Intelligence.

With that in mind, I find it really unlikely that Apple would release multitasking tools to the base-model iPad if these new features ran poorly. At this point in iPadOS 26’s development, I’m almost certain that Apple has tested the new tools extensively with a range of iPad hardware.

If you're in the market for a new tablet, be sure to check out our lists of the best iPads and best tablets. Would you consider picking up a base model iPad over an iPad Air or iPad Pro? Let us know in the comments below.

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iPadOS 26 is on the way – Apple revealed its next iPad software update at WWDC 2025, and since then the internet has been ablaze with reactions and speculation.

The big ticket items for this year’s iPadOS update pertain to multitasking – all currently-sold iPads (and likely several older models) are due to get support for up to six desktop-style windows at once, as well as a menu bar, and updates to the dock and background processing.

We already recommend the base model iPad and iPad Pro as some of the best tablets you can buy, but this upcoming update has got me thinking about where Apple now sits in the wider tablet market.

It’s no secret that Apple’s tablet hardware is the best on the market – there are simply no other tablets with the raw processing power the iPad Pro and iPad Air's M-series chipsets can offer.

Speaking frankly, the only thing giving other tablet makers a chance has been software – iPadOS has long been held back by a lack of flexibility and unintuitive design, while rivals like Samsung have pushed ahead with innovative features like DeX, which offers a desktop-style experience that works especially well with a keyboard and mouse.

But with iPadOS 26 bringing huge updates, that could all change.

Samsung's options

I recently spent some time testing the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus for an upcoming review, and found it to be a big, premium-feeling tablet that offers a lot of software flexibility at the cost of performance.

In fact, having used the Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus in a variety of situations, I think the only reason someone should buy one is if they absolutely need its combination of a large 13-inch screen, flexible multitasking, and intermediate price (starting at $649 / £649 / AU$1,099).

iPadOS 26’s windowed multitasking, from what we’ve seen so far, is not as developed or as open-ended as Samsung DeX, but in true Apple style it’ll probably be just useful enough to overshadow Samsung’s offering when combined with the iPad’s hardware power.

That takes away a major advantage to buying a Samsung tablet pretty much instantly.

If you ask me, Samsung should be really quite worried about this, and has one of two options to survive an upcoming iPad renaissance.

The first is simply cutting prices as much as costs allow. Samsung tablets are definitively premium devices, with great build quality and sometimes bigger screens than comparably priced iPads – but they’re still very expensive, and don't perform as well as Apple's tablets.

Like it or not, iPadOS is the standard for how a tablet works, so asking users to shell out almost as much as an iPad costs for a device that isn’t as powerful, runs potentially unfamiliar software, and offers just slightly more utility looks like a pretty mediocre deal.

The second option is stepping up performance without an increase in price – our Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus review and Samsung Galaxy S10 Ultra review found the tablets to be solid performers, but not to Apple’s standards. That’s backed up by our own Future Labs testing data: neither Samsung tablet catches up to the latest iPad Air in single or multicore benchmarks.

A renewed rivalry

Both of these options ask a lot of Samsung, perhaps more than can be delivered in a few release cycles.

But with Apple’s smooth user experience, wider selection of professional apps, more powerful hardware, and upcoming multitasking improvements, I seriously can’t see the point in buying a Samsung tablet right now.

That's not me giving Apple an easy ride either, let me be clear that as someone who personally bought an iPad Pro in 2020, the long wait for proper multitasking on iPad has been very, very frustrating. But having used both iPads and Samsung tablets, I'd still pick the iPad any day thanks to its better app availability and smoother user experience.

And my own experiences aside, there's no denying that iPads are vastly more popular than Samsung tablets. A Forbes report from September 2024 estimates that Apple holds 35.8% of the tablet market worldwide, compared to Samsung's 20.1%. That's going to make the impact of iPadOS 26 feel even more significant, even if the features added are ones Samsung users have enjoyed for years.

That’s not to say there are no benefits to buying a Samsung tablet: One UI 7 is rich with customizable settings, and the aforementioned Dex mode really is fantastic. It’s just that iPadOS 26 is poised to take Apple’s tablet platform to a new level of competition.

I'd like to see a future in which the best iPads and the best Samsung tablets keep clashing head-to-head; here’s hoping Samsung can make the right moves to keep up. Look out for my full Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus review soon.

As ever, the comments section is open for discussion – is Apple destined to take over? Or does Samsung have more of a chance than I think? Let us know below.

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How quickly five years goes by – I can scarcely believe it, but it’s been almost half a decade since I picked up my 11-inch iPad Pro and second-generation Apple Pencil.

The approach of WWDC 2025 has brought an onslaught of rumors about Apple’s upcoming operating system updates, and given the timing of the above I’ve been drawn to the latest tip-offs and suggestions about iPadOS 19.

Speaking personally, I’m pretty excited by the prospect of an iPad operating system that’s tipped to be the most Mac-like iPadOS update ever – check out our recent roundup of iPadOS 19 features we want to see for a detailed breakdown.

But on the other hand, as a user of both Apple and Android devices, I’ll believe it when I see it. Android has surpassed Apple in terms of tablet multitasking and computer compatibility so successfully that I’d almost stopped hoping for any proper competition from Apple in the software arena (iPads arguably have the superior hardware and a better optimized app ecosystem.)

To be fair, in the last five years I’ve put my iPad Pro to good use. It carried me through the first two years of my degree, and has been a fabulous companion for streaming video, controlling Spotify playback, and doodling on ProCreate. I’ve edited audio and video, taken photos, made spreadsheets and diagrams, and scrolled through plenty of social media posts.

But since picking up a 16-inch M1 Pro MacBook Pro just over a year ago, I’ve noticed my iPad usage falling steadily – to the point where its A12Z processor and still-lovely 120Hz LCD display have mostly been relegated to the status of YouTube machine.

As anyone who’s owned an iPad knows, that’s pretty much death’s door for an Apple tablet, no matter the model. In the latter years of my older iPad Air (the original model released in 2013), I was using the tablet for the exact same thing, despite not having a Mac at the time, and the iPad Pro's greater power and multitasking capabilities.

Given five years is somewhat aged for my iPad Pro, especially as its successors moved to the powerful and efficient M-series Apple chips, I’ve been eyeing up some of the best iPads as a possible successor to the Pro, and to give me a tablet that I'll use for a lot more than streaming.

To be honest, though, the spark I felt with my previous two Apple tablets just isn’t there this time.

The crux of this is I don't feel there's enough 'pro' features to justify and upgrade to the latest iPad Pro, and see it become my primary device for work and play over my MacBook. Unless you absolutely need the touchscreen or Apple Pencil, I think it’s quicker to get things done on the more flexible, more powerful macOS-based machine.

That’s because iPadOS just isn't powerful enough without proper desktop-style features – its multitasking is usable, but awkward, the files app convenient, but nerfed, the ecosystem smooth, but much more closed off than a traditional desktop. Essentially, I feel in its current guise iPadOS means the iPad Pro is essentially a powered-up iPad Air rather than a MacBook replacement that would pique my interest.

I’m not the first to say that the iPad’s remarkable hardware is held back by iPadOS. I'm not even the first TechRadar journalist to say so - Managing Editor, Core Tech Matt Hanson said he found that "the power of the M4 chip largely went to waste with the iPad Pro" earlier this year.

I think the hardware jump from my current 11-inch iPad Pro to one of the gorgeous 2024 models, with their slim build, Tandem OLED displays, and ludicrously powerful M4 chipsets, would feel even greater than the jump from the original iPad Air to my current 2020 iPad Pro, which makes the limitations of iPadOS even more frustrating. Why invest in all that power if the software can't take advantage of it?

So, without being too dramatic, I think this coming WWDC is Apple’s last chance to show me it really knows what it’s doing with the iPad.

While I’d settle for new features that offer a more purposeful tablet experience while remaining entirely separate from the Mac, what I really want to see is Apple pushing the iPad towards a bolder, more capable role, leaving its ‘YouTube machine’ moniker firmly in the past.

One could even suggest having a separate fork to iPadOS, such as iPadOS Pro, that focuses on pro-grade multitasking, a better mouse-centric interface when using an iPad Pro with the Magic Keyboard, and file management and transfer that's suitable for people doing professional work such as video editing.

There's always been the perceived concern that Apple wouldn't do this due to cannibalising MacBook users, but there's scope that by making iPadOS more macOS-like for iPad Pros you could get an more capable and flexible tablet that could augment one Apple product collection than dilute it; for example photographers and video editors could use an iPad Pro with a more pro-centric iPadOS to do on the fly edits or tap into powerful Apple Intelligence features, while out in the field, then move over to a MacBook Pro when back at their desk or in a more laptop-friendly environment.

So my hope is we see something special from Apple at WWDC that supercharges iPadOS, if not with an eye on professionals then in a fashion that really harnesses the M-series chip power to make iPadOS more distinct, and less of what's arguably a modified take on iOS 18.

WWDC 2025 kicks off on June 9 – be sure to bookmark our how to watch WWDC 2025 guide and keep an eye on our phones coverage and tablets coverage for the latest updates. Let us know what you’re looking forward to in the comments below.

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The latest Apple iPad Air 11 has just returned to a record-low price of $499 (was $599) at Amazon today, giving you a second chance to score this brand new tablet with a great discount.

For those who don't know, this tablet is barely a few months old as of writing, so a $100 discount is definitely worth considering, even if it is a price that we've seen before on one occasion. Even better still, this $100 discount is currently available on all colors.

As with other recent Apple releases, the latest iPad Air is a relatively minor refresh compared to the previous iteration, but it still features some worthwhile upgrades. These include a new chipset, Apple Pencil Pro support, and support for Apple Intelligence.

With the new M3 chipset, for example, you essentially get MacBook Air levels of performance in a tablet form factor. It even shines with intensive tasks like photo editing, digital illustration, and video production, so it's a good option if you need a tablet that covers most bases well. It's even a competitive choice versus the higher-end Pro models - and much cheaper, too.

Apple iPad Air 11 M3 returns to record-low price

• See more: check out all of today's deals at Amazon

A premium Apple tablet for less than an iPad Pro

Apple’s latest iPad Air keeps the same design, pricing, and color options as last year but upgrades to the powerful M3 chip. The package is familiar, but you get much better performance for both casual use and productivity tasks, with the latter benefiting massively from the new Apple Pencil Pro support.

Generally speaking, the iPad Air sits comfortably between the entry-level iPad and the iPad Pro, offering strong value without the Pro’s high price or ultra-premium features. You miss out on the latest chipset, a slightly thinner design, and an OLED display, but this iPad Air is still a fantastic tablet that will be perfect for most people.

It’s not every day we see discounts for Apple products on Amazon, but typically price drops are reserved for models with greater storage. On the first (official) day of EOFY sales this is exactly the case, with the 9th-gen iPad 10.2-inch, the M2 iPad Air and the M4 iPad Pro all seeing major discounts.

Apple’s previous-generation iPad is a capable device and is notable for being the last iPad with a physical Home button. It has a brilliant 1620 x 2160 screen and a 10.2-inch size, making it ideal for use in the home as a casual touchscreen device for streaming, gaming or getting some work done. If you’re in the market for a more powerful Apple tablet, the 13-inch M2 iPad Air 512GB is also on sale, with a AU$500 discount bringing it down to AU$1,579 (more on that below). There’s also a sizable price cut available on Amazon for the M4 iPad Pro 13-inch 2TB, perfect if you want a powerful laptop replacement with a brilliant touchscreen.

Australian EOFY deals are expected to carry on over the entirety of June, and if you’re looking for a new MacBook, iPhone or pair of AirPods, you might want to keep an eye on our round up of the best Apple EOFY sales.

Apple’s iPad range dominates the tablet market for several reasons: the company’s OS is quite easy to use, its tablets are very powerful and, strangely, if you shop around they’re also quite competitive on price. The iPad Air 9th gen, in particular, was an exceptionally good value tablet even when it first came out, leaving many competing Android tablets in the dust.

The iPad Air and Pro are both worth considering if you’d like to swap out your daily laptop for a tablet, though I’d recommend picking up a compatible keyboard case if you’re going to do this (typing on a tablet screen isn’t the most intuitive thing). We’d also recommend the iPad Mini if you’d like a ‘halfway’ device between a phone and an iPad (it’s the perfect size for my niece), though unfortunately we couldn’t find any Minis on sale at the time of writing. 2025’s EOFY season is only kicking off though, so we’ll be keeping our eyes peeled all month for worthwhile iPad deals of any kind.

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Memorial Day is actually a great time to grab deals on Apple products, and while we have a comprehensive list of hand-picked Memorial Day sales, I've gone and picked out what I think are bargain Apple deals.

• Shop other Memorial Day deals

As a bit of an Apple convert in recent years - I'm writing this on a MacBook Air with an iPhone 16 Pro Max within reach - I'm well placed to flag devices from the Cupertino crew that I think are worth your consideration. Case in point my favorite tablet, the iPad mini is on sale at Amazon for $399 (was $499) right now.

So let's get into it; below are the Memorial Day Apple deals I recommend and buy myself.

Today’s best Memorial Day Apple deals

The best Memorial Day sales - quick links

• Amazon: 50% off TVs, lawnmowers & vacuums
• Apple: iPads, AirPods & MacBooks from $117
• Best Buy: $1,000 off TVs, laptops & headphones
• Casper: up to 30% off all mattresses
• DreamCloud: up to 60% off mattresses - deals from $399
• Home Depot: 35% off appliances, furniture, grills & tools
• Lowe's: up to 40% off grills, appliances, tools & patio
• Nectar: mattress deals from $349, up to 50% off
• Purple: up to $700 off mattresses + free base
• Samsung: up to $1,500 off select appliances
• Target: 50% off patio furniture & accessories
• Tempur-Pedic: up to $500 mattress sets
• Walmart: grills, mattresses, cheap TVs & vacs from $69

• Tiny11 has been successfully installed on an iPad Air M2
• The lightweight version of Windows 11 works on Apple’s tablet via emulation
• However, don’t expect anything remotely close to smooth performance levels

In the ongoing quest to have software (or games – usually Doom) running on unexpected devices, a fresh twist has emerged as somebody has managed to get Windows 11 running on an iPad Air.

Windows Central noticed the feat achieved by using Tiny11, a lightweight version of Windows 11 which was installed on an iPad Air with M2 chip.

NTDEV, the developer of Tiny11, was behind this effort, and used the Arm64 variant of their slimline take on Windows 11. Microsoft’s OS was run on the iPad Air using emulation (UTM with JIT, the developer explains – a PC emulator, in short).

So, is Windows 11 impressive on an iPad Air? No, in a word. The developer is waiting for over a minute and a half for the desktop to appear, and Windows 11’s features (Task Manager, Settings) and apps load pretty sluggishly – but they work.

The illustrative YouTube clip below gives you a good idea of what to expect: it’s far, far from a smooth experience, but it’s still a bit better than the developer anticipated.

Analysis: Doing stuff for the hell of it

This stripped-back incarnation of Windows 11 certainly runs better on an iPad Air than it did on an iPhone 15 Pro, something NTDEV demonstrated in the past (booting the OS took 20 minutes on a smartphone).

However, as noted at the outset, sometimes achievements in the tech world are simply about marvelling that something can be done at all, rather than having any practical value.

You wouldn’t want to use Windows 11 on an iPad (or indeed iPhone) in this way, anyhow, just in the same way you wouldn’t want to play Doom on a toothbrush even though it’s possible (would you?).

It also underlines the niftiness of Tiny11, the bloat-free take on Windows 11 which has been around for a couple of years now. If you need a more streamlined version of Microsoft’s newest operating system, Tiny11 certainly delivers (bearing some security-related caveats in mind).

There are all sorts of takes on this app, including a ludicrously slimmed-down version of Tiny11 (that comes in at a featherweight 100MB). And, of course, the Arm64 spin used in this iPad Air demonstration, which we’ve previously seen installed on the Raspberry Pi.

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The iPad Pro and iPad Air have never been more similar – at the time of writing, Apple’s high end and midrange tablets both feature an M-series chipset, high-resolution display, single camera, support for the Apple Pencil Pro, and come in 11-inch and 13-inch variants.

That’s partially due to the fact that the iPad Pro and iPad Air have developed at different rates. The iPad Pro hits a bit of a ceiling when it comes to performance, as the monstrously powerful M4 chipset is, frankly, under-utilized by iPadOS.

It’s still the most powerful tablet on the market, though, with one of the best displays on any mobile device.

The iPad Air, conversely, had plenty of room to grow when Apple relaunched it in 2020, and has since picked up the M3 chipset, an enlarged 13-inch version, and support for the Apple Pencil Pro.

Its current generation, released in 2025, is a confident midrange device, rather than a blank intermediate between the cheap base-model iPad and pricey iPad Pro.

There are, of course, some substantial differences between the two devices, most noticeably in their display tech, peripheral support, and price tags.

If you're stuck deciding between either device, don't sweat it – simply read on for a detailed breakdown of the differences between each.

Editor's note: some of the iPad Air images in this article are of the 2024 iPad Air with M2 chipset. As the 2025 model was just a spec bump, the two iterations are visually identical.

iPad Pro vs iPad Air: Specs

Keep scrolling for a detailed head-to-head between the iPad Pro and iPad Air, but if you just want a quick overview, check out the table below.

iPad Pro vs iPad Air: Price and availability

The iPad Pro is the most expensive tablet Apple sells and one of the most expensive on the market overall.

The iPad Pro starts at $999 / £999 / AU$1,699 for the 11-inch model with 256GB of storage and $1,299 / £1,299 / AU$2,299 for the 13-inch model with 256GB of storage. Storage for both tops out at an impressive 2TB, which will set you back $1,999 / £1,999 / AU$3,449 for the 11-inch model and a patently ridiculous $2,299 / £2,299 / AU$3,949 for the 13-inch model.

The iPad Air is more moderately priced, but those higher storage tiers can get quite expensive. The iPad Air starts at $599 / £599 / AU$999 for the 11-inch model with 128GB of storage, and $799 / £799 / AU$1,299 for the 13-inch model with 128GB of storage.

Storage for both iPad Air models maxes out at 1TB, which will set you back $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,899 for the 11-inch model, and $1,299 / £1,299 / AU$2,249 for the 13-inch model.

The iPad Air is quite a bit cheaper than the iPad Pro when looking at their respective starting prices, but the gap does narrow when you adjust for the Air’s smaller starting storage capacity.

Ultimately, which is better value for money comes down to the features you prioritize – the iPad Air is the cheaper way to get an M-series chipset in a tablet, but only the iPad Pro has a 120Hz ProMotion display, 2TB storage option, and super-thin design.

However, I will say that $599 / £599 / AU$999 is an excellent starting price for the 11-inch iPad Air, even if 128GB of storage is a touch low.

As for availability, we’re talking about Apple here, so we can confidently say that the iPad Pro and iPad Air are some of the most readily available tablets in the world.

Both models of iPad Pro and iPad Air are sold by Apple directly, third-party retailers, and some mobile carriers.

iPad Pro vs iPad Air: Design and Display

Though both the iPad Pro and iPad Air sport beautiful displays with the same choice between 11-inch and 13-inch options, the iPad Pro pulls ahead in several categories. This is where the iPad Pro really gets to shine, unfettered by the limitations of its operating system.

The iPad Pro comes equipped with one of the best displays on any device. That’s not an exaggeration: our iPad Pro (2024) review found that Apple’s tandem OLED is bold, bright, and fantastically detailed, with a resolution of 1668 x 2420 for the 11-inch model and 2064 x 2752 for the 13-inch model.

That tandem OLED moniker refers to the layering of two OLED panels on top of one another, which increases image consistency and reduces burn-in. The iPad Pro is the only Apple product to use this technology, which also resolves the bloom issue prevalent on prior iPad models.

Both the 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro feature Apple’s ProMotion technology, which is the company’s term for displays with a variable 1-120Hz refresh rate. Models with 1TB or 2TB of storage can be fitted with nano-texture glass, which reduces reflections and glare.

The two iPad Air models, in comparison, offer displays with similar resolutions but fewer cutting-edge specs. Both the 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air models come with LCD displays that are locked at 60Hz.

Additionally, neither display quite matches the resolution of its corresponding iPad Pro: the 11-inch iPad Air has a resolution of 1640 x 2360, while the 13-inch model has a resolution of 2048 x 2732. The iPad Air also lacks the option for nano-textured glass.

Design-wise, the iPad Pro and iPad Air each feature full-screen displays with Face ID functionality, an aluminum chassis, and three-point smart connector on the rear panel. The iPad Pro is notably very thin – at 5.3mm for the 11-inch model and 5.1mm for the 13-inch model, it’s the slimmest tablet Apple has ever made.

The iPad Pro pulls ahead in both design and display. Its display is best-in-class, and its design is forward-thinking. The iPad Air offers great displays and a solid build, but it can’t compete with the Pro on either front.

iPad Pro vs iPad Air: Cameras

The iPad Pro and iPad Air sport the same 12MP rear camera and 12MP selfie camera. The Pro gets a few software bells and whistles, but really there’s very little difference between the two.

Apple surprised some iPad fans at the time of the iPad Pro (2024) by dropping the tablet’s ultra-wide camera, a staple since the iPad Pro was redesigned in 2018. The iPad isn’t usually a first choice for photography, though, so it’s not that major of a loss.

Both rear cameras can record video at 4K, but only the iPad Pro can record in ProRes. Again, I’m not sure anyone is out filming pro-level video with an iPad, but it’s a nice option to have.

The 12MP selfie camera found on the iPad Pro and iPad Air is the same as the one found on the iPhone 16. Both support Center Stage, Apple’s face-tracking technology for video calls and recording. The iPad Pro also supports TrueDepth, the face-scanning tech that powers Face ID.

There’s not much difference to compare here – both will do fine for taking the odd snap and scanning documents, and the iPad Pro’s exclusive features aren’t meaningful enough that they should sway your decision.

iPad Pro vs iPad Air: Performance

Though the iPad Pro is equipped with technically better internal hardware than the iPad Air, the needs of most iPad users are such that the difference is unlikely to be very noticeable unless you’re taking on intensive media work or the heaviest multitasking.

The fact of the matter is that iPadOS 18 – which both tablets run – is now outpaced by these tablets' internal hardware, meaning you’re more likely to come up against a software ceiling than any sort of hardware deficiency. For both devices, screen size has no bearing on internal power.

To get specific, the iPad Pro comes with the M4 chipset. Models with less than 1TB of storage come with 8GB of RAM, while the 1TB and 2TB models each come with 16GB of RAM.

That extra RAM and processing headroom will prove valuable for those who enjoy gaming on their iPad Pro, or indeed who use their tablet for professional work with apps such as Final Cut Pro for iPad or Adobe Lightroom.

The iPad Air gets the M3 chipset and 8GB of RAM for all models. That’s honestly not far from the lower-specced iPad Pros in terms of hardware horsepower.

Both the M4 and M3 chipsets are desktop class and enable the iPad Pro and iPad Air to access the full suite of Apple Intelligence tools. Both are more than powerful enough to sustain highly demanding workloads and will breeze through day-to-day use, with full support for external monitors and windowed multitasking via Stage Manager.

As for accessories, both tablets support the Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C). The iPad Pro is only compatible with the aptly named Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro, while the iPad Air gets its own Magic Keyboard for iPad Air, while retaining support for the previous-generation Magic Keyboard. Both support pairing keyboards, mice, and other devices over Bluetooth.

The iPad Pro wins in this category due to its increased internal power and objectively better hardware specs – but do consider whether you really need that extra power.

The stubbornly limited power of iPadOS has smoothed out the advantages of the Pro when it comes to raw performance, and unless you're using it for professional work, the Air will probably have enough horsepower for you.

iPad Pro vs iPad Air: Battery

iPads are renowned for their long battery lives. The iPad Pro and iPad Air are no different, each providing a quoted 10 hours of video playback or web surfing; though the 13-inch models have a larger battery, their larger displays deplete the cell faster than the 11-inch models’ smaller panels.

Apple doesn't list specific battery capacities for iPads in milliamp hours (mAh), so the following are estimates listed by GSMArena.

The iPad Pro 11-inch sports an 8,160mAh battery, while the 13-inch model has a 10,290mAh battery.

The iPad Air 11-inch comes equipped with a 7,606mAh battery, which the 13-inch model bumps up to 9,705mAh

Across the board, these are some of the largest batteries you’ll find on any mobile device. The iPad Pro wins on capacity alone, but keep in mind that its larger, more advanced, 120Hz ProMotion display will likely draw a touch more power than the iPad Air’s 60Hz panel.

Specific charging speeds for either device are not listed by Apple. Again, though, Apple rates all four models as offering 10 hours of use, so on paper it’s a tie.

iPad Pro vs iPad Air: Verdict

The current-gen iPad Pro and iPad Air rank amongst the best iPads, or even the best tablets, ever made. Going with either device, in either size, will give you access to a smooth and powerful tablet experience as well as a key to the wider Apple ecosystem. Both are likely to feel as impressive and immersive as iPads typically do.

With that said, whether the iPad Pro or iPad Air will suit you better really comes down to your needs and budget.

If money is less of a concern, or you want to use your iPad for demanding professional work like photo or video editing, the the iPad Pro is the obvious choice.

Its stunning high-refresh rate display, faster chipset, higher maximum RAM, and svelte design give the iPad Pro an edge over the Air and other competitors. There's no getting around that huge price tag, though.

If you find yourself using your iPad more for more moderate work, or everyday tasks such as web browsing, social media, and watching shows and movies, then the iPad Air offers better value for money. The M3 chipset is very capable, and the iPad Air's display is still very good, even if it's not as excessively powerful as the iPad Pro.

So there you have it. The iPad Pro and iPad Air are both some of the most capable tablets that Apple has ever produced – the former better for media professionals and those who don't mind spending more, and the latter better for other professionals, students, and everyday users looking for better value for money.

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Though we’re still due at least one more mid-year update to iPadOS 19, we’re already hearing some juicy rumors about the next major update to Apple’s tablet operating system.

iPadOS 19 will probably be revealed at WWDC in June 2025, following the trend of previous years. Similarly, we expect that Apple’s next major iPadOS upgrade will make it to general release in September 2025, around the time we expect the iPhone 17 series to launch.

Apple doesn’t release iPads yearly in the way it does iPhones, so we’re not sure if any new iPads will be launched alongside the new software. We’d expect all current-gen iPads to support iPadOS 19 on release.

Keep reading for a roundup of the 4 biggest iPadOS 19 rumors we’ve heard so far, as well as 2 further things I’d like to see come to the iPad platform.

• iPadOS 19 is still fairly far away, but we've already heard some key rumors
• New homescreen features could be on the way, as well as a new low-power mode
• New features shared with iOS 19 are rumored to include an Apple Intelligence-powered Siri and visionOS-inspired redesign

Pinned files on the homescreen

Apple fans have been calling out en masse for more desktop-style iPad features for a few years now – and honestly, I get it. The iPad Pro and iPad Air especially are as powerful on paper as certain MacBooks, powered by M-series chipsets with as much as 16GB of RAM.

We don’t expect that iPadOS 19 will push Apple’s tablets drastically closer to the desktop experience, but a notable tipster suggests that at least one new desktop-style feature is on the way.

According to longtime tipster Majin Bu, iPadOS 19 will bring the ability to pin files and folders to the homescreen, which we imagine means they’ll appear similarly to app icons.

This could add flexibility to the iPad experience, allowing users to set up pages of their homescreen with each focused on different projects or folders. Users have long been able to add websites and widgets to the iPad homescreen, so adding files feels like a natural extension.

A new low-power mode

A further rumor from tipster Majin Bu notes that iPadOS 19 could bring an overhauled low-power mode to Apple’s tablet lineup.

The rumor suggests that iPadOS 19 will fold the low-power mode into Apple Intelligence, using AI to optimize performance and conserve battery life.

Currently, the iPad’s low-power mode prioritizes essential tasks, dims the screen, and locks the display to a 60hz refresh rate on models with ProMotion displays (which only includes iPad Pro models at the time of writing).

Though I’m a noted AI skeptic, this sounds like a great way to use it. Some of my concerns about AI are to do with power efficiency, so if Apple is looking to use it to conserve energy I'm happy to watch with curiosity rather than doubt.

Apple Intelligence, meet Siri

Siri is due to get its long-awaited Apple Intelligence update with the next major iPadOS update, in line with contemporaneous updates to iOS and macOS.

Apple had initially sought to imbue Siri with the full power of Apple Intelligence via a mid-year iPadOS 18 update, but this has unfortunately failed to materialize.

As well as marking another chapter in the messy rollout of Apple Intelligence, this has led various commentators to adjust their expectations and set sights on iPadOS 19 as Siri’s saviour.

As we recently covered, Siri is well overdue an update, as it still struggles to answer certain basic questions.

A possible redesign

As we previously reported, Bloomberg’s resident Apple expert Mark Gurman has suggested that iOS 19, iPadOS 19, and macOS 16 will all come with a major visionOS inspired redesign – think transparent windows, circular icons, and less visual clutter.

Though we’ve not seen many rumors focused on the possible iPadOS overhaul, we have seen images that supposedly show the redesigned iOS camera app.

Though most of the latest Apple software redesign rumors have concerned iOS, it tracks that iPadOS would receive a similar visual refresh, as the two typically mirror each other when it comes to aesthetics.

iPadOS has technically never had a major redesign, as the operating system only diverged from iOS in 2019. The last major iOS redesign came in 2012, with the introduction of iOS 7.

What I want to see from iPadOS 19

I’ve been an iPad user since long before I joined the TechRadar team, and my trusty 2020 iPad Pro is still ticking along – but like many others I think there are a few key things Apple could do to elevate the experience with iPadOS 19.

The first is proper floating window support. I don’t care if it’s packaged as part of Stage Manager, I just want to be able to resize windows at will and place them where I want. I’ve given up on wanting the iPad to behave exactly like a Mac, but I don’t think this will cross any borders.

As mentioned, the iPad Pro and iPad Air now both sport desktop-class chipsets that are more than capable of running and resizing multiple windows – especially for first-party apps.

The second feature I’d like to see added is a software split keyboard. It honestly confuses me that my 11-inch iPad Pro doesn’t support this feature – the tablet is thin and portable, but just too big to type on comfortably when held vertically.

So there you have it – my two-part wishlist. Let us know what you want to see from iPadOS 19 in the comments, and for a refresher on Apple's current tablet lineup check out our list of the best iPads.

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• A German news site has published detailed information about the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE series
• Two new midrange tablets are said to be slated for release by mid-April
• Samsung has yet to confirm this release window or any of the rumored specs

Samsung has had a busy few months, with the launch of the Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25 Plus, and Galaxy S25 Ultra flagship phones, as well as the behemoth Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra late last year.

However, it seems like there’s no slowdown in sight for the Korean tech giant, with a major rumor suggesting the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE is on the way by mid-April - and by the looks of its specs sheet, it could prove to be a strong rival to Apple’s iPad Air.

The information comes courtesy of German tech news site WinFuture (via GSMArena), and details the specs, European pricing, and color options for both the base Galaxy Tab S10 FE and larger Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus.

According to the WinFuture, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE sports a 10.9-inch display with a 2304 x 1440 resolution, Exynos 1580 chipset, RAM configurable to 8GB or 12GB, and 128GB and 256GB storage options. The Galaxy Tab S10 FE also supposedly sports an 8,000mAh battery.

As for the larger sibling, the Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus sports a 13.1-inch display with a 2880 x 1800 resolution, the same Exynos 1580 chipset, and the same 8GB or 12GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of storage. It also sports a 10,00mAh battery.

The pair are seemingly the same tablet other than their display size and resolution and battery size.

Both tablets support the S-Pen stylus, but we aren’t sure if they ship with one yet. Both support 45W wired charging and are likely to run a version of One UI 7, based on the pattern of recent Samsung releases. Both sport a 13MP rear camera and 12MP selfie camera and have one USB-C port.

Additionally, renders shared by WinFuture show both tablets as coming in a light-blue color, as well as a black and white option.

The WinFuture report also includes European pricing for the tablets, which we can convert to get estimates for pricing elsewhere.

According to these rumors, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE costs €579 for the model with 128GB of storage, and €679 for the model with 256GB of storage. That’s roughly $630 / £490 / AU$1,000 for 128GB, and $740 / £570 / AU$1,200 for 256GB.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus supposedly costs €749 for the model with 128GB of storage and €849 for 256GB, which is approximately $810 / £630 / AU$1,300 and $920 / £710 / AU$1,470 respectively.

If these prices turn out to be accurate, then the Galaxy Tab FE series could offer users a cheaper alternative to the iPad Air, which comes in similar 11-inch and 13-inch models. The Exynos 1580 chipset is, admittedly, nowhere near as powerful as the iPad Air’s M3 chipset, but it’s still likely to be a compelling choice for budget-conscious buyers who want a premium-feeling device.

Keeping in mind that all of the above is based in rumors, what do you think of the rumored Galaxy Tab S10 FE? Would you ever choose one over an iPad Air? Let us know in the comments below.

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As is often the case in the week following an Apple launch event, the TechRadar reviews team has been absolutely inundated with reviews this week. We were blessed with three Apple releases – including the predicted MacBook Air M4 and the shock of that new Mac Studio with M3 Ultra chip. But our testing suite also received a smattering of other exciting tech to put through its paces.

• Read all of our previous Review Recaps

Naturally, we're sure you're itching to hear how the MacBook Air 15-inch (M4) and Apple iPad Air 11-inch M3 (2025) stack up. Well, you can read about their high-octane performance and sleek design below. But we also have plenty of other stellar tech to talk about this week, including Sennheiser's new affordable, audiophile-pleasing open-backed headphones and Philips' gorgeous, sensational sounding new premium OLED TV.

1. Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M4) review

2. Apple iPad Air 11-inch M3 (2025) review

3. Philips OLED+959 review

4. Sennheiser HD 505 review

5. Apple Mac Studio (M3 Ultra) review

It was easy to miss in Apple's blast of launches last week – which also included the new MacBook Air M4 – but Apple recently launched a new iPad Air M3.

Alongside a fresh processor, the mid-range tablet was given a new, Pro-level Magic Keyboard companion. For such a powerful tablet, it's pricing also remains at a tempting level, starting at $599 / £599 / AU$999 (for the 11-inch model) and $799 / £799 / AU$1,299 (for the 13-inch version).

But should you buy the iPad Air M3? Or is it a pointless middle ground between the refreshed base iPad and the more powerful, OLED-packing iPad Pro M4?

We've rounded up all the biggest reviews from around the internet below to see if there's a consensus and help you decide the best iPad for you. Starting, of course, with TechRadar's experiences with Apple's latest Air...

The iPad Air M3 reviews

TechRadar: "Stretches the value even further with more power for the same price"

Our iPad Air M3 review concludes that it's an even better value option than before – and potentially a reason to skip the iPad Pro (2024). The Air lacks the Pro's best-in-class screen and (ironically) ultra-thin design, but we "really noticed and enjoyed the speed boost" from its M3 chip.

That means, as our review concludes, that the new iPad Air "blurs the line between who this is for and who the iPad Pro is for." It rattled through most tasks we threw at it, from photo and video editing to work apps and gaming. While it isn't far ahead of the M2 chip's performance, we found it "almost impossible" to even slow it down.

In short, the iPad Air M3 is definitely a worthy upgrade "if you have an M1 iPad Air or older, an entry-level iPad, or another tablet" and need more power.

The Verge: "An excellent tablet, and I wish Apple would use iPadOS to make it a more versatile one"

The Verge's iPad Air M3 review chimes with most of our findings – which means it concludes that it's a great option if you want a slightly more future-proofed tablet than the more affordable base iPad.

Unlike us, The Verge reviewed the 13-inch version. The conclusion was, "if you want a larger model, I’d encourage you to consider the 13-inch Pro instead". We thought the same after crunching the numbers on the iPad Air M3's various configuration options.

Another slight point of difference was that The Verge didn't notice any real-world difference from the M3 chip compared to its predecessor. That means it recommends that "2024 Air plus 2025 Magic Keyboard" could be the combo to go for if you can find it on sale.

CNET: "Once again, the Pro iPad for most"

Unlike The Verge, CNET doesn't think the iPad Pro is now worth the upgrade compared to the new Air (unless you're considering a high-end Air like the 1TB model).

What's the difference between the two? The Pro gets you an OLED display, thinner design, Face ID camera, and a Lidar scanner alongside an M4 chip. But as we also concluded, the lines between the Air and Pro are now even more blurred – and it depends on how much you want those extra features.

Similarly, CNET's review concluded that there are two big reasons to get the new Air over the base iPad – its M3 chip and compatibility with the Pencil Pro. It also praises the Magic Keyboard, which it says is "a better option now than it was," and in a running theme, says that the 11-inch model "would be the one I'd consider."

Wired: "Now an option for creatives and gamers, but lacks exciting upgrades"

Wired settled on a middling 7/10 rating for the iPad Air M3, with the main recommendation being to wait for price drops on it if you need the M3 power. "It delivers a great experience, but it doesn't bring anything vital to the table that warrants paying full price," Wireds review concludes.

Its side-by-side comparisons with the M1 and M2 iPad Airs showed that "it was tough to spot a distinction in performance between all three," other than the M3 feeling "a bit snappier" but not noticeably so.

The other main criticisms are the Air's design ("it's comical that the iPad Air is still a few grams heavier and almost a full millimeter thicker than the iPad Pro") plus the lack of battery life and screen improvements. Wired thinks Apple should have replaced its LCD panel with the mini LED one seen on the iPad Pro in 2021 and 2022.

In short, while Wired thinks the Air M3 is still a solid option, it reckons that "we're on the precipice of an even thinner, faster, and better model" in the near future.

Engadget: "A modest update that's still easy to recommend"

Like most iPad Air M3 reviews here, Engadget didn't notice much of a real-world impact of the new M3 chip (despite Geekbench scores showing a 16% improvement over the M2). However, it does point out that the chip makes the tablet slightly more future-proofed.

Like Wired, Engadget thinks Apple should have upgraded the Air's screen tech to the iPad Pro's mini LED panel from a few years ago. The combo of a 120Hz refresh rate and 1,000 nits brightness (1,600 nits for HDR content) would, it says, "be a major improvement" given how popular iPads are for watching video. Then again, it also admits that "the iPad Air’s screen remains quite lovely."

In conclusion, Engadget says, "the Air remains a clear upgrade over the base iPad," thanks to its "improved display, stronger performance, more robust multitasking experience and better accessories." But also that most people who want "just a good iPad" likely wouldn't miss the Air's upgrades.

The iPad Air M3 verdict

Despite some minor differences of opinion, there's a clear consensus in the iPad Air M3 reviews – all reviewers think it's a fine mid-range tablet if a slightly boring, incremental upgrade.

The new Air may also potentially be caught in between two stools. The refreshed base iPad remains better value for those who simply want an Apple tablet (and don't care about Apple Intelligence), while the cost of the iPad Air M3 configurations can mount to the point where the iPad Pro M4 might be the better bet (particularly if you need a 13-inch screen).

The main reasons for picking an iPad Air over the base iPad are its M3 chip and Apple Pencil Pro compatibility. The iPad Pro M3, meanwhile, offers a much better OLED display, an M4 chip, Face ID, a Lidar sensor, and better speakers.

But most reviews also concluded that, if the latter aren't important to you, the new Air remains a fine tablet, with the 11-inch model being the sweet spot for size and price.

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The brand-new iPad Air only just launched but Amazon has already cut the price of both the latest 11-inch and 13-inch devices by up to $50. It may not be the largest discount, but given these tablets have only been available for hours, we'll take any savings at this point.

I'm not sure if this is a limited-time offer just for preorders, but either way, it's worth snapping up if you're shopping for the new slates as it will likely be one of the best iPad deals we see for some time on these new models

The new iPad Air looks impressive too – especially with the power of the M3 chip inside. As our iPad Air M3 review discovered, the upgrade is welcome, giving you even more performance at the same price as the previous generation model. That's on top of the vibrant Liquid Retina display, impressive battery life, solid 12MP front and back cameras, and Apple Intelligence support.

Today's best iPad Air deals

The announcement of a new iPad Air M3 came as bit of a surprise as the previous generation model with an M2 chip has only been available for around a year. iPad refreshes are fairly regularly, but there's usually at least a couple of years between versions.

Getting the M3 chip for the same price as the last version is a huge win, though, as it gives you an excellent performance boost for no additional cost – and should futureproof the tablet for a good few years.

The iPad Air sits in that sweet spot between power, portability and affordablilty, making it a smart buy if you need a capable tablet for everyday use and some more demanding tasks such as drawing, photo editing or video editing. It also supports the latest Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard so you can use it as a complete workstation with ease.

Apple iPad Air 11-inch (2025) review: One-minute review

Apple hasn’t changed much with the latest generation iPad Air, and for good reason. In 2024, Apple expanded the Air to two sizes, moved the front-facing camera, tossed in support for the Apple Pencil Pro, and upgraded it to the M2 chip.

This year – and not even 12 months have passed since the last upgrade – Apple keeps the same prices and color options but equips the Air with an even better chip – the M3. The result is a faster yet refreshingly familiar experience that checks off the right boxes, whether you want a tablet just for entertainment or one for both work and play. The only caveat is that the Magic Keyboard, which you'll really benefit from if your focus is more on productivity, is an additional purchase and doesn't come bundled with the iPad Air, although it's cheaper year over year.

In my five days with the iPad Air, I really noticed and enjoyed the speed boost. It stretches the value proposition that bit further, and puts any concerns about power – both now and likely for the foreseeable future for most people – pretty much to bed for me. I was able to edit photos in Photoshop and Pixelmator, draw my wildest dreams in ProCreate, and even edit a movie in Final Cut Pro, and export those media files swiftly, with the Air sometimes outpacing a MacBook Air.

When it was time to get to work, I could dive into Slack, Safari, Gmail, and Google Docs to quickly write, edit, and produce stories to get them live without missing a beat. And I could also fit in time for a FaceTime call, a quick game – be it a AAA title or an Apple Arcade one – and stream any TV show or movie on the services I subscribe to.

Apple Intelligence in its current state is fully supported here, and future upgrades, including the AI-infused Siri and other yet-to-be-revealed ones, should run here without issue. I had no problems creating my emojis, removing objects from photos, and even dabbling with writing tools to clean up copy.

All this is to say that the latest generation iPad Air blurs the line between who this is for and who the iPad Pro is for. Yes, it’s more powerful than the iPad mini or the entry-level iPad, but it lacks some of the flair of the iPad Pro. If you need the best-in-range screen from Apple, and for some reason need even more power than the new Air, or really want the ultra-thin look and feel, the Pro is worth consideration if you can afford it.

Otherwise, the latest iPad Air might be a bit thicker and heavier, but it makes less of a dent in your wallet – and really isn’t that heavy. I normally would have opted for the larger-screen option, but the 11-inch iPad Air stretched its mileage for me. It’s proved to be an excellent working companion when teamed with the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil Pro, allowing me to leave my Mac at home and more than get by with just the super-portable combo.

If you invested in the iPad Air with M2 you won’t need to make the jump just yet, but if you have an M1 or older iPad Air, or own an entry-level iPad and feel the need for more power, now’s an excellent time to upgrade.

Apple iPad Air 11-inch (2025) review: Specs

Apple iPad Air 11-inch (2025) review: Price and availability

• How much does it cost: $599 / £599 / AU$999 for the 11-inch or $799 / £799 / AU$1,299 for the 13-inch
• When does it ship: Apple’s iPad Air with M3 in both sizes formally launches on March 12, 2025.

Here’s some good news: Apple’s 11-inch iPad Air with M3 starts at $599 / £599 / AU$999, and the 13-inch at $799 / £799 / AU$1,299, which is the same price as last year’s M2 model. Both start at 128GB but can be configured with 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of storage if you’re willing to spend the money.

Apple also offers an LTE model with 5G connectivity if you need it. The iPad Air comes in Purple, Blue, Space Gray, or Starlight regardless of connectivity or storage size.

My test unit is an 11-inch iPad Air with M3 with cellular connectivity and 1TB of storage in a lovely shade of purple.

• Value score: 4.5 / 5

Apple iPad Air 11-inch (2025) review: Design

• The 11-inch size is very portable without compromising on features or power
• It's a nearly identical build to the 2024 model aside from slightly less branding

Considering that Apple updated the design of the iPad Air in 2024 and rolled out a new super-sized 13-inch model, there isn’t a whole lot new about the M3 iPad Air design-wise. After all, the most significant change does lie within the name.

The dimensions year over year for both sizes remain essentially the same. The 11-inch iPad Air I’ve been using is 247.6 x 178.5 x 6.1mm and weighs 460 grams – that’s actually two grams lighter than last year’s model, but the difference is indiscernible in everyday use.

For those keeping track, that’s heavier and thicker than the 11-inch iPad Pro, but the iPad Air still feels effortlessly modern. I still dig the pastel-y shade of purple that it comes in and appreciate that, thanks to its matte aluminum finish, the rear gets easily covered in fingerprints. That distinct shade of purple can also change depending on how the light hits it.

The most noticeable design change that Apple has made to the iPad Air is removing the name from the tablet's rear. On previous models, ‘iPad Air’ was stamped above the Smart Connectors on the rear (when held vertically, it was centered on the bottom), but that’s no longer the case. Now, the whole rear is quite clean, aside from a shiny Apple logo in the center and a 12-megapixel camera aperture in the upper-right corner (when held vertically).

Little has changed in terms of button and port placement, which is to be expected, especially since the power button with the embedded Touch ID sensor was already in a location that works great for either orientation. When the Air is held horizontally or docked in the Magic Keyboard, that button lives at the top on the left-hand side, making it easy to unlock the iPad and authenticate for purchases or password fill-ins, and when you’re holding the tablet held vertically Touch ID is a beat away at the top on the right-hand side.

Touch ID is fast here, and I’d highly recommend setting up a finger from each of your hands, as it makes it a bit easier to get the most out of the button in both orientations; it will also save you from playing Twister when it comes to unlocking. You’ll also find the stereo speakers – which get quite loud – on the shorter sides of the iPad Air, so on the top and bottom when it’s vertical or left and right when horizontal. It makes this tablet excellent for enjoying content, be it in an episode of Bluey with my niece, the latest episode of Severance, or Bruce Springsteen’s Road Diary on Disney Plus.

The speaker volume is controlled by the up and down buttons that are on the top when horizontal or right side when vertical, or via Control Center. For charging or data transfers, the USB-C port is still on the bottom when the tablet is vertical or on the right side when it’s horizontal. You get a USB-C to USB-C cable and wall plug in the box.

Right below the volume controls is the magnetic connector for the Apple Pencil. The iPad Air supports both the Apple Pencil Pro or Apple Pencil with USB-C, but I’d recommend the former if you can afford it, as it will wirelessly charge when attached to the side. As we noted with the 2024 refresh of the iPad Air, reconfiguring the wireless charging spot here required some heavy lifting on Apple’s part.

Apple has made this change not only to facilitate easier Pencil charging, but also so that it could move the front-facing 12-megapixel wide camera that supports CenterStage, which is now in a better position when you're using the iPad Air horizontally. The microphone now sits directly next to it, and you won’t risk muddying up the lens with fingerprints, which can be an issue given that the bezels on tablets are relatively thick. The bezels are identical in size to those on the 2024 model, and despite their relative thickness and the Liquid Retina display here, which I’ll talk about more in the next section, is almost all screen.

Even if it’s no longer the thinnest or lightest iPad, the 11-inch iPad Air was never a chore to take with me. While I usually use a 13-inch iPad Pro, I really like the flexibility this size of iPad affords – I could easily toss it in a bag or backpack wrapped in either the Smart Folio or the Magic Keyboard. It will easily fit on a tray table on an airplane, but more importantly, it didn’t take up too much space when I was working in a cafe or at a kitchen island. The 11-inch size has its perks.

So, the iPad Air is still the name, but maybe ‘Air’ reflects the price more than the design. Either way, the iPad Air is still a modern-looking tablet that has all the buttons in the right places and is won’t weigh you down, whether you’re using it to watch something in bed, working at your desk or from the kitchen, or touting it around in a bag.

• Design score: 4 / 5

Apple iPad Air 11-inch (2025) review: Display

• The Liquid Retina display is still excellent with punchy colors
• No ProMotion high refresh rate here

I’ll cut to the chase here: the 11-inch Liquid Retina display is excellent. No, it’s not a Dynamic OLED like on the iPad Pro, but it’s more than enough for everything from streaming content to editing photos or videos or drawing in Procreate, playing games like Asphalt 9 or Mini Metro, browsing the web, and responding to emails in between all of the above. The colors are vibrant and punchy, contrast is good, and whether it was typed or handwritten via an Apple Pencil, text is rich and inky.

Apple is also one of the best at creating anti-reflective coatings for its screens, and the oleophobic coating here effectively blocks fingerprints from being visible when you’re using the tablet. That’s something that I think is pretty important – and remember, the 11-inch Air only hits 500 nits at its peak (that’s up by 100 to 600 nits on the 13-inch iPad Air), so the coating is doing its thing here.

As on the 2024 model, this year’s display still has a 2360 x 1640 resolution at 264 pixels per inch, with support for the P3 Wide Color Gamut and Apple’s True Tone tech.

For the lower price, I think the Liquid Retina display here isn’t too much of a concession – it’s a great tablet screen that lets you make the most of iPadOS and your various apps.

The only thing missing is a higher refresh rate courtesy of the ProMotion designation, but as on the iPhone and Mac, Apple reserves that for its higher-tier products.

Still, whether you’re using the 11-inch iPad Air for education, work, or play, you’ll be happy with the screen here. And if you want a super-sized experience, the 13-inch Air gives you a more expansive canvas.

• Display score: 4 / 5

Apple iPad Air 11-inch (2025) review: Cameras

• No major upgrades to either the front or rear camera
• Center Stage is still great for video calls

Like every other iPad in Apple’s lineup, the iPad Air features two cameras, and as on every other model but the iPad mini, the front camera is on the landscape/horizontal side. It’s still a 12-megapixel camera that supports Center Stage, Apple’s onboard software that responds swiftly to keep you in the center of the frame for video calls. That, plus the better location for the camera, especially if you use it docked in the Magic Keyboard, makes this an excellent device for video calls or at-home recording.

For instance, one night, while cooking dinner, I rested the iPad Air on the counter in one position. As I moved around to the stove and back to the countertop, including draining a pot while cooking pasta, Center Stage kept me in the frame while on a FaceTime call with friends.

The rear camera on the new iPad Air is still a 12-megapixel wide lens that can zoom in up to five times digitally and supports video recording at up to 4K at 60 frames per second. It performs pretty well, and considering some folks insist on taking photos with an iPad, the Air does a good job here.

• Cameras score: 4 / 5

Apple iPad Air 11-inch (2025) review: Software

• It's the familiar iPadOS experience
• The iPad Air supports the advanced Stage Manager multitasking mode
• It works really well with the new Magic Keyboard; it's more laptop-like than before

Just as with the iPad, iPad mini, iPad Pro, or the iPad Air that came before this iPad Air, one of the best parts of the Apple tablet experience is the vast array of things you can do on your device.

In my testing time so far, I’ve been writing – including this review – on the iPad Air with it docked in the Magic Keyboard, streaming movies and TV shows, playing games like Mini Metro, RFS+ (a flight simulator), Asphalt 9, and Disney Dreamlight Valley, editing photos and videos in Pixelmator, Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, and Detail, drawing in Procreate, practicing organization in Notability, and even dabbling with some 3D modeling to see what the M3 chip is capable of in the likes of Uniform.

I’ve pushed iPadOS pretty much to the limits, using just one app, multitasking on a split screen with a third app hanging on the side, and even using Stage Manager. iPadOS 18 is still a very familiar experience; it’s another year older, but Apple is still differentiating it from its other OSes – it’s not entirely different from iOS, though it has clear benefits for the tablet form factor, and still uniquely different from macOS. There’s sufficient continuity between iPadOS and Apple’s wider ecosystem, though – I can use my Mac’s trackpad and keyboard on the iPad thanks to Universal Control, and even extend my display to the iPad with Sidecar.

The M3 chip here is very, very powerful, and ensures that nothing so much as stutters, other than a larger 4K export file in Final Cut Pro, which took some time. For the most part, any typical productivity or entertainment task really flies, allowing you to get a lot done with the iPad Air in a little time – and it also blurs the lines as to who might need this model versus the iPad Pro with the M4.

While the iPad Air with M2 was released before Apple unveiled Apple Intelligence and began its staggered release – one that’s still ongoing – it does support the suite of features, as does the iPad Air with M3.

A lot of what you can do with Apple’s take on AI right now is complimentary to the rest of iPadOS – you can remove photo bombers and objects from photos directly in the app under ‘Clean Up’, you can opt to have your notifications summarized, create unique emojis on the fly, and even have Siri route your queries through ChatGPT.

You’ll also find Siri’s new look – a colorful glow that surrounds the whole display as a digital bezel – here on the iPad Air, but the truly AI-infused Siri is still a promised feature. On March 7, Apple announced that the smarter Siri was taking a bit longer that expected, and that it would arrive “in the coming year.” Whenever it does come, the iPad Air with M3 will support ot, as well as future Apple Intelligence features

Another way in which the iPad Air with M3 really shines is when it’s docked into the redesigned Magic Keyboard, which costs $269 / £269 / AU$449 for the 11-inch iPad, and $319 / £299 / AU$499 for the 13-inch model. Regardless of size, the new Magic Keyboard is slightly cheaper, and you’re getting a much more Pro experience that almost takes you into MacBook territory. Apple has kept the same form factor for the Magic Keyboard, but there’s now a 14-key function row, which gives you easy access to shortcuts like multitasking, playback control, volume control, and even focus mode engagement. You also get a full QWERTY keyboard with arrow keys and a larger trackpad. I spent two days using just the 11-inch iPad Air as my main work device, tabbing between Slack, Gmail, Google Docs, and Sheets, as well as Safari, Messages, Photoshop, Notes, FaceTime, and countless other apps.

Even though I usually use a 13-inch or 14-inch MacBook, I didn’t feel all that cramped on the iPad Air, even at the 11-inch size, and this is something I want to test more while traveling. I especially liked that I could literally reach out and touch iPadOS when I needed to, and I felt at home with the more laptop-like experience as well.

Another key and needed upgrade to the Magic Keyboard is an upgrade to the charging speed, and the keyboard’s USB-C port now supports up to 60W charging, the same as the iPad’s own USB-C port. Bravo, Apple! To make room for the extra row of keys and larger trackpad, the oval hinge – the mechanism by which the iPad attaches and the case closes – has been redesigned to accommodate the extra functionality. It’s really well designed, and my only complaint is that the Magic Keyboard only comes in white, which will undoubtedly get dirty.

It adds cost to the iPad Air, but it’s an excellent accessory that will let you stretch the mileage and capabilities of the tablet itself; and paired with the M3 chip inside, the excellent, punchy display, and iPadOS, it will most certainly let you get a bunch of years of use out of your device.

The Apple Pencil Pro is also an add-on at $129 / £129 / AU$219, and one that I found enjoyable to use for note-taking, navigating iPadOS, and for creative acts like drawing. Way back when Apple first launched the original Apple Pencil and super-sized 12.9-inch iPad, I ditched a Retina MacBook Pro for the iPad and used it with the Pencil and eventually a Smart Keyboard as my main device combo – and the note-taking experience is still effortless here, and basically identical to writing on paper, with no visible latency. The addition of Squeeze to the Pencil Pro lets you easily engage options like an eraser, which is quite helpful considering Apple never added one to the top.

• Software score: 4 / 5

Apple iPad Air 11-inch (2025) review: Performance

• M3 chip lets the iPad Air fly with nearly any task
• Even more intense video edits or AAA game perform without hiccups
• Not a night and day difference over the M2 iPad Air, but older models will see a big improvement

The biggest change with Apple’s 2025 iPad Air refresh is the newer, faster, and better-equipped M3 chip under the hood. It also blurs the lines between the iPad Air and the M4-powered iPad Pro a bit more, as both are very powerful – and it was already a close race last year between the M2-powered Air and the M4 Pro. Apple’s silicon is just very, very good.

I threw pretty much everything at the M3 iPad Air, and it was almost impossible even to slow it down, never mind make it buckle. It’s not leagues better than the iPad Air with M2, but it’s closing the gap with the Pro, and has me questioning exactly which specific use cases might require you to make that jump – the overall thinner build and OLED screen might be better selling points for the Pro.

Considering that the Air in iPad Air doesn't mean slower speeds or a super light build, I think it really denotes that this tablet is closer in terms of features and power to the MacBook Air. The new iPad Air is more affordable, but it still delivers a stellar experience in nearly every department, especially performance. I could perform all my daily tasks for work, from email to writing and editing written words, as well as producing GIFs and editing photos, then exporting them at my normal speed, if not faster. I could also have a FaceTime call running during this or even take a break for a quick game – maybe, just don’t tell my boss that. Testing, though, am I right?

In my daily experience, the M3 iPad Air flew, and quantitatively, it also bettered the results we got from the M2 iPad Air in 2024. Apple hasn’t put an underpowered version of the M3 in the iPad Air – it’s still an M3 chip with an 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine as well as 8GB of RAM – that’s plenty for an iPad in pretty much any use case.

The chip enables hardware-accelerated ray tracing for AAA titles like Death Stranding and Resident Evil. Using GeekBench 6, which runs the iPad Air through a number of tests, the iPad Air scored very well, achieving 3,023 single-core and 11,716 multi-core scores. That jumps past the iPad Air with M2, which scored 2,591 on single-core and 10,046 on multi-core, and puts it closer to the iPad Pro with M4, which scored 3,700 on single-core and 14,523 on multi-core.

Suffice to say, those are impressive numbers from Apple’s mid-range iPad, at a much more affordable price of $599 / £599 / AU$999 11-inch or the $799 / £799 / AU$1,299 for the 13-inch then compared with the iPad Pro. You’ll also find that really any iPad task runs well here, assuming you have the app to make it happen.

Given that it’s not a huge leap over the M2-powered iPad Air, I don’t see any need for folks who bought that model last year to rush out and upgrade. But if you have an older standard iPad, and find your needs pushing past its capabilities, or even an M1-powered iPad Air or older, the iPad Air with M3 makes a whole lot of sense, offering power and performance that will last you for many years to come.

• Performance score: 4.5 / 5

Apple iPad Air 11-inch (2025) review: Battery and Connectivity

• The iPad Air can still last a full work day on a charge
• It's the same battery performance as the prior generation
• No Wi-Fi 7 support

Still powering the 11-inch iPad Air is a 28.93Wh battery (the 13-inch Air has a larger 36.59Wh battery), and Apple again promises up to 10 hours of web surfing or watching a video on Wi-Fi. That essentially translates as all-day battery life, and that’s largely what I got out of the iPad Air with M3, even when docked in the Magic Keyboard, which didn’t seem to drain much more of the battery. What battery depletion I did experience was generally the result of a more power-hungry process or app – for example, exporting a bunch of photos or videos, or a AAA game.

I could get through between eight to 10 hours of work with brightness at about 70% using various productivity apps, and some music playback and video calls in between, which is pretty good for a tablet of this size, all things considered. When needed, I could also plug in the iPad Air or utilize the port on the Magic Keyboard with a USB-C cable to charge.

Connectivity is identical to the previous version, meaning that Wi-Fi 7 is still missing here, with Apple opting for Wi-Fi 6E. There’s also Bluetooth 5.3 and, on LTE models, support for 5G Sub-6 GHz and Gigabit LTE.

• Battery and Connectivity score: 4 / 5

Apple iPad Air 11-inch (2025): Should you buy it?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Apple iPad Air 11-inch (2025): How I tested

I spent five days testing the 11-inch M3 iPad Air, supplemented with a Magic Keyboard, a Smart Folio, and an Apple Pencil Pro. After unboxing the tablet and accessories I set the iPad Air up as new, and then downloaded my usual apps to make it feel like home.

I mostly put my 14-inch MacBook Pro to one side, and put the iPad Air to the test by using it as my primary device productivity and entertainment device. I used it for most of my daily tasks, from responding to emails, writing articles, and communicating on Slack to editing photos and videos. I also played several games on the device, from more basic titles to AAA ones, and streamed hours of content, including music, TV shows, and movies.

First reviewed March 10, 2025

• Demand has reportedly been weak for the OLED iPad Pro
• This means there are some expected changes to Apple's OLED roadmap
• This year's iPad Pro upgrade is set to be a minor one

Our iPad Pro 13-inch (2024) review will tell you that we love the most recent version of the tablet – the first to sport an OLED screen – but it doesn't come cheap, and its price is reportedly leading to weak demand for the Apple slate.

This comes from the industry analysts at Meritz Securities (via @Jukanlosreve), with around 5.7 million units apparently shipping last year. If accurate, that figure is some way down on the nine million units Apple was originally hoping to shift.

What's more, the same report says there won't be many changes in the OLED iPad Pro rumored to launch later this year. While it is predicted to get an upgrade to an M5 chip, it sounds as though everything else will be more or less the same.

Given that the device isn't exactly flying off the shelves right now, and won't get a big upgrade this year, Apple is said to be revising its OLED tech plans – with some products coming forward and some getting pushed back.

What's coming next

Under the new schedule, the OLED iPad mini will make an appearance in 2026, while the OLED iPad Air is going to jump forward from 2028 to 2027 – that's if Meritz Securities and its sources have got their information correct.

An upgrade to the OLED tech in the iPad Pro – incorporating something called Capsule OLED Encapsulation, for improved performance and durability – has apparently been pushed back from 2027 to 2028.

While the starting price of $999 / £999 / AU$1,699 might be putting potential buyers off the 2024 iPad Pro, it seems Apple will continue to use the most expensive OLED displays for it. The iPad mini and iPad Air are thought to be getting cheaper OLED tech.

We most recently saw a new 7th-gen iPad Air and a refreshed entry-level iPad from Apple – neither of which come with an OLED display. If you're wondering which one is the right pick for you, check out our guide to the best iPads.

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• The Mac mute button now matches the on-screen graphics
• Keyboards for MacBooks and iPads have been updated
• It's the first tweak to the button design since back in 1999

Apple unveiled some shiny new MacBook Airs for 2025 earlier this week – and as well as featuring the latest M4 chipsets inside, they also correct a keyboard oversight that's been around since the last century.

As spotted by iCulture (via MacRumors), the mute button on the keyboard now shows a small speaker with a strikeout line through it. Previously, the icon was just a speaker, with none of the sound waves next to it that the other volume buttons show.

Why does this matter? Well, as you'll notice if you're reading this on a Mac, if you tap the mute button on an Apple keyboard, you get a speaker icon with a strikeout line through it on screen. The keyboard graphics now match the macOS visuals.

It's not much of a change in the grand scheme of computing upgrades, but it's nice to now have some consistency. The old mute button icon has been around since the launch of the PowerBook G3 all the way back in 1999.

Looking good

Apple hasn't said anything officially about the updated iconography, but the change has also been made on the new Magic Keyboard that comes with the refreshed 7th-generation iPad Air tablet, powered by the M3 chipset.

That would indicate the new look is here to stay, and will continue to feature on Mac keyboards going forward. The next computers we're expecting from Apple are the M5 MacBook Pros, due before the end of the year.

Judging by the comments on the MacRumors article linked above, this isn't something that has been particularly confusing or frustrating for users – but given Apple's usual attention to detail, it's strange that the inconsistency has persisted.

Our full review of the M4 MacBook Air is still in the pipeline, but we have managed to get some hands-on time with the updated laptops already – and the fresh Sky Blue color is definitely one that catches the eye.

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• The new M3 iPad Air offers good value at $599 / £599 / AU$999
• But it becomes less attractive when you start adding upgrades
• If you’re doing that, buying an iPad Pro might make more sense

Apple has just launched a new iPad Air with M3 chip, updating the mid-range tablet while keeping its $599 / £599 / AU$999 starting price the same as the M2 edition – a nice little boost for Apple fans. Yet I’ve been having a look at the different configuration options (see the full list below), and pretty quickly you run into a problem: the iPad Pro.

Here’s an example. If it was me and I had my heart set on buying an iPad Air, I would probably want to get the 13-inch model over the 11-inch version. Not only does this get you a more expansive screen – which is fantastic for watching movies and editing videos – but it’s actually brighter than the 11-inch iPad Air. Whereas that device goes up to 500 nits of brightness, the 13-inch iPad Air maxes out at 600 nits.

But picking that upgrade pushes the iPad Air’s price up to $799 / £799 / AU$1,349. Add in a storage upgrade from the base 128GB to 256GB and you’re looking at a grand total of $899. That’s fairly pricey for a mid-range tablet, and it means the iPad Air loses some of its luster.

A pricing problem

If you’re spending this much money, it might actually be worth considering the 11-inch iPad Pro, which starts at just $100 more ($999 / £999 / AU$1,699).

That gets you an excellent tandem OLED display, Face ID, ProMotion refresh rates, up to 1,600 nits of peak brightness, and the M4 chip, among other benefits. That’s a lot of extra oomph for not much more cash. The main drawback is you’re getting a smaller 11-inch screen, as the 13-inch iPad Pro starts at the more expensive asking price of $1,299 / £1,299 / $2,199.

But if you can live with the 11-inch display (which is still a fantastic screen thanks to that tandem OLED), you’re getting one of the best tablets money can buy for only a little more than a less-advanced iPad Air. And, ironically, the iPad Pro is even thinner than the iPad Air, despite the latter’s name implying that it should be the most lightweight option.

It’s a tricky position to be in. Don’t get me wrong, the base-level $599 / £599 / AU$999 iPad Air is great value, and you get a lot of tablet for your money thanks to its featherweight design and M3 chip. But once you start adding on the upgrades, it’s much less attractive compared to the iPad Pro.

Deciding which device is right for you comes down to personal preference, but if I was looking at the iPad Air and adding a few upgrades, I’d find myself drifting inexorably towards the iPad Pro.

Maybe that’s Apple upselling people by being clever with its pricing, or maybe it’s an oversight that’s undercutting the iPad Air. Either way, the new iPad Air makes the most sense when you don’t add any upgrades to it.

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Usually, when new tech has just been announced, discounts are non-existent. However, that isn’t the case with Apple's recently revealed slate, as you can get the latest iPad Air (M3) at Best Buy from just $249 with a relevant trade-in.

The Apple iPad Air (M3) was only announced yesterday, with the introduction of the M3 chip and support for the new Magic Keyboard. Essentially, it's a slightly improved version of a tablet that has already been very popular. After we've had some hands-on time, it has every chance of making its way onto our best tablet guide.

If you’ve been waiting for a new iPad, this could be a good opportunity to snap one up. Crucially, if you have a fairly new iPad to trade in, like the iPad Air (M2), you get a $350 rebate, which brings the iPad Air (M3) down to $250.

Even better, My Best Buy Total and Plus members get an extra $50 off. Play around with the trade-in system and you could get a great discount on a sure-to-be highly sought-after tablet.

Today's best iPad Air M3 deal

It’s too early to say where the Apple iPad Air (M3) will rank in our look at the best iPads but it seems likely to be a great option. Our comparison between the Apple iPad Air (2024) and iPad Air (2022) breaks down the earlier models to help you determine what works best here. Ultimately, the newer the model, the better the performance.

The latest Apple iPad Air is certainly powerful with the M3 chip that powers several Apple laptops. Its Liquid Retina display has P3 wide color, True Tone, and ultralow reflectivity. Other useful features include Touch ID, Apple Pencil support, and iPadOS which works better for multitasking than previous builds.

It's the tablet to get out when you need something bigger than your phone but you don't really want to use a laptop. That makes it ideal for commuting as well as while relaxing on the couch.

iPad deals are fairly common but not so much on the latest models. If you’re thinking of something Android-based, there are other tablet deals out there to cover different budgets.

Right now, Apple’s iPad lineup is a strong four, two of which come in two sizes. Just this morning, Apple ushered in the next generation of the iPad Air and the entry-level iPad, which is now dubbed iPad (A16).

Even with the gorgeous Dynamic OLED display on the iPad Pro, the bite-sized build of the iPad mini, and the sheer value of the iPad Air – now with M3 – the entry-level iPad is still a perfect balancing act.

On paper, the most recent upgrade seems minimal – it’s a jump from the A14 Bionic chip to the A16, which Apple promises delivers up to 50% better performance and a doubling of the internal storage from 64GB to 128GB. Both of these keep this iPad ticking, but what it doesn’t bring is support for Apple Intelligence.

It's kind of a surprise, yes, but it also shows that Apple isn’t necessarily on a quest to bring it to every device, or at least not at this time. Further, I think it’s a sign of what this entry-level iPad is all about and a testament to the fact that the rest of the hardware here makes it a pretty perfect package.

High-end looks with likely stellar performance

There is no knocking the iPad (A16) for its looks – it still comes in some fun colors and boasts an iPad Air-esque design with rounded edges and a healthy bezel around the now-called 11-inch Liquid Retina display that’s still 10.86 inches. It looks modern in every sense of the word, even though it’s stuck in the design language that was used when it was the tenth Generation.

This was also the first iPad with a front-facing camera on the landscape side and Apple’s still sticking with that placement on everything but the iPad mini. You also get an easy way of unlocking and purchasing with Touch ID built into the power button, and there is a camera on the back should you want to take photos with your iPad.

The Apple Pencil situation here is still a little complicated as the iPad (A16) has a USB-C port but supports the first-generation Apple Pencil even though it has a Lightning port built-in. To charge it, you’ll need an adapter and a USB-C to USB-C cable – it’s incredibly clunky, but it works.

You can also opt for the Apple Pencil with USB-C, which you can slide the top over to expose the USB-C port to plug it in for charge. That’s equally clunky. It does magnetically attach to the side of the iPad (A16) for safe-keeping, but that won’t charge it.

Once you figure out how to keep it charged, it works like an Apple Pencil should – giving you an experience that’s close to writing with pen to paper or drawing on a surface. Scribble is supported here, letting you write a message, and the iPad automatically translates it to text. It was kind of an Apple Intelligence-like feature before that was dubbed the name for Apple’s suite of AI functionality.

The A16 chip here should be plenty powerful for all the major tasks one would want to use an iPad for, like:

• Following a recipe
• Browsing the web
• Playing a game from the App Store or Apple Arcade
• FaceTiming with friends or family
• Reading a book
• Listening to Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run
• Scrolling through photos or editing some
• Typing a story … maybe even this one?
• Taking notes with an Apple Pencil
• Endless other things
• Streaming movies and TV shows

You get the point, but the vast majority of things that one can do on an iPad are all possible here (with the notable exception of Apple Intelligence). No, it might not replace a high-performance workflow that you’d need an iPad Air or iPad Pro for, but for the basics and even some more fun processes, the iPad (A16) is more than capable.

After all, to deserve the name of iPad, it needs to be an iPad. But when my friends or family ask me which one is best, if they aren’t doing anything crazy and simply want an iPad to join the bandwagon, as a secondary device, or as one for streaming content, this entry-level iPad checks off the boxes.

It has the better Magic Keyboard

If you want to use the iPad for email, spreadsheets, or other productivity tasks, it also works with my favorite Apple keyboard accessory. The Magic Keyboard Folio has two parts: one that magnetically snaps to the back with a kickstand that you can prop up at various heights, and a keyboard on the front complete with function keys and a good-sized trackpad.

When you don’t need the keyboard, that front piece can snap to the back with the keys facing inward so you don’t accidentally have the keys pressed. It’s great and super functional; it’s not the cheapest, though, at $249.

The previous tenth-generation iPad is our pick for the ‘Best iPad’ overall, and on our Best Tablets page, is the best for most. I expect that this iPad (A16) will quickly shuffle into that spot with better performance after we go hands-on, even without Apple Intelligence.

So if you can live without Image Playground, summarized notifications, or writing tools and want an iPad for drawing, browsing the web, FaceTiming with friends or family, gaming, and streaming your favorite content, don’t dismiss the entry-level iPad … it’s pretty awesome. And I can’t wait to test one out, hopefully in Yellow or Pink.

Apple's taking preorders now for the iPad (A16) with a starting price of $349 / £329, and it will formally launch on March 12, 2025.

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What's in a name, especially one as evocative as "Air"? To me, it means light, floating, a breeze, and the distinction matters. In the case of the iPad, it's always meant lighter than the original, or at least it did. But Apple's recent iPad releases have muddied the definition of 'Air' and now Apple's made one change to the latest iPad Air M3 (11-inch and 13-inch) that makes it clear that the "Air" distinction likely belongs elsewhere.

There isn't much difference between the iPad Air 2024 with the M2 chip and the new Apple iPad Air M3 11-inch and 13-inch models unveiled today aside from the more powerful M3 chip. That bit of Apple silicon imbues the iPad Air with overall faster performance and better intelligence features thanks to a super-charged Neural Processor that better supports the Cupertino tech giant's Apple Intelligence ambitions.

'There is, though, one easy-to-miss design change. On the back, right above the three Magic Keyboard smart connectors, is nothing. In this case, nothing is something because I've noticed the absence of two words, "iPad Air," that were on the back of the M2 iPad Air.

I don't know why Apple removed those words, and Apple is not telling us, but it's a notable change. Here's why.

A question of weight

It's been 15 years since Steve Jobs introduced us to the "post-PC" world and unveiled the first iPad. That remarkable and sturdy tablet weighed 1.5 pounds. At the time, we lauded it for its sveltness.

Two years later, Apple unveiled the first iPad Air, a skinny, 1-pound, glass and aluminum wonder. The product adopted the Air name from the original MacBook Air, an ultra-thin 3-pound laptop that, in a particularly theatrical flourish, Steve Jobs pulled from a manila envelope.

Since then, all 'Air' products have been dependably lighter and thinner than their base and even Pro counterparts. It's still that way on the MacBook side, but things have gotten fuzzier in the iPad space.

Since 2024, Apple's iPad Air has no longer been the thinnest or lightest iPad. That distinction goes to the M4 iPad Pro models. Introduced in 2024, the iPad Pro 11-inch and iPad Pro 13-inch use the new Tandem OLED screen technology. This sandwiches two OLED panels for better colors and deeper blacks, while also eliminating the need for a backlight, thereby making the 5.3-milimeter thickness possible. The 11-inch model weighs just under a pound (0.98 pounds), while the 13-inch Pro weighs 1.28 pounds.

Compare this to the new iPad Air with M3. The 11-inch model is 6.1 milimeters thick and weighs 1.01 pounds. The 13-inch iPad Air is the same 6.1 milimeters thick, and weighs 1.36 pounds. The iPad Air is still 0.9 milimeters thinner than the base iPad (which also got a refresh this week) and 17 grams heavier.

These are not vast differences, but it's also clear that until Apple brings the Tandem OLED technology to the iPad Air lineup, that tablet will still use an LCD-based Liquid Retina screen that requires a backlight, which naturally makes it thicker than the iPad Pro.

Will the real Air stand up?

There is nothing wrong with the previous or this new iPad Air lineup. The M3 I've previously experienced in the MacBook Air is an excellent chip and offers ample support for pro-level video and audio editing, AAA gaming, and, of course, Apple Intelligence.

What about it, though, makes it 'Air'-worthy? Without admitting it directly, Apple has given us a clue that maybe the 'Air' name means less than we thought. Taking the label off this new model is a none-too-subtle way of saying that the appellation doesn't mean what it used to.

Choosing which iPad is right for you will no longer be, "Obviously, I want the light and thin Air model." There are other, more nuanced reasons, like getting near-M4 power and a far more affordable price.

After all, the iPad Pro starts at $999 for the 11-inch model. The new iPad Air M3 starts at just $599. It's not the thinnest or lightest iPad you can get anymore, but that balance of price, performance, and support for the Pencil Pro and that new Magic keyboard may be enough – at least until Apple is ready for the iPad Air to reclaim the thin and light crown.

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• 11- and 13-inch iPad Air tablets get the M3
• This adds support for new Magic Keyboard
• Pricing unchanged since last models

Not even 24 hours after Tim Cook teased, "There’s something in the AIR,” Apple’s just made its next-generation iPad Air official. Along with getting the M3 chip, it still comes in several fun, poppy colors and now supports the ‘new’ Magic Keyboard, which was initially launched alongside the iPad Pro M4.

Now, this is a pretty early refresh for the iPad Air, considering it was upgraded to the M2 chip and a refreshed design on May 7, 2024. Still, it’s clearly popular within the lineup and is now getting an even more powerful chip to make all sorts of tasks even more fluid.

It’s still available in either an 11-inch or 13-inch size, allowing you to pick what best fits your needs, and there is no price increase year over year. The 11-inch model starts at $599/£599/AU$999, while the 13-inch is $799/£799/AU$1,349, both start at 128GB storage and come in Blue, Purple, Starlight, or Space Gray.

The screens are still Liquid Retina displays, meaning no Dynamic OLED like on the iPad Pro. However, they offer a vibrant and crisp experience with an anti-reflective coating standard. They also support the P3 Wide Color gamut and True Tone, which will automatically adjust the color temperature to your space. This is all quite nice to have, and considering this still supports the Apple Pencil Pro, you can hover over the screen to see what impact a pen stroke might have before committing to it.

What the M3 means

As far as the M3 chip goes, it’s an 8-core CPU – split between 4 performance, 4 efficiency cores, a 9-core GPU with support hardware-accelerated ray tracing, and a 16-core Neural Engine. Plus, Apple has even confirmed that the new iPad Air ships with 8GB of RAM out of the box. Suffice to say, this should be plenty of power for everyday performance in iPadOS 18, for the Stage Manager multitasking experience, and for Apple Intelligence features. Remember, the iPad Air with M2 was no slouch, but this should future-proof the device even further.

The iPad Air still sticks with a Touch ID sensor baked into the power button for easy authentication or unlocking, but it does keep the 12-megapixel front-facing camera on the horizontal spot, meaning that this device is best used in landscape mode.

And that's why ushering in a whole new Magic Keyboard for the iPad Air makes so much sense. It's still the same square footage and in fact, backward compatible with the M2 iPad Air's, but Apple's plopped in a larger trackpad and 14 function keys at the top. Think quick keys for brightness, playback, microphone, and volume.

Another welcome change is that USB-C passthrough port now supports faster charging, but we don't know how that impacts data speeds just yet. Still a win, though! It's also a bit cheaper at $269/£269/AU$399 for the 11-inch iPad Air and a bit more at $319/£299/AU$499 for the 13-inch, but it only comes in white.

True to the older Smart Keyboards and every Magic Keyboard that Apple has offered, you won’t need to worry about charging this accessory or a pesky pairing process as it has a Smart Connector built-in. Interestingly enough, the base iPad is still the only model supporting the two-part Magic Keyboard, so it sticks with the floating design here on the iPad Air.

Rounding out the iPad Air on the rear is still a 12-megapixel camera for taking photos or videos. As far as this refresh goes though, it’s pretty much focused on giving the iPad Air even more headroom and better performance across the board courtesy of the M3 chip. In the press release, Apple calls out its performance gains not on the M2-powered iPad Air but on older models – promising up to two times faster than the M1 iPad Air and a leapfrogging three and a half times faster than the A14 Bionic model.

We’ll be going hands-on and testing the new iPad Air with M3 just as soon as we can, but for now, if you’re sold, it’s up for preorder right now and will formally launch on March 12. But if you were hoping for one more thing, Apple also gave the entry-level iPad a bit of a spec bump, but maybe most importantly kept the price the same.

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Apple CEO Tim Cook channeled his inner Phil Collins this week by posting "There’s something in the Air" as a teaser. Yesterday we saw the arrival of a new iPad Air M3 tablet with a refreshed Magic Keyboard, and now Apple has followed that up by launching a new MacBook Air M4 and Mac Studio.

First, a recap of yesterday's news. That new iPad Air comes in 11-inch or 13-inch sizes, both of which cost the same as before. You can pre-order the 11-inch model for $599 / £599 / AU$999 or the 13-inch version for $799 / £799 / AU$1,349 ahead of a March 12 delivery, in your choice of Blue, Purple, Starlight, or Space Gray color options.

Apple also quietly updated the base iPad, doubling the base storage but keeping the A16 chip. This means it won't get Apple Intelligence – an odd decision, considering how much Apple has been promoting its AI features.

Fortunately for MacBook Air fans, that wasn't the end of the news. Apple has now also announced a new MacBook Air M4 model (complete with a slight price cut from last year) and a Mac Studio, which it's calling "the most powerful Mac ever". Here's all the latest news and reaction in another big day for Apple...

The latest news

• Apple has announced a new entry-level MacBook Air M4 laptop
• It's also landed alongside a new Mac Studio desktop
• This follows yesterday's launch of the iPad Air M3

Hello. Mobile Computing Managing Editor Roland Moore-Colyer here to take you through the Apple rumors and TechRadar musings so far. I've been covering such Apple announcements and major Apple events for years, so I feel I'm qualified to have a good ol' stab at speculating what we might see from Apple this week.

Thinking differently...

In days gone by, Apple would normally have a couple of big events a year with an in-person or live streamed event that would usually see the reveal of a handful of products around specific categories, such as phones, tablets and computers.

But as the crew at Cupertino have started to push out ever-more iterative updates to Apple's product lines, these events have given away to announcements on social media and Apple's own newsroom page. To me this lacks the spectacle but does give us regular Apple announcements to chew over.

The last Apple announcement of the newsroom ilk came in the form of the iPhone 16e reveal. Apple simply posted an information drop on its website and had the phone up for pre-order pretty sharpish.

There was a decent amount of information to chew over but one could argue the announcement lacked Cupertino's normal appetite for showmanship. I expect the announcement this week to be very similar to that of the iPhone 16e's.

Expect M4 chip power

So what do I and others expect to see from the Apple announcement? Well as discussed it'll very likely be a pair of new MacBook Air laptops.

While the current pair of MacBook Airs are hardly old, having been refreshed last year with the M3 chip, they don't sport the very latest chips; those can be found in the MacBook Pro 14-inch and MacBook Pro 16-inch.

Those models rock the 'Pro' version of the M4 chip, so we can expect to see non-pro version come to refreshed Airs.

As someone still using the MacBook Air M2, which is a fantastic little laptop that's going very strong after two years of consistent use, I'm not overly convinced Apple really needs to refresh the Air lineup on just a specs basis.

But Apple is Apple, and minor refreshes to its products are to be expected... if not exactly desired.

I'd like a new design for the MacBook Air please Apple

Having said that I love the MacBook Air M2, I'd not mind a few tweaks to the slim laptop's design. A 14-inch display, perhaps facilitated by some narrowing of the display bezels and a trimming down of the display notch, would definitely get my attention.

I love the LCD Retina display on my Air M2, but it can feel a tad cramped at times when I'm trying to get work done on the go and at speed.

But there are no rumors indicating to a reworked MacBook Air design. So I'm not going to hold my breath and expect the display notch to have been given a nip and a tuck.

Equally, one can never be 100% sure when it comes to Apple. And the MacBook Air's design language is a bit long in the tooth for tech standards. So perhaps we could be in for a surprise.

Other areas for MacBook Air improvement could come in the form of a refreshed keyboard. I love the keyboard on my Air, and my fingers fly across it when I'm writing at speed.

However, there's not the deepest of key travel and sometimes I feel the keyboard lacks the tactile feel of the amazing keyboard on the Microsoft Surface Laptop models; those balanced snappy responses with a decent bit of travel to make for a wonderfully tactile experience; I feel nostalgic for my old Surface Laptop 2.

On the flipside, I'd not want Apple to mess with the Force Touch trackpad, which is basically the best trackpad I've used on any laptop.

It's big, smooth and responsive and I adore it. Force Touch is an odd name however...

Other design changes and upgrades I'd like to see could come in the form of faster charging; the MacBook Air is by no means a slouch when sucking up electrical juice but it's not amazingly quick either.

I'd also not mind a few more ports. An extra USB-C slot would be appreciated, especially if Apple adds it to the right-hand side where there's seemingly loads of spare space.

And while I doubt Apple will ever do it, I'd love to see a full-sized SD card slot on the next-generation MacBook Air, as that would make transferring photos from my DSLR to macOS far easier than it currently is for me.

A final request for a MacBook Air upgrade would be a move to OLED displays. I feel Apple could thread the line of balancing bolder display tech with energy efficiency.

But if such an upgrade was coming this year I reckon the rumor mill would have been churning it out by now; we've heard no whispers.

When I'm in the office I use a Samsung laptop with an OLED display and adore how rich its colors are, and that deep contrast OLED offers. So there's potential here, but I suspect Apple will keep OLED panels for its MacBook Pros for a good few years still.

Dialing in my specualtion, the obvious upgrade for the MacBook Air, and one that I've mentioned earlier, would be an M4 chip.

We've already seen this system-on-a-chip get used in the latest versions of the iPad Pro, Mac mini and iMac, so it makes sense for new MacBook Air models to get it.

I highly doubt Apple will have tweaked the silicon to work any differently for the MacBook Airs than these other devices, though there's sure to be more headroom to push the chipset a little harder in a laptop chassis than in the iPad Pro.

Speaking from my experience with the MacBook Air M2, I'm rather unfussed on the next-generation Air having a dollop more power.

My Air has enough grunt to deal with basically any everyday task I throw at it. I opted for the model with 8GB of RAM and I don't think it's ever felt slow. Sure, it won't churn through the handful of proper PC games macOS supports, but it can run the excellent Baldur's Gate 3 so one might argue what more does one need...

Then again, I'm not a huge user of the AI-powered Apple Intelligence tools, which I suspect will only get more demanding as they advance.

So having M4 power could certainly make a new MacBook Air more futureproof.

Speaking of AI, I'd expect Apple announcement to lean hard on talking about Apple Intelligence and its integration into macOS, along with how an M4 chip-equipped Air will be poised perfectly to crunch through onboard AI tasks.

Not sure that'll rock my world but I stand ready to be entertained and informed.

Right, enough chatter about my thoughts on the MacBook Air. Let's take a closer look at the video Tim Cook posted. Check it out below.

As I mentioned earlier, the blue line that strikes through the word 'Air' has the look of a MacBook Air when closed, so would point towards a revealed of a new Air models.

Don't expect a new iPad Air this week

But then maybe Apple could go a bit rogue and reveal a new iPad Air.

However, putting aside Gurman's speculation that new iPads won't get revealed this week, I'm not convinced we'll see a new iPad Air this week. The Apple iPad Air 13-inch got launched last year to critical acclaim from TechRadar and others.

That iPad uses the M2 chip, so is arguably due a specs boost. But I'm not sure the iPad Air necessarily need a lot more power. For power-users the M4-equipped iPad Pros exist, albeit at pretty high prices.

Then again, giving a refreshed iPad Air an M3 chip would be one way for Apple to use up any M3 chips it had lying around and give it something else to announce. If that's the case, then I tend to agree with Gruman and don't expect to see a new iPad Air get revealed today; likely Apple will keep such an announcement in its back pocket for a reveal later.

I reckon Apple's announcement will come on Wednesday

So when do I think Apple will make an announcement? I'm predicting Wednesday.

Historically, Apple has favored Tuesdays for its product launches, but the iPhone 16e was launched on Wednesday, February 20. And my gut instinct tells me Apple could drop its announcement tomorrow, which would be two weeks on from the last announcement.

I feel that makes sense as it give some room for the nws to breathe before we get into the weekend. Of course, I could be totally wrong.

As an FYI, I'm keeping an eye on the Apple Newsroom webpage, just in case Apple suddenly drops its announcement today.

The page for the MacBook Air M3 is still up and running. Usually if there's a product drop that's imminently imminent, then Apple tends to have a message saying its updating the store.

Equally, pre-orders for a new MacBook Air might not go live on the same day as the announcement. Watch this space.

Apple announces... a new iPad Air M3

Well, that wasn't quite the MacBook-flavored news we were expecting, but we'll take it for now – Apple has just announced a new iPad Air with an M3 chip plus a new Magic Keyboard.

The new Air comes in 11-inch and 13-inch sizes – and the chip upgrade hasn't affected its price tag either, with the prices starting at the usual $599/£599/AU$999 (11-inch) and $799/£799/AU$1,349 (13-inch). The new Magic Keyboard, meanwhile, has a bigger built-in trackpad and a new 14-key function row.

Will the new iPad Air be an option for those waiting for the new MacBook Air M4? Probably not, judging by our Managing editor Matt Hansen's experiences when swapping his laptop for an iPad. But Apple's new Air certainly looks like a compelling mid-range tablet option.

The only question now is when we'll see that MacBook Air M4...

New base iPad misses out on Apple Intelligence

We've previously said that the Apple Intelligence launch is a mess – and Apple's quiet refresh of the entry-level iPad isn't going to help change people's minds about that.

Apple base iPad – now called the iPad (A16) – comes with a new chip, double the starting storage (128GB, up from 64GB), and the same price tag as before (starting at $349 / £329 / AU$599). But bizarrely, that A16 chip means it can't support Apple Intelligence.

Granted, Apple Intelligence features still aren't exactly living up to their potential, but it's strange for Apple to add a new product to its iPad lineup that doesn't support the features it's been crowing about for the last six months.

It might also make it difficult to recommend the new cheaper iPad, but we'll see when we get it in for testing...

What's new with the Magic Keyboard?

Arriving in the slipstream of the new iPad Air M3 is a refreshed Magic Keyboard for the Air series – so what's new?

The new keyboard attachment – which costs $269 / £269 / AU$399 for the 11-inch model, and $319 / £319 / AU$499 for the 13-inch one – gives you a larger trackpad than before, and also a row of function keys that you could previously only get on the Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro.

That means you can quickly tweak things like screen brightness or music volume, and generally get a more laptop-like experience. That's important because, with its new M3 chip, the latest iPad Air could tempt those who think (with some justification) that the iPad Pro 13-inch is overkill for their needs...

When can you buy the new iPad Air M3?

You can pre-order the new iPad Air M3 right now, with availability starting from March 12. So that's just over a week to wait, but which version should you get? I've broken down the pricing below.

With the maxed out version iPad Air M3 costing $1,449 / £1,449 / AU$2,499 (that's with 1TB storage and both Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity), it might not sound so mid-range.

But that's unlikely to be necessary for most people – I'd personally be tempted by the 11-inch (512GB) Wi-Fi version, which looks ideal for travel, streaming and photo editing. Your needs may vary though, so here's a price breakdown for every model...

Where does this leave the MacBook Air M4?

It initially looked odds-on that Apple would announce the MacBook Air M4 today, rather than a new iPad Air – but the rumor mill isn't always correct, and it was new iPad day instead.

Does this mean the new MacBook Air is on the back burner? Not at all – in fact, I'd imagine we'll see that laptop refresh sooner rather than later. Maybe even tomorrow, if we're lucky.

While Apple isn't quite adopting the 12 days of OpenAI approach we saw last year, when the ChatGPT maker made a new announcement every day for almost a fortnight, it is definitely moving away from big events towards smaller announcements.

With that in mind, keep your eyes peeled this week for a MacBook Air M4 refresh – we'll be here to update you the second it's announced.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has taken to X to shed a bit more light on what we could see tomorrow. As he previously reported, the MacBook Air with the upgraded M4 processor is still expected to arrive this week, but we also might be getting some other devices.

It would make sense that Apple wants to finish updating its entire Mac lineup to its latest and greatest chipsets. The MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac were all upgraded to the M4 chip series in October of 2024, leaving the MacBook Air, Mac Sutido, and Mac Pro needing an update at some point.

While it’s fully expected that if the MacBook Air’ does get an upgrade, they’ll replace the M3 chip with the base M4, Gurman predicts that the new Mac Studio will get an M4 Max chip, but instead of an M4 Ultra it’ll be the M3 Ultra. Still likely plenty powerful, though.

Are you bummed that the new Apple iPad only got an Apple A16 chip, which means it won't get the most advanced Apple Intelligence features? Our News Chief Jake Krol reasons that the latest update still leaves Apple with the strongest tablet offering. The iPad is still the best tablet, even without Apple Intelligence.

Frankly, even with just an Apple A16 chipset inside, the iPad remains one of the most powerful tablets you can buy as well. I've reviewed the fastest Android tablets, like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra, and Apple is far ahead of its Android rivals when it comes to power and performance. The real question is what will you do with all of that power?

Of course, Tim Apple didn't say "iPad Air" in his hint on X, he just said "Air," which is why we've been anticipating a MacBook Air refresh, but is it possible there is another Air on the way? Maybe I just have smartphones on the brain after an exciting start to 2025, with some of the best phones we've seen already making an early appearance, but I think it's possible, if remotely so, that Apple could talk about a new iPhone.

I don't mean the iPhone 16e, of course, I mean the hotly-anticipated iPhone Air. Samsung showed off a Galaxy S25 Edge, a super-thin version of its latest flagship smartphone, and that seemed to make sense considering all the rumors we've heard about a slim new iPhone.

Apple usually launches new iPhone models in September, but the iPhone 16e just launched, and it wouldn't hurt sales too much to announce an upcoming member of the family, just to get people excited (and maybe help buyers forget about Samsung).

If Apple announces the iPhone Air this week, I'll take a bow, but don't hold me responsible if it never comes up.

So, what could be coming today?

Hello, and welcome again to our Apple liveblog for its "There something in the air" launches this week. If you missed yesterday's news, we saw Apple announce:

• a new iPad Air M3 (in 11-inch and 13-inch versions)
• an updated Magic Keyboard for the Air series
• a refreshed bae iPad with an A16 chip (but no Apple Intelligence support)

But is that going to be the end of the story? Not according to the rumor mill, which is still predicting the imminent arrival (perhaps even today) for:

• a new MacBook Air M4 (in 13-inch and 15-inch variants)
• a new Mac Studio (with the option of an M4 Max or M3 Ultra chip)

That Mac Studio wouldn't fit into the 'Air' theme of Apple's teaser, but Bloomberg's Mark Gurman think it's "imminent" and "could be announced as early as this week along with the new MacBook Airs".

Whether we see either or both of those today remains to be seen – but I'm keeping a very close eye on Apple's newsroom and will be rounding up all the latest rumors here over the coming hours.

What to expect from the M4 MacBook Air

It's been a long wait for a MacBook Air M4, with the MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac Mini all getting Apple's latest silicon before the entry-level laptop. But what can we expect if it does indeed arrive today?

On the performance front, some leaked benchmarks last month showed that the M4 Air could be only slightly behind the M4 MacBook Pro in terms of performance and efficiency. Naturally, this will also come down to how you spec the laptop and we won't know for sure how it performs until we test it, but the Geekbench hints are promising.

Aside from that new M4 chip, the next MacBook Air is also expect to get an improved LCD display (sadly an OLED panel is still a few years away), a better webcam, and stronger support for connecting multiple monitors.

As someone who's running an aging MacBook Pro from mid-2018, I'm definitely keeping a close eye on the new Air to see if it offers better value than a new Pro.

The end of Apple's 64GB era

An interesting footnote from yesterday's launches, as spotted by MacRumors – Apple no longer offers any iPhones or iPads with 64GB storage options.

That's because the iPhone 16e and new base iPad A16 have replaced the last two models that offered what today seems a pretty measly 64GB of base storage.

Of course, many will see 128GB as too little storage in this day-and-age, but we can expect the MacBook Air M4 to go beyond that if it arrives today. The current M3 model offers 512GB, 1TB and 2TB options, albeit for the usual hefty Apple premium...

Which iPad Air M3 should you get?

Before we return to today's MacBook Air M4 rumors, here's an interesting price comparison between the many possible iPad Air M3 configurations from TechRadar contributor Alex Blake.

His conclusion after balancing the value offered by all the different Air M3 models? For many people, the 11-inch iPad Pro might be a better bet. It starts at just $100 more ($999 / £999 / AU$1,699) than the larger 13-inch iPad Air M3 with 256GB storage – and it gives you a lovely tandem OLED display, Face ID, ProMotion refresh rates, up to 1,600 nits of peak brightness, and the M4 chip, among other benefits.

Of course, you may well need a larger 13-inch screen instead, in which case the Air M3 could offer better value. And if you don't add lots of upgrades, the base Air M3 model is tempting at $599 / £599 / AU$999. But it's definitely a useful comparison if you're thinking of pre-ordering a new iPad...

This time yesterday...

Yesterday's iPad Air M3 announcement took place at 9am ET / 2pm GMT. Could Apple repeat that trick today for the M4 MacBook Air?

It's by no means certain – Apple's launch process seems much more scattergun and unpredictable these days. But I'll certainly be keeping a close eye on my inbox and Apple's newsroomas the clock ticks closer to that time...

The MacBook Air M4 is here!

So it's finally here – Apple has just announced the new MacBook Air M4. Alongside that new M4 chip, Apple has upgraded its 12MP FaceTime camera with some Center Stage powers – it also now has two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a boost from last year's Thunderbolt 3 ones.

And wait, there's also a new color. Apple has replaced the Space Gray option (which I always thought that was the most popular) with Sky Blue, which it's offering alongside Midnight, Starlight and Silver.

Pre-orders for the MacBook Air M4 open today ahead of shipping on March 12 – the 13-inch model starts at $999 and the 15-inch one starts at $1,599. Impressively, that looks like a $100 price cut from last year. More news on the promising entry-level laptop and its international pricing when we get it...

And just for good measure... a new Mac Studio

Well, this is turning into quite a day for Mac fans. Apple has also just announced a new Mac Studio, which it's billing as "the most powerful Mac ever".

It seems that Apple still wants to make sure this relatively compact desktop offering is still overclocked. It offers a range of ports, with the two USB-Cs now being a Thunderbolt 5 flavor, but the real change is under the hood.

The Mac Studio comes with the M4 Max, which is already well-reviewed, and a brand-new M3 Ultra. And while it’s not an “M4 Ultra,” it’s the most powerful one in the lineup, essentially fusing two M3 Max chips.

You can pre-order the Mac Studio from today with prices starting at $1,999 (we'll follow up with international pricing shortly).

That MacBook Air M4 price drop...

Here's some confirmation of that unexpected, but very welcome, MacBook Air price cut with international pricing.

The 13-inch model starts at $999 / £999 / $1,699, which is a drop from the MacBook Air M3's tag of $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,799. If you want a bigger screen, the 15-inch version starts at $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,099, which is again a drop from last year's starting tag of $1,299 / £1,399 / AU$2,199.

That new M4 chip brings more power in the form of a 10-core CPU and up to a 10-core GPU. You can also upgrade the laptop to 32GB of unified memory, though the base model starts at 16GB RAM.

All in all, getting those upgrades for less money than last year is likely to make the new MacBook Air very popular indeed. Still a but surprised that Apple dropped the Space Grey version for the new Sky Blue shade, though...

I've decided... the new Sky Blue looks like a winner

At first, I was a bit surprised that Apple had replaced Space Grey with its new Sky Blue color option for the MacBook Air M4. I always thought Space Grey was a bit of a default option and maybe Apple's most popular hue (though I have no data to back this up).

But after looking at the available photos of the new color, I've decided it's probably the one I'd go for. Space Grey is a bit serious for what is an entry-level laptop and metallic blue color looks like a nice compromise between going too iMac and keeping things safe and dull.

The color-matched MagSafe charging cables are nice, too. I'll reserve final judgement until I see it in the flesh, mind...

Early thoughts on the MacBook Air M4

TechRadar's Managing Editor (Core Tech) Matt Hansen is very familiar with both the MacBook Air family and Apple's M4 chip, having done in-depth tests of both. And he reckons the new M4 version looks very promising, on paper.

"It's good to see the 13-inch MacBook Air M4 launch at $999, the original price of the M1 MacBook Air. That’s incredible value for money considering the premium design and build quality" he said.

"And from my time using the M4 chip in the latest MacBook Pros, and last year’s iPad Pro, I’m pretty confident that it will be a great performer," he added. We'll give you our official verdict on where it sits in our guide to the best laptops soon once we've done some benchmarking and real-world testing, of course.

Alongside debuting the MacBook Air with M4, Apple removed the MacBook Air with M3 for sale, as we expected with a new generation, but also removed the MacBook Air with M2, which was the entry point to the lineup.

The 13-inch MacBook with M4 at $999 / £999 / AU$1,699 fills that entry-level spot. Arguably, that will get Apple's latest chipset in the hands of more folks at a more affordable price. In the United States, with an educational discount, the MacBook Air is just $899 with the M4 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage.

Even so, while Apple is no longer selling the M2- or M3-powered MacBook Air, there is a good chance that third-party retailers will still offer it until stock runs out. Remember, you can still find the M1 MacBook Air at Walmart for a pretty unbeatable value.

Regarding the Mac Studio getting an M3 Ultra as the top-of-the-line chip versus an M4 Ultra, Matt Bolton – TechRadar's Managing Editor, Home Entertainment – has some thoughts.

"It’s perhaps a little odd that the Mac Studio uses the M4 Max, but the M3 Ultra – and not an M4 Ultra. There are three obvious potential reasons why:

• The M4 Ultra might just produce too much heat for the Mac Studio’s thermal design to handle compared to the M3 Max
• The M4 Ultra would be two M4 Max chips Frankensteined together, and perhaps Apple thinks it will struggle to make enough M4 Max chips to meet supply if it has to use two of them per M4 Ultra model sold
• The Mac Pro is perhaps about to be upgraded as well, and the M4 Ultra is being saved for that (perhaps partly connected to the reason above – maybe Apple would struggle to produce enough Ultra chips for both machines)

Of course, there could be any other marketing or logistical reason, but it remains one of the more surprising foibles of the new machines."

The color of hue

The Blue Sky MacBook Air is an interesting one, in that it takes this laptop further towards meeting the iPad Air, which has been available in lovely pastel hues for a while. If this takes off, will we get pink and green MacBook Air models? I’d be very tempted by the latter, and I could see Apple releasing them later in the year, to tempt people to buy one for the holiday season.

Making big comparisons

There’s some interesting choice of comparisons in Apple’s press release about the M4 MacBook Air. Note how often it’s compared to an Intel MacBook Air, even though such a thing hasn’t been sold since 2020.

• Spreadsheet calculation performance in Microsoft Excel is up to 4.7x faster than the fastest Intel-based MacBook Air, and up to 1.6x faster than the 13-inch MacBook Air with M1.
• Video editing in iMovie is up to 8x faster than the fastest Intel-based MacBook Air, and up to 2x faster than the 13-inch MacBook Air with M1.
• Photo editing in Adobe Photoshop is up to 3.6x faster than the fastest Intel-based MacBook Air, and up to 2x faster than the 13-inch MacBook Air with M1.
• Web browsing is up to 60 percent faster when compared to a PC laptop with an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, and more demanding tasks get up to 2x faster performance.

Cynics will possibly say that Apple is just trying to offer the biggest possible comparison numbers – but I think it’s probably a lot more deliberate than that. Apple knows a lot about people’s buying behavior and how often they update, and I’m guessing that it’s got strong data saying that people who bought Intel MacBook Airs or MacBook Pros are starting to now look to replace them. It’s making the case for what a huge update the MacBook Air will be to these people specifically.

Game time

The evolution of gaming on the Mac is moving along quite well, especially as our Editor-at-Large Lance Ulanoff saw a demo of Cyberpunk 2077 running on the ultra-powerful new Mac Studio.

For folks who want a Mac, let's say specifically or mostly for gaming, the case could be made for a machine with the best chip and a hefty amount of RAM to ensure everything runs smoothly. We've seen a steady stream of AAA titles become available for all M-series, and while they do run well on the MacBook Air and even the Mini, it's likely the Mac Studio will deliver the best of the best experience.

• Tim Cook just teased that something's in the AIR this week
• It's not an event invite, but rather a video teaser for something new
• If rumors are right, we could see a new MacBook Air with M4 or a new iPad

Hot off the heels of fresh rumors about a MacBook Air refresh with the latest, super-speedy M4 chip, Apple CEO Tim Cook is teasing that there is something in the ‘AIR’ this week. It’s likely a very smart choice of words, but this all but confirms that there is at least an Apple launch on the horizon.

As with the tease for what turned out to be the iPhone 16e, Tim Cook took to X (formerly Twitter), writing “This week.” and then a six-second teaser video. While it doesn’t show any product, it flashes one word individually at a time, writing out: There’s something in the AIR. And that points to two of Apple’s products – the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air and the iPad Air.

Hinting at speed is the fact that something slides through the word Air, causing a ripple effect. That could be a new MacBook Air or an iPad Air, likely with some improved performance courtesy of Apple Silicon.

The teaser, which was posted at 10:54AM ET on March 3, 2025, comes a day after Bloomberg's Mark Gurman shared that Apple's planned refresh for the MacBook Air with the M4 chip could come as soon as this week.

Apple initially launched the M4 chip in May of 2024 with the iPad Pro and then brought it to the iMac, Mac mini, and MacBook Pro (14-inch and 16-inch) in October of 2024. So you could say it's about time to arrive in Apple's most popular and portable laptop, the MacBook Air.

We're not expecting a wildly different design with the new MacBook Air, but the M4 chip could speed up tasks thanks to an improved CPU and GPU, and it could also be better at Apple Intelligence thanks to bigger leaps with the Neural Engine. It should also help stretch the battery life even further.

Tim Cook also chose an important set of words that have some history at Apple. You might recall that before Steve Jobs pulled the original MacBook Air out of the manila envelope, the event was teased with the sub-line, "2008 There's something in the air." This time around, there is extra emphasis on the AIR.

Considering that this tease from Apple doesn't specify one new addition to the family, we could be getting more than one new product from the Cupertino-based tech giant.

According to recent reports, Apple is also preparing an upgraded iPad Air and a new entry-level iPad, likely the 12th gen. Apple refreshed the iPad Air, bringing down Face ID and a design that was more similar to the iPad Pro in May of 2024, but it could be improving performance by either the M3 or M4 chip, as well as new accessories.

Regarding the base entry-level iPad, it should also see a speed improvement, but rumors suggest that will be about it. In the same report as the MacBook Air, Bloomberg noted that the iPad launches could be further out.

We'll know more soon, though, as Apple says the news will be made this week. Of course, stick with TechRadar for the latest as we break down whatever Apple has in store. In the meantime, I'm asking Siri to play a Phil Collins classic – In The Air Tonight.

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• The iPad Air and 10.9-inch iPad could be upgraded very soon
• They’re expected shortly after the upcoming M4 MacBook Air launch
• But one source says they “probably won’t come in the next few days”

If you’re in the market for one of the best iPads, you might want to hold off buying one for now. That’s because freshly updated models are supposedly just around the corner, and they could bring a powerful chip upgrade that will make it worth the wait.

Specifically, Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman says in his latest Power On newsletter that stock of the iPad Air and 10th-generation iPad are running low at Apple Stores. This is usually a sign that new models are coming soon, as Apple often stops refreshing supplies of its soon-to-be-replaced devices in preparation for new arrivals.

However, while a new MacBook Air with M4 chip could launch as soon as this week, Gurman says that the new iPads “probably won’t come in the next few days.” The timeframe hasn’t been narrowed down any more than that, but it suggests that the tablets could launch within weeks rather than days.

Minor upgrades

Both the iPad Air and entry-level iPad are expected to receive minor upgrades this year, with new chips among the only changes anticipated. The iPad Air could get the M3 or M4 chip, while the 11th-generation iPad is likely to be outfitted with either the A16 Bionic or the A17 Pro chip.

Don’t bet on wide-ranging changes to the designs or displays of these devices, though. The rumor mill has been very quiet on this front, suggesting most of the changes will come to the tablets’ internals. It’s possible there will be other new features, with Wi-Fi 7 and a new Magic Keyboard both potentially in the cards.

Despite these models reportedly being imminent, the same can’t be said for the iPad Pro and the iPad mini. The iPad Pro probably won’t get an update until Apple’s M5 chip launches later this year, while the iPad mini was only just refreshed a few months ago.

If you’re looking at buying one of those devices, you should be safe to go ahead. But if the iPad Air or entry-level iPad are on your shopping list, it would be best to wait a while longer until the new models come out.

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Presidents’ Day is finally here, and though deals have been live through the weekend just gone, we’re likely to see the very best Presidents’ Day sales today. As TechRadar’s mobile computing staff writer, I’ve been keeping an eye out for the best tablet deals, and I’ve found four that I think offer serious value for money.

The tablets on offer here span from productivity powerhouses to family-friendly devices, and there’s something for a wide range of budgets. Amazon is the place to be for Apple lovers, as you can now get the iPad Pro 13-inch for a record-low price of $1,099 (was $1,399) and the capable iPad Air 11-inch for just $499 (was $599).

If you prefer an Android tablet, Best Buy has the unique Google Pixel Tablet on sale at just $299 (was $399), and you can also nab a deal on last year’s highest-end Samsung tablet, as the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is on sale at $799 (was $1,199).

As the resident phones and tablets writer here at TechRadar, I can recommend these tablets with confidence thanks to my knowledge of the market and experience with various mobile devices. So, read on for a recap of the best tablet deals I’ve spotted this Presidents’ Day.

iPad Pro 13-inch

The 2024 iPad Pro 13-inch is the most powerful tablet money can buy, and thanks to this deal, you don’t need to part with quite as much cash as you usually would do to get your hands on one yourself. With the M4 chipset, 8GB of RAM as standard, and 256GB of storage, this is the most powerful iPad ever made.

The iPad Pro 13-inch also sports the best display ever fitted to an iPad – Apple’s tandem OLED panel blew us away during testing for our iPad Pro (2024) review, and it’s by far one of the sharpest, brightest, and most responsive screens on any portable device, let alone a tablet. With a tall 4:3 aspect ratio, the iPad Pro is as well-suited to web browsing as it is to serious multitasking.

All that hardware power makes the iPad Pro the only real choice for creative professionals looking to get work done on a tablet. This power is bolstered by support for the refreshed Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil Pro accessories, and apps like Davinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro, and Logic Pro.

iPad Air 11-inch

As Apple’s mid-range tablet, the iPad Air strikes a balance between the accessibility of the iPad and outright power of the iPad Pro. Equipped with the desktop-class M2 chipset and an 11-inch display, this is a great choice for students and other individuals who want something that can keep up with demanding applications without breaking the bank.

This deal brings the iPad Air to half the price of a new iPad Pro 11-inch, and it’s a closer contest than you might expect. Sure, the iPad Air misses out on the improved M4 chipset and variable refresh rate display, but for most people, the Air is a perfectly useful tablet that can handle much of the same work as the Pro model.

With 8GB of RAM, support for Apple Intelligence, and compatibility with a wide range of Apple peripherals, the iPad Air is as 'pro' as most people need.

Google Pixel Tablet

The Google Pixel Tablet is a bit of an oddball in the tablet space. Although this 2023 Android tablet was originally designed in tandem with a smart speaker stand, positioning it as part of a smart home setup, it’s still a useful and capable device in its own right. At this price point, it's also one of the best value tablets you can get this Presidents’ Day.

This 10.95-inch tablet comes equipped with the Google Tensor G2 chipset, a healthy 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage – you’re unlikely to find better specs for less. A 7,020mAh battery keeps this tablet running through the day, though, as our Google Pixel Tablet review found, there are some issues running third-party apps on the unusually narrow display.

Still, as a device for the home or for a family, you’d be making a solid choice with the Google Pixel Tablet – especially as it integrates so well with Google Nest smart home devices.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra

Although the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is technically a last-generation device at this point, nothing about this mammoth tablet feels outdated or underpowered. With an enormous 14.6-inch display, you’d be hard pressed to feel anything other than immersed when face to face with this huge slate. And thanks to a great Presidents’ Day deal, you can get the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra for $400 less.

As for internals, the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra comes equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, 12GB of RAM as standard, and a reasonable 256GB of storage. Its huge screen begets a massive battery, too – its 11,200mAh battery is still class-leading by capacity, tied only with its follow-up, the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra.

Our Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra review found that this huge but handy tablet may even be better suited to multitasking than the iPad Pro, thanks to its smooth software and, again, massive screen. If you’re after a tablet that more closely competes with mid-range laptops than, well, other tablets, this could be the one for you. It even comes with a stylus.

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Apple often releases a slate of new products in the Spring each year (usually April or May), it seems 2025 will be no exception.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has now officially announced the tech giant's first event of the year on February 19. His post on X (formerly Twitter) says "get ready to meet the newest member of the family", so what is he referring to?

The most likely answer right now is the iPhone SE 4 (or iPhone SE 2025). Despite rumors of an M4 MacBook Air being on the horizon, the latest rumors suggest the big Apple event will be a mid-range addition to the iPhone family.

If that's the case, we could see more than one Apple event this Spring, rather than one big one like its 'Spring Loaded' event in 2021. Read on to find out the latest rumors about the iPhone SE 4 and Apple's other imminent launches...

When will the Apple event happen?

Apple has now announced one official event for early 2025 – the one it's confirmed is taking place on Wednesday February 19. But it's also unlikely to be the tech giant's only event in the next few months.

Rumors have been swirling for months that Apple has new products on the way early in 2025, including an iPhone SE, M4 MacBook Air, new iPad Air and 10.9-inch iPad. But it seems, according to commentators like Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, that the February 19 event will be mainly focused on the iPhone SE 4.

This suggests that one big Apple Spring event for multiple announcements is now highly unlikely. Apple has held bigger shows in March over the past few years – for example, in 2022 its 'Peek Performance' event saw the arrival of a new iPhone SE and iPad Air.

But it seems we'll now get a series of more staggered, focused announcements in 2025. Here's all the latest on Apple's imminent launches...

iPhone SE 4

Apple has been heavily rumored to be planning a new iPhone SE, and according to many sources that's what we're likely to see announced on February 19.

The latest rumors (below) suggest the iPhone SE 4 will be the main star of that now official event. And this could be the most significant update to the iPhone SE in years – potentially in its entire history.

It’s expected to lose the chunky bezels and Home button featuring Touch ID, replacing them with an all-screen look and Face ID for a more modern appearance.

Apparently, we could get a 6.1-inch OLED display, a single 48MP rear camera, Apple’s latest A18 chip and 8GB of memory (which in turn will enable Apple Intelligence), and a USB-C port. It is also said to debut Apple’s in-house 5G modem chip.

• Rumored launch: at Apple's official February 19 event

M4 MacBook Air

After Apple brought the M4 chip to the MacBook Pro late last year. The MacBook Air is next in line, and it’s widely touted to be launching this spring. The M4 chip could only bring modest performance improvements, though, according to rumors.

Don’t expect much else, either: no chassis redesign, no new display, no improved speakers. This will probably be a simple chip upgrade – nothing to sniff at given Apple silicon’s impressive power, but don’t hold your breath for a wide-ranging overhaul.

• Rumored launch: sometime between March and April

iPad Air and 11th-generation iPad

A recent rumor claimed that new versions of the iPad Air and the 10.9-inch iPad are on the way, meaning they could well be included as part of a spring event hosted by Apple – or simply announced in a more low-key fashion.

Like the iPhone SE 4, the iPad 11 has also been claimed to be getting Apple’s own 5G modem. And with Apple pushing to bring Apple Intelligence to as many of its products as possible, that also feels like a likely inclusion. It would require a new chip, with the A17 Pro being put forward as a possibility to match the one found in the iPad mini.

The iPad Air, meanwhile, will feature “internal improvements,” Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman claims. It could also get a new Magic Keyboard for both the 11-inch and 13-inch sizes.

• Rumored launch: sometime in March or April

Apple HomePod with screen

Apple last updated the HomePod in 2023, but a third-generation model could be coming as soon as this spring – although the latest rumors have thrown that into doubt.

Apparently, the new HomePod may feature Siri voice control and Apple Intelligence, although other sources have called that into question. It might also have an OLED display measuring six or seven inches across, which would give it a new degree of functionality not seen in previous models.

There seems to be a lot of crossover with reports that Apple is working on a home hub device that combines a speaker with a display. Apple is also said to be working on a speaker with a screen that is attached to a robotic arm.

Whether these will be branded as HomePod devices isn’t clear, but they’re still at least several months away from being announced, Mark Gurman believes. So don't expect HomePod news until well after the rumored iPhone SE 4, M3 MacBook Air, new iPad Air and iPad 11.

• Rumored launch: sometime in 2025, but still apparently "months away from shipping"

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Apple has now announced at least one big event for early 2025 – the one it has planned for Wednesday February 19. But it may not be the only unveiling it has planned for the next few months.

Rumors have been swirling for months that Apple has new products on the way early in 2025, including an iPhone SE, M4 MacBook Air, new iPad Air and 10.9-inch iPad. Sources like Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman have claimed that they’re all either imminent or will be released in the coming weeks.

• Apple could be about to launch a new iPad Air and 11th-generation iPad
• The company’s suppliers have apparently sent units to Apple
• A spring launch (sometime between March and April) now looks likely

Apple’s iPads are some of the best tablets money can buy, with the company’s iPad Air and 10.9-inch iPad offering good mid-range and entry-level options, respectively. If you’re in the market for one of these tablets, now could be the time to hang on just a little longer, as it looks like they’re both on the verge of being refreshed.

That idea comes from a paywalled article published by Taiwanese outlet DigiTimes (via MacRumors), which says that Apple’s suppliers began shipments of a new iPad Air and an 11th-generation iPad in December. That suggests that Apple is almost ready to start selling the devices to customers.

That’s backed up by a recent report from Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman, who claimed that the new iPads are “coming soon.” Gurman has a very strong track record for Apple leaks, so his words lend this idea weight.

The main question is when exactly we can expect the new tablets to arrive, as neither DigiTimes nor Gurman has given much more than a vague indication. However, if Apple’s supply chain is gearing up now, that suggests a spring launch rather than something later in the year. In Apple terms, that usually means the products will be revealed in either March or April, potentially putting them just a few weeks away.

What to expect

What can we expect from the new iPad Air and 11th-generation iPad? According to DigiTimes, these devices will be “transitioning to Apple’s own chips.”

That’s a somewhat confusing claim, as both tablets have used Apple silicon chips since they first debuted. There’s a chance DigiTimes could be referring to Apple’s combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, although Gurman doesn’t believe that will arrive until 2026.

Interestingly, DigiTimes also mentioned the MacBook Air, including it in the list of devices that were apparently on the way. This will come with an Apple M4 chip, resulting in increased performance, but not much else is expected in the way of changes.

While we don’t know for sure when any of these products will drop, it’s worth keeping an eye on things to see if Apple makes any sudden changes to a smattering of its best devices. There’s probably not long to wait now.

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It feels like we’ve only just recovered from one big sales event but we’re onto the next with the Best Buy Presidents’ Day sale throwing some great discounts into the mix. For instance, you can buy the Apple iPad Air 11-inch (M2) at Best Buy for $499 (was $599) which is its lowest price ever.

It’s hit that price in the past, but as is often the way, only usually during major sales events. That means this is a deal that is unlikely to stick around for too long. The larger 13-inch model is on our look at the best iPads but this is effectively the exact same device, just with a smaller display. It's a good model for anyone who wants laptop levels of performance in a neat tablet design.

Today's best iPad Air deal

Besides the good-looking screen and powerful CPU, the Apple iPad Air 11-inch (M2) also has useful cameras with a landscape 12MP Ultra Wide front camera with Center Stage support, and a 12MP wide back camera with True Tone flash. It’s good for most purposes: from browsing online, working on the move with the Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard, or simply playing games.

In our Apple iPad Air M2 review, we appreciated its speedy performance, great design and its versatility. Our only real criticisms focused on the price, which is less of an issue now, and the fact you need the 128GB storage option at minimum.

It’s a great tablet for a spot of word processing, digital sketching, gaming, messaging and more with our comparison of the iPad Air 2024 vs iPad Air 2022 helping you figure out what’s best for you.

If you’re thinking of something else, there are other iPad deals around. For something Android based, we have also rounded up the best tablet deals out there.

If Black Friday passed you by for whatever reason but you still want to catch up on good deals, now is the right time. Today, you can buy the Apple iPad Air (M2) at Amazon for $499 (was $599), which is a return to its Black Friday price. It has dipped a tiny bit lower at the start of November by $5 but that’s hardly any difference to the price it is now.

This is the latest Apple iPad Air with an 11-inch Liquid Retina display and several great features that make this one of the best iPads out there, especially for students. All-day battery life and features like a 12MP front and back camera mean you can do mostly everything throughout the day – from typing up notes to taking video calls, or simply playing games and watching shows.

Today’s best iPad Air deal

The Apple iPad Air (M2) isn’t on our roundup of the best tablets but that says more about how competitive the iPad field is than anything to do with its quality. It’s the iPad I’m tempted to buy in the future thanks to its strong overall performance.

We reviewed the Apple iPad Air (M2) with a 13-inch screen, which offers a very similar experience. We described it as having “formidable power” as well as offering “excellent battery life”. It’s an “able workhorse” and in connection with relevant accessories like the Magic Keyboard, it “does an excellent impression of an ultraportable laptop”.

The only trickier decision is if you’re trying to weigh up the iPad Air (2024) and iPad Air (2022) but anyone new to the iPad Air will love this newer model. It's nearly as powerful as the iPad Pro but cheaper and easier to carry around with you.

Other iPad deals are available if you want something even more portable, including discounts on the iPad mini. There are also many other tablet deals if you prefer an Android-based device instead.