The latest iPads from Apple are now available to buy. Along with two iPad pro models, the company launched a new iPad air. Actually, and this is a first, there were two iPad airs to choose from, with 11in and 13in versions available.

The previous iPad air came with a 10.9in display, so both of the new models are slightly bigger, matching the sizes of the iPad pros. However, the iPad air is much more affordable, compared with the Pro.

Like the new iPad pros, the latest airs have a repositioned front-facing camera, which is a big improvement. The iPad air has traded up from the Apple M1 processor to the M2, while some other elements, such as the Touch ID located in the power button (arguably more convenient than Face ID for a tablet) and 12MP rear camera are unchanged.

Not only is the iPad air cheaper than the iPad pro, but it’s just had a boost to the storage capacity for the entry-level model, from 64GB to 128GB, with no price increase.

Here, I review the 13in iPad air, though, in almost every respect except size, display brightness and how much it will set you back, the two devices are identical.

How I tested the iPad air 2024

David took the all-new 13in iPad air for a test drive (David Phelan)

I put the new iPad air to the test with extensive usage. I’ve tested everything, from ease of setup, simplicity of use, speed and responsiveness of performance to how good the battery life was during extended use. I plonked the iPad into the magic keyboard attachment (£349, Apple.com), and tried out the new Apple pencil pro (£129, Apple.com) with it, too.

Apple iPad air 2024 13in

Rear camera: 12 MP wide

Front camera: 12MP

Processor: Apple M2

Display: 11in/13in

Resolution: 11in: 2,360 x 1,640px, 264px per inch; 13in: 2,732 x 2,048px, 264px per inch

Storage: 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB

Battery: Up to 10 hours

Dimensions: 11in: 247.6mm x 178.5mm x 6.1mm; 13in: 280.6mm x 214.9mm x 6.1mm

Weight: 11in: 462g; 13in: 617g

Why we love it

Strong performance

Great value

Outstanding larger version

Take note

No longer the thinnest iPad

Still no match for the iPad ro

Apple iPad air design and display

Size isn’t everything, but it’s the real story here. The introduction of the 13in iPad air is a spectacular upgrade, just as the bigger-screened MacBook air was a game-changer. Apple says the new model has 30 per cent more screen real estate than the smaller model. Though, compared with the last iPad air, it feels like much more. Strictly speaking, the display measures 12.9in, but who’s counting? The point is that this is the most luxuriously spacious display on any iPad, apart from the most recent iPad pro.

The bezels are not quite as thin as the pricier iPad pro, but there’s almost nothing in it: you’d only spot the difference with the two side-by-side. As you’d expect, the bezels are uniformly sized around the tablet, giving a classy, elegant look to the device.

The iPad air comes in more colours than the iPad pro, too. There are four to choose from – space grey, purple, blue and starlight – all of which are understated. Starlight, my favourite yet again, is warm, light and attractive – silvery most of the time but gleaming with just a hint of gold in the right light.

The iPad air has been, until now, the thinnest iPad. It’s one of the things that gave the tablet its name. The new models retain the super-skinny 6.1mm thickness of the last generation, but new iPad pro models are now thinner.

Oh, and it’s both lighter and thinner than the previous version of the iPad pro. Where the 12.9in iPad pro was 6.4mm thick and weighed 682g, the 13in iPad air is 6.1mm thick and weighs 617g. All – and this is a theme you’ll be spotting by now – for a much lower price point than the last or current iPad pro.

The displays are LCD, rather than the OLED found on the new iPad pro, but great to look at nonetheless. Strangely, the brightness of the panels varies between the two sizes of iPad air. The 11in model reaches 500 nits brightness, but the 13in goes to 600 nits. Apple has never made a bad-looking iPad display since the tablet first launched, and here the combination of faithful colours, low reflections and True Tone, which adjusts colours to the light in the room, make for appealing, immersive viewing.

The front-facing camera, as mentioned, has now moved to the landscape edge of the tablet, which is much better for video calls. There’s a 12MP rear camera, as before, though, if you’re using a tablet to take your photos, you may need to think again (although it’s unbeatable for framing your shot, I admit).

Read more: Apple iMac M3 2023 review

The iPad air uses Touch ID, not Face ID, found on the iPad pro. Personally, I prefer this: touch your finger on the power button and it unlocks instantly. Rest your finger there longer and it opens the screen as well. I love it.

Something also worth noting about the new iPad air models is that the storage options have changed. Previously, the air came in two capacities: 64GB and 256GB. Now, the entry-level storage has doubled to 128GB (but with no price increase) and there are three other options: 256GB, 512GB and 1TB.

As with the new iPad pro, there’s no SIM card tray on the new air models, meaning, if you want 5G access on models with cellular connectivity, you need to choose an eSIM. I’ve been testing the iPad air with an eSIM from EE, which was flawlessly easy to set up and works brilliantly.

Apple iPad air performance

Powered by the Apple M1 processor, the last iPad air was a real performer. However, the new mpdel comes with the Apple M2, putting it on par with the latest iMac.

Apple says this means it’s 15 per cent faster than before. The truth is, that the last iPad air was so fast that, in most cases, it was hard to find fault – meaning it’s even harder now.

Playing games is smooth and immersive, even with advanced graphics (although, the iPad pro is capable of even more). Power-hungry apps, such as 4K video editing, run at speed, and general usage is impressive – a beat faster than it used to be when launching an app, for instance.

Put the iPad air in the magic keyboard case, and you have something approaching a laptop, but thinner and lighter. The keyboard is brilliant, and the software is now so advanced it works tremendously as an alternative laptop – though the Mac software is still more intuitive and useful, especially when it comes to multiple windows. That said, Apple’s stage manager setup, which enables you to see separate windows more easily, comes pretty close.

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The verdict: Apple iPad air

The new iPad air is slim, light and looks great, while the option of a larger display is sensational. It doesn’t match the iPad pro in many regards but, for most people, the Air is enough. It’s powerful enough for everything but the iPad pro might be faster, for instance. However, the iPad pro costs a lot more, so, that’s the reason the iPad air is the Goldilocks iPad: it offers almost as much as the pro but for a price point that is, frankly, a bargain.

Can’t decide between the newest iPad Pro and Air? Check out our full review of the iPad Pro 2024 for everything you need to know