The basic, standard iPad is the iPad most people I know buy, and the one I most frequently recommend. Maybe that’s because they’re for families or kids. However, in the past year or so, the model I typically pick up to use is the 11-inch M1 iPad Air for its great combo of high-end speed at a not-too-outrageous price. Starting at $600, the 2024 iPad Air is a $250 uptick over the 10th-gen iPad (the current entry-level model) and looks almost exactly the same from a distance. However, there are a number of benefits for the extra cash: The base model has double the storage at 128GB; a more capable processor; and it works with Apple’s new Pencil Pro, an improved stylus with extra features of its own that will appeal to artists and creatives. The Air and the iPad (and iPad Pro, too) finally all have realigned front-facing cameras along the long landscape edge, which makes Zooms or FaceTimes feel more laptop-like and properly centered (thank goodness).
The iPad Air is now available in a larger 13-inch (12.9-inch, actually) size, too, like what Apple has offered for the iPad Pro. The larger size starts at $800, and is a more affordable way to go big and “Pro” without getting an iPad Pro. Of course, previous-gen iPad Pros are often on sale and may hover near that price already, too. I’ve been using the 13-inch iPad Air over the last few days, along with Apple’s Magic Keyboard Case and the Pencil Pro. I’ve been comparing it to the new 13-inch iPad Pro. While the iPad Pro has a nicer OLED display and an even faster processor, the Air is more than enough Pro for most. In fact, I’d recommend it over the Pro just for its price difference, but try to keep configuration creep in mind so you don’t suddenly find yourself spending $1,500.
The new iPad Pro (left) vs iPad Air (right). The Pro has an OLED display; the Air doesn’t. But the Air still performs very well regardless. The iPad Air configuration Apple sent me has 512GB of storage ($1,099), optional 5G cellular connectivity ($150), a Magic Keyboard case ($349) and a Pencil Pro ($129). That comes to $1,727 and is a heck of a lot for an iPad for most people. Then again, the 1TB 13-inch iPad Pro I’m also reviewing is $1,899 for just the Wi-Fi version of the tablet alone. You can spend less, for sure, but it’s also a reminder that the Air is not a “budget” device. It splits the difference between the entry-level and the super-fancy and offers enough future-proofing via the M-series chip to maybe put it in a different category if and when Apple decides to push the iPad further — maybe to put a Mac-type computing OS on it, for example.