The M4 iPad Air is one of the more underrated devices that Apple launched in the veritable marathon that was last week, culminating in the 'Apple Experience' event on March 04. Even though the MacBook Neo eventually stole the proverbial show and nearly all of the limelight, the new iPad Air continues to garner a healthy share of attention. And today, we bring you a roundup of first impressions and reviews from a diverse set of tech experts.
Here is everything that is being said about the Apple M4 iPad Air
Gizmodo's Kyle Barr highlights the new iPad Air's "more than skin deep" changes:
"But everything that’s changed with the M4 iPad Air is more than skin deep—centered around the chip and software—and proves small changes can make a huge difference. In 2026, it’s the best tablet just short of the iPad Pro."
He goes on to add:
"The MacBook Neo may be the better overall computer package, but in real life, the usefulness of the M4 iPad Air and its touchscreen, Apple Pencil support, and more versatile form factor for different tasks becomes apparent. Thanks to iPadOS 26, it’s now possible to treat the M4 iPad Air like a multitasking workhorse that sits on the sidelines, offering an extra, versatile screen when the laptop is just too big."
ZDNET's Maria Diaz discusses the practical implications of choosing the M4 iPad Air over other tablets:
"In benchmark tests measuring tablet performance, the iPad Air's M4 performed dramatically better than the similarly priced Galaxy Tab S10 FE+."
Diaz then points out:
"In this case, the iPad Air's GPU is 7.5 times faster than the Tab S10 FE+, making it better at handling creative apps and gaming."
And concludes by pointing out:
"The iPad Air with the Magic Keyboard is strong enough to replace a midrange laptop for intermediate users, especially thanks to iPadOS 26, which lets you stack and resize your windows as needed."
The Verge's David Pierce discusses the "chip-bump-iest" aspect of the new iPad Air:
"The newest iPad Air is a chip bump iPad — maybe the chip-bump-iest iPad Air yet. Inside this new machine are, in fact, three upgraded chips compared to last year’s model: an M4 processor, a C1X cellular modem, and an N1 chip that brings the Air Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread support."
Pierce adds:
"Apple talks about the Air in a very straightforward way: it’s where Apple’s top-line tech goes after it’s retired from the iPad Pro, typically once Apple has a better version available and can produce the existing version with more scale and cost-efficiency. Does that make the iPad Air as much a product of Apple’s operations department as its design and product teams? Sure does! But at times, it has also led to the Air being Apple’s most compelling tablet for most people: Good tech at a good price."
And then goes on to discuss the various tradeoffs that Apple made:
"The base iPad is starting to look seriously underpowered and doesn’t support some of Apple’s best accessories; the Pro remains way more tablet for way more money than most people require. Yes, I wish the Air’s $599 price bought you 256GB of storage instead of 128GB, especially when Apple is doubling the base storage on so many of its devices. Yes, I’d love to have the Pro’s much smoother 120Hz OLED screen instead of this 60Hz LED display. Even the base iPhone 17 has a ProMotion display now! I still miss FaceID, too. But if you have to make tradeoffs to hit a price, those are reasonable ones to make."
Finally, we have Tech Radar's Jacob Krol, who highlights the new iPad Air's meaningful improvements:
"There are no real design changes this year, but Apple gives the tablet a fuel injection of performance thanks to the M4 chip under the hood, more RAM, and improved connectivity.
This means the iPad Air keeps pace in terms of having Apple’s latest silicon while still sitting below the iPad Pro in price. In everyday use the 13-inch iPad Air absolutely flies, whether you’re juggling multiple windows in iPadOS 26, editing photos or videos, gaming, or pairing it with the Magic Keyboard to act as a laptop replacement.
The display remains the same excellent Liquid Retina panel that was introduced in 2024, and while it still tops out at 60Hz rather than the iPad Pro’s 120Hz ProMotion, it’s a large, vibrant canvas for work, entertainment, and Apple Pencil note-taking."
For those wishing to study each aspect of the new Apple M4 iPad Air in detail, head over to our dedicated post where we've discussed the device's performance boost, pricing tiers, and feature upgrades in detail.
About the author: Writing is my one incontrovertible passion. Over the past six years, he has authored over 2,200 distinct articles on financial and tech-related topics, spanning nearly 1 million words. And he has been a member of Wcctech mobile team since 2025. As an alumnus of the University of Toronto, Rotman Commerce Program, I bring nuance, in-depth knowledge, and a unique perspective to every topic that I cover. When I'm not writing, I'm traveling the world, exploring hidden confectionaries and restaurants as an aspiring food connoisseur.
Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.
