Apple iPad Air (M2) review: The iPad for everyone

The Apple iPad Air has always been my favourite iPad. The iPad Pro is superb and that’s especially true in the iPad Pro (M4), while the standard iPad (10th generation) is great value for what it offers – more so now the price has dropped slightly. But the iPad Air has long delivered a happy medium. 

I’ve always thought it’s executed a great blend of features and performance while maintaining a thin and lightweight design, so when the 2024 iPad Air included a larger 13-inch model, I was thrilled.  

There is no longer just one option if you want an iPad with a larger screen but more than that, the updated processor of the iPad Air (M2) means there’s serious power here too. I’ve been using the iPad Air (M2) alongside the iPad Pro (M4) and this review will give you the low down on what you get with the Air, what you miss out on compared to the Pro and whether the iPad Air (M2) is the iPad model to buy.

---

The Disconnekt Downlow

The Apple iPad Air (M2) is a fantastic tablet and one I don’t hesitate in recommending, especially in the 13-inch model. For most people, there is everything here you will need in a tablet. The design is slim, light and portable whichever screen size you choose, and there’s a serious amount of power under the hood that’s more than enough for everyday workflows. The battery life is decent and in my experience better than the iPad Pro (M4). The larger 13-inch model would be my pick for that extra 30 per cent screen real estate, but whichever iPad Air (M2) you choose, you are very unlikely to be disappointed and much more likely to be impressed by what it can deliver despite not being ‘Pro’.

Buy from £599 on Amazon

---

The reasons you should choose the Apple iPad Air (M2)

The Apple iPad Air (M2) is practically identical to its predecessor in terms of design when you’re talking about the 11-inch model. The 13-inch model meanwhile, is pretty much that same design but on steroids, featuring identical measurements to the iPad Pro 12.9 (6th generation) but a little slimmer and lighter. You could say it’s a bad thing the design hasn’t moved on much in 4 years, or you could appreciate the design is a good one, especially in the larger format. 

The iPad Air (M2) isn’t as slim and light as the iPad Pro (M4), with both the Pro’s respective counterparts slimmer and lighter. But that doesn’t matter in use because firstly, you wouldn’t notice unless you had the two side-by-side, and secondly, the Air’s build is still exceptionally portable, and that applies for the 13-inch model too.

The uniform bezels around the screen, the solid aluminium build, the Smart Connector at the back and the USB-C charging port are all elements we’ve seen before and likely ones we will see for years to come. But the repositioning of the front camera on the iPad Air (M2) is new for the Air line, beneficial and more natural when it comes to video calls and especially when used with the Magic Keyboard. The Purple and Blue colour options are also worth a note, lovely in the flesh, lighter finishes than the Blue and Purple of their predecessor. 

Of course purple and blue colours aren’t going to be a primary reason to buy the iPad Air (M2). Well they might be, but I suspect it’s more likely to be the power, or the lower price compared to the iPad Pro (M4). Performance-wise, the iPad Air (M2) is impressive, offering more than enough power to complete day-to-day tasks – and more intense ones like image editing – with ease. You have to remember that prior to the ‘Let Loose’ event at the beginning of May, the processor within the iPad Air (M2) was in the iPad Pro models. You’ll also find it in the MacBook Air from 2023, so it’s more than capable and that will be especially true compared to older iPad Air models, not just 2022 model.

Everything runs smoothly and effortlessly and this is perhaps the main reason to buy the iPad Air (M2) because while the M4 processor in the iPad Pro (M4) is a little snappier, this is yet another thing you wouldn’t notice unless you were using them side-by-side. There is very little in terms of day-to-day use that the iPad Air (M2) can’t handle so if you’re looking for a laptop replacement, this iPad will fit the bill as much as the iPad Pro. There’s eSIM (no nano-SIM now) for easy on-the-go connectivity in the Wi-Fi & Cellular models and Wi-Fi 6E for speedy connection on all models if you can find a compatible router. I would recommend the 13-inch model as it’s generally a much better experience for working and watching movies, but the 11-inch is a great option if portability and power are top of your list. 

What the Apple iPad Air (M2) could do better

It’s not so much what the Apple iPad Air (M2) could do better, but instead what it misses out on compared to the iPad Pro (M4). The screen is the first thing to mention here, as the iPad Air (M2) sticks with the same Liquid Retina display as previous iPad Air models. It’s an LCD panel, similar to what you’d find in the iPad 10th generation, though it is worth noting that the iPad Air models have an anti-reflective coating compared to the standard iPad, which is noticeable when using outside or with your back to a window. 

There’s no Mini-LED panel like the iPad Pro 12.9 (6th generation) or Tandem OLED like the iPad Pro (M4) and while that’s not a deal breaker, I’d love to have seen Mini-LED introduced into the Air now that it’s been succeeded by OLED in the Pro models. The iPad Air (M2) still delivers a great display experience, with rich and vibrant colours, good detail and plenty of punch, but the iPad Pro is more impressive overall.

Face ID over Touch ID would have been welcomed too. Again, it’s most certainly not a deal breaker because sometimes it’s reassuring to have to touch to authenticate passwords and Apple Pay rather than it just happening without you really noticing. That said, it does mean your workflow pauses for a couple of seconds to accommodate you tapping the power button rather than everything happening seamlessly as it does on the iPad Pro. 

The only other complaint I have with the iPad Air (M2) is that it’s not compatible with the new Magic Keyboard. Now, there are two points to be made here. The first is that the original Magic Keyboard that does work with the iPad Air (M2) – and was previously compatible with the iPad Pro – is excellent. But it is heavy, resulting in the iPad Air 13-inch (M2) with the Magic Keyboard weighing 1.31kg compared to the iPad Pro 13-inch (M4) and its Magic Keyboard weighing 1.25kg. And that’s where the second point comes in.

The iPad Air (M2) is compatible with the Apple Pencil Pro after Apple had to redesign the charging and pairing mechanism so I find it a little odd that the new – and lighter – Magic Keyboard with its extra row of function keys and haptic feedback in the trackpad couldn’t have been made compatible with both the iPad Air and iPad Pro. Both come in 11-inch and 13-inch size options, and previously the same Magic Keyboard has been compatible across the Air and Pro so the option of either Magic Keyboard would have been good.

A few extra details about the iPad Air (M2)

This leads me nicely onto the excellent Magic Keyboard that the iPad Air (M2) is compatible with. There’s good weight distribution, not too top-heavy despite using it with my 13-inch iPad Air, and it offers a lovely typing experience. I should know, as I typed this review on it as easily as I would on my MacBook Air. 

The Magic Keyboard is an expensive additional accessory mind, and it’s also a necessary one if you want to make the most out of the iPad Air as a productivity device. With it (or a third party option), you’ll have no problem writing, answering emails, browsing, sorting spreadsheets, image editing and plenty more, as you might on a laptop. Do keep in mind that the MacBook Air 13-inch is lighter than the iPad Air (M2) with the Magic Keyboard attached, and iPadOS is less forgiving than macOS so that is a decision to be made.

That brings me to my next point: iPadOS. I’m not going to dwell too much on the software side of things because there’s nothing new – yet. That will change when Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) takes place in June, with iPadOS 18 expected to be detailed and AI likely to play a key role. It might be that some AI features are exclusive to the iPad Air (M2) and the iPad Pro (M4), but at the moment we don’t know what’s to come. It’s also possible – and likely – that some will be exclusive to the iPad Pro (M4) too.

Still, there are currently some decent iPadOS features worth noting, including interactive widgets, widgets on the Lock Screen and Profiles on Safari allowing you to separate your browsing between work and personal. There are some features lacking compared to macOS, like user profiles, but overall, multitasking is good and the interface offers an easy-to-use and fluid experience.

Last but not least is Apple Pencil Pro, which is perhaps surprisingly – considering its name – compatible with both the iPad Air (M2) and the iPad Pro (M4). I really enjoyed drawing on the iPad Air (M2), and while I don’t consider myself a good drawer, there’s very low latency, pressure sensitivity and great precision, just like the previous Apple Pencil. The iPad Air (M2) isn’t compatible with that model however, so you’ll need to upgrade to the Pencil Pro or downgrade to the Pencil (USB-C). I’d recommend the former if you’re a Pencil fan as the squeeze gesture is excellent and something you won’t be able to come back from. There’s also a barrel roll feature that allows you to move between a thick mark and thin marks with a turn, as well as offering other artistic elements in apps like Procreate. 

Should you buy the Apple iPad Air (M2)?

The Apple iPad Air (M2) is a fantastic tablet and one I don’t hesitate in recommending, especially in the 13-inch model. For most people, there is everything here you will need in a tablet. The design is slim, light and portable whichever screen size you choose, and there’s a serious amount of power under the hood that’s more than enough for everyday workflows. The battery life is decent too – and in my experience, better than the iPad Pro (M4). 

The screen is great – though admittedly not as great as the iPad Pro (M4) – and while there is double the base storage (256GB) compared to the old iPad Air, you won’t find support for the new Magic Keyboard or the option of the nano-texture glass like the iPad Pro.

That said, these are minor grievances in what is an otherwise fantastic tablet and one that not only delivers a premium and solid build, but superb performance, a good battery life and a compelling laptop replacement if you can forgive a couple of software shortcomings. The larger 13-inch model would be my pick for that extra 30 per cent screen real estate, but whichever iPad Air (M2) you choose, you are very unlikely to be disappointed and much more likely to be impressed by what it can deliver despite not being ‘Pro’.

FAQs