iPad Air 4 is an amazing upgrade to the last-gen iPads from Apple. If you are still not sure if it is worth buying. Then, here is a review of the iPad Air 4 for you to know everything about it.
What you will see here?
iPad Air 4
Between the 10.2-inch iPad 9 (2021) and the iPad Pro 2021, the Apple iPad Air (2020) fills a new price bracket (11-inch). It is a mid-range iPad option if you don’t want to spend a hefty amount but still want Pro-level features. It has a flat-edge design and is also more capable of replacing your laptop with Apple Pencil (2nd Gen) and Magic Keyboard support. Also, it also has a faster A14 Bionic processor and USB-C charging. Although this iPad doesn’t add anything groundbreaking to Apple’s tablet lineup, it does bring a lot of capabilities that were previously only available on the iPad Pro to this significantly more inexpensive gadget.
The iPad Air 4 sports a nearly all-screen front, supports the Apple Pencil (2nd generation), and has the same squared-edge design as the iPad Pro line. The speakers provide high-quality music, and the rear camera has been improved to a 12MP snapper. Everything about the iPad Air 4 feels a little more refined.
Pros
- Elegant thin and light design
- Super-fast A14 Bionic processor
- Bright, colourful and sharp display
- Excellent webcam
- USB-C charging
- Support Magic Keyboard and 2nd Gen Apple Pencil
- All-screen design
- Lots of power
- Amazing colour choices
Cons
- No Face ID
- No headphone jack
- Expensive accessories
- 64GB storage is limited
- Selfie camera could be better
| OS | iPadOS 14 |
| CPU | A14 Bionic |
| Storage | 64GB, 256GB |
| Display | 10.9-inch (2360 x 1640 pixels) Liquid Retina |
| Rear cameras | 12MP wide (f/1.8) |
| Video | Up to 4K at up to 60 fps |
| Front camera | 7MP TrueDepth |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 6, optional 4G LTE |
| Battery | 28.6 watt-hour |
| Battery life | 10 hours 30 minutes |
| Size | 9.7 x 7 x 0.24 inches |
| Weight | 1 pound |
Price
The iPad Air 4 starts at $599 for the 64GB model, with a $150 increase to 256GB. It comes in a variety of configurations, with 64GB or 256GB of storage and LTE or Wi-Fi connectivity. LTE cellular connectivity adds $130 to the total price. When compared to the iPad Pro, that pricing is reasonable. However, if you check
Design
The iPad Air 4 is quite similar to the iPad Pro. You might feel that Apple has just announced new hues for the 11-inch version of its high-end iPad. It is available in green, blue, rose gold, silver, and Space Grey. Apple has removed the home button from the iPad Air 3 model for the iPad Air 4, thus increasing the screen size. The buttons and security features are the other main differentiators. The Touch ID fingerprint scanner is disguised inside the iPad Air 4’s lock button. Moreover, the iPad Air 4 also ditches the Lightning port in favor of USB-C. The iPad Air 4 lacks a headphone jack. It has the same dimensions as the 11-inch iPad Pro but is somewhat smaller and lighter than the 10.2-inch iPad. It measures 9.7 x 7 x 0.2 inches and weighs 1 pound.
There are four speakers, two on each of the top and bottom edges. Moreover, it even has a lock button on the left side of the top edge which also contains the Touch ID scanner to unlock your device with your finger. The tablet’s right-hand edge has volume up and down buttons, as well as a magnetic connector beneath them. A second Smart Connector is located on the backside that you can use to connect Apple’s Smart Keyboard or any other device to your tablet. The tablet supports other devices like the second-generation Apple Pencil.
Display
The iPad Air 4 comes in a single size, with a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display. This gives you a large screen without it feeling enormous when you’re holding it with both hands. The resolution is a whopping 2360 x 1640 pixels per inch. With beautiful colors and strong peak brightness, the screen is excellent for watching videos or movies. The display has thick black borders around the outside, so it doesn’t feel as luxurious as certain Android tablets.
The screen of the iPad Air 4 is sharp, although it might be brighter. It delivers 102.9 percent of the sRGB color spectrum. Also, it has a maximum brightness of 440 nits, which is good on its own but falls short of its competitors. In terms of sharpness, it has a pixel density of 264ppi, which is the same as the regular iPad and iPad Pro. The screen includes a few more features, which is another incentive to choose it over the others. Full lamination and an anti-reflective coating are among them. This makes the screen more resistant to glare and fingerprints. It has a standard 60Hz display, so scrolling through news articles or apps won’t feel as smooth as it would on an iPad Pro. Although, you won’t notice the difference if you’ve never used a 90Hz or 120Hz display.
Touch ID security
When Apple comes to the Touch ID fingerprint scanning power button, the iPad Air 4 feels like a mix of the iPad and iPad Pro. The Touch ID sensor allows for quick authentication when using Apple Pay and passwords. It is a bit disappointing that they did not include Face ID. In any case, the Touch ID power button is a clever trick, and it works better than other competitors in the market. If Apple fails to install the biometric scanner on its screen, the fingerprint sensor on the iPad Air 4 appears to be one way the company may give it’s iPhone 13 a Touch ID sensor. The Touch ID sensor makes a lot more sense on an iPhone than it does on an iPad.
A14 Bionic performance
The A14 Bionic technology in the iPad Air 4 includes a Hexa-core CPU and a quad-core GPU, giving it a significant speed edge over most tablets. While testing with multiple open tabs and sharing a screen with a 1080p YouTube video, there was no stuttering. Moreover, the iPad features some of the most up-to-date and greatest internals available in a tablet. The A14 Bionic chip performed admirably during the tests, opening apps in record time and handling multitasking and other demanding activities with ease. On paper, the A14 chipset sounds better than the A12Z found in the iPad Pro. And it mostly is for some tasks, however, if you’re multitasking or require a lot of raw power, the A12Z is the better chip. This is because it has eight cores compared to the A14’s four. However, if you’re not editing video or performing other hard jobs, the iPad Air 4 will suffice.
Software
Apple’s latest iPadOS 14 software comes pre-installed on the iPad Air (2020), and it’s undoubtedly the greatest software you’ll find on a tablet. All major apps are optimized for the tablet’s display. However, with the exception of a couple that doesn’t work as well as you’d think, such as Instagram. Widgets and other new features are also included in iPadOS 14. If you are an iPhone user understanding iPadOS should be quite simple. Every app used on the iPadOS software has worked flawlessly during the tests without any problems. It is the most advanced and helpful tablet software Apple has ever made.
Audio
The stereo speakers of the iPad Air 4 provide enough sound to fill your room. The sound of the iPad Air 4 and the iPad Pro differs significantly in terms of intelligence. The iPad Air 4 has a true stereo sound experience in landscape mode, while the iPad Pro has a quad-speaker setup that allows you to consistently get stereo sound no matter which position it’s in.
Apple Pencil
One of the best features of the iPad Air 4 is that it eliminates the need to spend $800 on Apple’s top iPad accessories. The Apple Pencil 2nd Gen simply clips to the iPad Air 4’s top edge and does not charge when plugged into the bottom edge’s connector. This is significant because iPadOS 14 has Scribble. It is the ability to use the Apple Pencil to scribble into text fields and have that handwriting converted into real text. The Apple Pencil 2 does, however, feel a lot more robust than the S-Pen. However, do not purchase the $99 Apple Pencil 1 for the iPad Air 4. The extra $30 for the second-generation Pencil is well worth it. The Apple Pencil 1 can’t be plugged into the iPad Air 4’s base without a USB-C to Lightning adaptor. Thus, it’s not a good fit for the iPad Air 4.
Magic Keyboard
The iPad Air 4 supports the Magic Keyboard, typing on this iPad is just as simple as it is on the iPad Pro. Magic Keyboard’s keys provide a significantly more comfortable typing experience thanks to enhanced vertical travel. This is a movement that makes them feel like you’re typing on an actual keyboard and the lack of clicking the iPad Smart Keyboard Folio’s little sensors. Moreover, it also wins because it features a touchpad, something the Smart Keyboard has always lacked. Regrettably, the Magic Keyboard is overpriced at $300. Anyone considering the $179 Smart Keyboard Folio, however, should consider spending the extra $121. It’s a significantly better typing experience.
Cameras
With the 12MP wide-angle webcam in the iPad Air, Apple is clearly pushing tablet photography. A 12MP camera with an f/1.8 aperture sits on the back of the iPad Air 4. It serves as the primary camera and also comes in handy when using augmented reality features. Although it is unlikely that you’ll use this camera for serious photography, it will suffice if you want to shoot photos to share on social media or with other apps. The tablet has a 7MP selfie camera on the front that we found to be adequate, but it isn’t particularly impressive considering many Android tablets in the market. With many of us using video-calling apps considerably more in 2020, it would have been a pleasant touch. A minor flaw is that the video camera is located at the top of the tablet’s display, which might be inconvenient while making video calls in landscape mode.
Battery life
The iPad Air 4 has a 10-hour and 30-minute battery life on the battery test. Because of this, you’ll have to charge the iPad a little more frequently, but not by much. There is no information about the size of the battery, Apple isn’t known for sharing specs, but the battery life appears to be quite good. A single charge lasted about nine hours of regular app use, online browsing, and movie playback over Wi-Fi. However, it will last longer if you use your tablet lightly. If you get the iPad Air 4 with LTE capability, you’ll notice that the battery drains slightly faster while you’re connected to mobile networks, as they are more draining than Wi-Fi. The box also includes a 20W charger. Also, the charger could charge the tablet from 0% to 27% in half an hour.
What you would like?
- Upgraded features– If you have an older iPad and want to upgrade, the iPad Air 4 has some of the best current features. This includes improved design, Apple Pencil compatibility, and more accessibility.
- Some top-end specs– This tablet won’t be as good for multitasking as an iPad Pro, but if you want a respectable amount of power, the Air 4 is a better choice than the ordinary iPad or an older iPad device.
- Colourful options– It’s hard to find a tablet that isn’t silver or grey, and the iPad Air 4 is the first tablet Apple has released in a variety of hues in a long time. The iPad Air is likely intended for you if you desire a tablet with a unique style.
What you might not like?
- Ultimate iPad experience– If you’re looking for the ultimate iPad experience, the iPad Pro is still the way to go, as it offers a little superior experience in a number of critical areas. For certain individuals, the 120Hz display will be crucial, and the iPad Air will not provide that experience.
- You need a cheaper iPad– The iPad Air 4 isn’t as inexpensive and it isn’t a replacement for Apple’s entry-level tablets. The 64GB Air 4 model is not enough for most users.
- Lack of storage– unlike the iPad Pro, the iPad Air doesn’t have a 512GB or 1TB storage option. If you want to load up your tablet with apps, games, and other content, you’ll probably want to go Pro, though 256GB should do for most people.
Conclusion
The iPad Air is not only speedier and more attractive than the regular iPad, but it also has Magic Keyboard functionality, making it a true laptop replacement. Although it does not have a longer battery life or a brighter display. The iPad Air 4 outperforms the competition in terms of performance. The iPad Pro has the brightest screen on the market, yet many people may not notice the difference. Overall, iPad Air 4 is the greatest iPad accessible, owing to the fact that it has taken the majority of the iPad Pro features that people will like and made them available on an affordable range.
If you have any questions, you can ask in the comments section below.
