The ‘on-the-go’ iPad
M2 iPad Air: A Surprise Dark Horse?
Remember the hype surrounding the new iPad Pro at the recent Apple event? Apple themselves were calling it their biggest launch since the original iPad! (I had to roll my eyes at that, ever so slightly!)
While the launch was exciting and the iPad Pro was the main talking point, there was another device that caught my eye: the new M2 iPad Air, especially the bigger 13-inch model.
Before you rush out and grab the latest iPad Pro, let’s talk about why the Air might be the unassuming winner here, particularly for students and everyday users.
Why the M2 iPad Air will Punch Above Its Weight
First things first, let’s talk about that price tag. The 11-inch Air starts at a fairly reasonable $599 for the 11", which is significantly cheaper than the iPad Pro, but in my mind, not less of a powerhouse for many people!
This instantly makes it a much more attractive option for students and businesses on a budget of course, but as I’ve shown in my M2 iPad Pro review, that chip is extremely capable so I see even some Pros being able to do some lightweight work like editing photos, creating music and short videos on it.
When I used to manage tech purchases for executives they’d always gravitate towards the Pro model, but honestly, the regular iPad and more recently, the M1 iPad Air often did the job just fine. When the M1 iPad Air came out, it was a fantastic machine, and for most people, it was the smarter choice.
The new M2 chip in the Air makes it even more tempting to skip the Pro, especially if you’re not a power user who needs to push the device to its absolute limits. Of course, Apple’s marketing wants you to believe you absolutely need the Pro, but here’s the thing…
Is 120Hz on the iPad Air a dealbreaker for you?
For many people, who don’t actually push the boundaries of working on a tablet, the biggest difference between the Air and Pro is actually the ProMotion display.
This fancy name ‘ProMotion’ just means a smoother refresh rate of 120Hz, which makes scrolling and drawing feel a bit more fluid.
We are missing FaceID too, but I fear the display refresh rate may make some noise in the tech review world.
But here’s the question: In 2024, is this a feature that justifies this significant price jump?
Look, I get it — as I mentioned in my latest iPad video, companies need to make money, and Apple definitely knows how to do that! But is it fair to keep a smoother screen experience locked behind a ‘paywall’, only available on the more expensive model? A 120Hz display shouldn’t feel like a luxury reserved for the Pro models.
Interesting Sales Tactic… But we shouldn’t be surprised
There’s also the curious case of the anti-reflective coating on the Air. Unless I am not reading this right, you basically get it whether you like it or not.
While on the Pro, you only get that feature with the most expensive option. It seems a strange tactic to me, to get users to buy the 1TB version of the Pro, whilst this seems to come with the iPad Air as a standard feature?
The iPadOS Question Mark
The only thing that could truly tip the scales in favour of the Pro is a major iPadOS update. I’ve been saying this for quite some time now — The hardware is incredible, and has been since 2018. What we need in my opinion is a more flexible iPadOS to match it.
While multitasking features like Split View and Stage Manager are slowly improving, they still fall short of the flexibility offered by some other tablets in the market, such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 series.
Apple probably won’t completely revamp iPadOS and turn it into a full-blown MacBook replacement (let’s be honest, they wouldn’t want to cannibalize their MacBook sales!), but a more powerful iPadOS could definitely make the Pro a more attractive option for power users who really want those more flexible multitasking capabilities.
But maybe I am alone here, let me know what you think.
Right now, the iPad shines brightest when the apps you need work seamlessly with iPadOS. For artists or designers who spend their days creating magic in apps like Procreate, the iPad can be an amazing tool.
And judging by the Let Loose Apple event, that was pretty much what Apple was targeting, alongside students. The entire iPad Air section was run from a school scene!
But for those who need to juggle multiple apps at once and get serious work done, iPadOS still needs some work on the efficiency front.
M2 Power, at a reasoable price
Let’s not forget the elephant in the room — the M2 chip powering the Air!
The M1 chip in the previous Air was already a powerhouse, and the M2 with a brand new GPU, makes the Air even more capable. At its price point, it’s hard to find a better balance of performance and affordability.
The camera upgrade and the new center stage feature, which keeps you perfectly centered in video calls, are nice upgrades but I have to say, I almost switched off when they started to talk about cameras on iPads.
As I mentioned, it seems like Apple really designed the Air with students in mind, giving them the power they need for schoolwork, creative projects, and everything in between. But in my view, the iPad Air could be a fantastic ‘gateway’ device for young professionals who want to learn different creative skills without having to spend thousands on Mac hardware.
I predict this will be the best selling iPad, despite some limitations
Even without a major iPadOS update, and without that 120Hz ProMotion display, and FaceID, I strongly believe the M2 iPad Air is going to be a crazy success. I shared my thoughts in a lot more detail here.
Ultimately, if I keep an open mind towards the display, the new iPad Air is a powerful machine at a very attractive price point, with more than just ‘good enough’ features that make it a compelling choice for students and many others.
The Pro might have all the bells and whistles, but for most people, the Air will offer great performance, for a fraction of the price.
So, if you are on the market for a new iPad, I’d seriously consider taking a good, long look at the M2 iPad Air.
It might just be your perfect iPad.
