There’s a new iPad Air in town, but you probably won’t notice any difference the next time you stroll into an Apple Store. This latest tablet looks identical to its predecessor, with the same aluminium design, colours that haven’t changed and the option to buy either 11 or 13-inch screen sizes. The rear 12MP camera hasn’t been upgraded, and the tablet still lasts for around 10 hours on a single charge. So what’s different about this latest Air, and should you bother upgrading?

I’ve been testing out this refreshed device from the team in Cupertino, and whilst its looks haven’t changed, there is plenty going on inside.

Apple has boosted the processor from an M3 to an M4 chip, which basically makes it as quick, if not faster, than some PC laptops.

There’s also more memory, with things rising from 8GB to a more useful 12GB, and it gets the latest N1 network and C1X mobile chips (if you opt for a more expensive cellular model), which offer speedy Wi-Fi 7 and improved 5G connectivity.

Add it all up, and the iPad Air M4 is a very capable tablet that will breeze gracefully through all your daily digital tasks.

In fact, I’ve been playing games, editing movies, retouching photos and multitasking on the Liquid Retina display and not once has the Air started to sweat.

It’s a total joy to use, and Apple has added all of this extra grunt without upping the price. That means the 11-inch model starts from £599, and the 13-inch Air from £799.

If you were already thinking about buying one of Apple’s Air tablets, then you’re getting a decent power upgrade for the same price as last year’s models.

However, if you already own an M3 model (or even an M2), you really don’t need to worry about splashing out on something new, as these are already brilliant tablets that do everything most of us need.

So yes, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with the M4 iPad Air, but it’s a shame there aren’t more enticing upgrades included.

It would have been nice to see new colour options or the bezels around the screen slimmed down a little.

The Air is still thicker than the iPad Pro, which has never really made much sense, as the name suggests this should be the thinnest tablet in Apple’s lineup.

It also still features a 60Hz screen (you’ll need to go Pro to get a slick 120Hz panel), and this display technology really feels a bit sluggish.

Apple finally ditched that slow 60Hz refresh screen on its latest iPhone 17 devices last year, and I would love to see the Air get the same treatment.

There’s still no Face ID, meaning you have to rely on the old-fashioned fingerprint scanner in the power button, and UK buyers won’t find a charging plug included in the box – that’s £20 extra.

That added adapter cost leads me nicely to the Air’s price.

Yes, Apple hasn’t raised costs this year, but the iPad Air can still get extremely expensive.

Start adding the bigger 13-inch screen, more storage, a Magic Keyboard case and Apple Pencil and you can end up with a bill of over £1,750 – that’s much more than a 13-inch MacBook Air.

So, should you buy the new M4 iPad Air?

If you were already thinking about splashing out on a new iPad then you’ve just got a massive bonus for free.

The M4 chip is a beast and will keep the device future-proofed for years to come. It also gets more RAM and improved connectivity.

Other extras include decent speakers, a Centre Stage front camera which tracks you as you make video calls, so you always stay in the frame.

It’s fully compatible with the latest Apple Pencil and can be turned into a mini laptop via an optional keyboard case.

It runs iPadOS 26, the latest version, which remains the best tablet operating system on the market and now offers improved multitasking, better file management and Apple’s Liquid Glass user interface aesthetic.

The new Air is a top tablet. However, if you are perfectly happy with what you already own and simply use these devices for a bit of web browsing, boxset bingeing and sending emails, there’s not a huge reason to rush to your local Apple Store.

The iPad Air remains a solid choice, and it’s now clearly better than before.

It just feels about time that it got a more eye-catching update that wasn’t just about performance.