The Guardian90est.
The iPad Air M4 is a highly capable, powerful tablet that serves as an excellent premium choice for most users, offering a great balance of performance and features for its price.
Apple iPad Air (M4)
9 expert reviews#1 in tabletsChecked 1 Nov 2026
Quick answer
The Apple iPad Air (M4) has a critic score of 84 out of 100 from 9 professional reviews, and 9 of them recommend it. It ranks #1 of 2 tablets we score. Critics praise its performance and design. The most common complaint is missing features.
Reviews checked 1 Nov 2026
Photo coming
Best overall
Our verdict
All 9 reviewers who tested the M4 iPad Air recommend it, and their scores sit within 10 points. They call it fast enough for almost anything and the sensible choice over the iPad Pro. The design hasn't changed, and there is still no Face ID.
The catch: Still no Face ID.
Critic agreement: High
Scores run from 80 to 90
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What do critics say about the Apple iPad Air (M4)?
CNET87
The iPad Air (M4) is a powerful and well-designed tablet that offers excellent performance for its price, making it the best current option in Apple's lineup.
Engadget86
The iPad Air M4 is a highly capable and powerful tablet that remains the best choice for most users, though it suffers from a lack of meaningful hardware updates, particularly regarding its aging display technology.
CNN Underscored85est.
The iPad Air M4 is an exceptionally powerful and well-designed tablet that serves as the best choice for most users who don't need the premium features of the Pro line.
Creative Bloq85est.
Despite initial skepticism regarding the iterative design, the reviewer concludes that the iPad Air M4 is a powerful and highly recommended device for creatives, offering significant performance gains and practical improvements like the relocated camera.
The Independent80
The iPad Air M4 is a highly capable tablet that bridges the gap between the base model and the professional-grade iPad Pro, offering excellent performance and value.
Tech Advisor80
The iPad Air (M4) is a highly capable and future-proofed tablet that excels in performance and build quality, though it is held back by dated display technology and slow charging speeds.
PCMag UK80
The M4-powered iPad Air is a highly capable and future-proof tablet that offers excellent performance for students and creators, though it lacks some premium features like Face ID and water resistance.
ZDNET80
The iPad Air M4 is an excellent middle-ground tablet that offers high-end performance at a more accessible price point than the Pro model, making it the ideal choice for most users.
Scores are converted to 0–100. "est." means the outlet gave no number, so we estimated one from its verdict. How we score
What critics praise most
Performance9 of 9
Design3 of 9
Battery life2 of 9
What critics dislike most
Missing features7 of 9
Price4 of 9
Few upgrades3 of 9
Alternatives
Not sure about the Apple iPad Air (M4)?
Common questions
Is the Apple iPad Air (M4) worth it?
Most critics think so: 9 of 9 recommend it. Still no Face ID.
What do critics dislike about the Apple iPad Air (M4)?
Missing features (7 of 9 reviews), Price (4 of 9 reviews), Few upgrades (3 of 9 reviews).
What is the best alternative to the Apple iPad Air (M4)?
The Apple iPad Pro (M5) (critic score 87), best screen.