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The latest tablet on the block is the totally revamped iPad Air with a modern design and plenty of power.
The fourth-generation iPad Air costs £ 579 and fits between the £ 329 iPad and the £ 769 11-inch iPad Pro.
The new iPad Air ditches the previous design still used by the basic iPad, which still has a home button, large bezels around the screen, and curved edges. The new tablet is virtually identical to the 11-inch iPad Pro, matching its height, width, aluminum back, and flat sides. It has thin bezels around the screen, although the screen is slightly smaller at 10.9 inches diagonally compared to the Pro’s 11 inches, giving it an impressive, modern look.
The screen is really good: colorful, sharp and bright. It’s significantly better than the entry-level iPad, but it doesn’t have the faster “ProMotion” refresh rate of the iPad Pro, so it doesn’t look quite as fancy when scrolling through the home screen, apps, and sites.
The tablet has very good speakers that are stereo when held in landscape orientation. It also has a magnetic wireless charger for the optional Apple Pencil stylus (£ 119) on one edge, a USB-C port for charging and connecting accessories like card readers, plus a smart pogo-pin connector on the back for connecting. keyboards and cases.
The seven megapixel selfie camera and great microphones make video calling easy and great. The 12-megapixel rear camera is pretty good too, but it’s still outmatched by a good smartphone.
The power button now works as a Touch ID fingerprint scanner, as the iPad Air does not have Face ID or a home button. It works fine, but it’s certainly a Face ID downgrade on the iPad Pro.
specs
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Screen: 10.9-inch 2360 x 1640 Liquid Retina display (264 dpi)
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Processor: Apple A14 Bionic
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RAM: 4GB
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Storage: 64 or 256 GB
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Operating system: iPadOS 14.1
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Camera: 12 MP rear camera, 7 MP selfie camera
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Connectivity: Wifi 6 (optional 4G, eSim), Bluetooth 5, USB-C, Touch ID
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Dimensions: 247.6 x 178.5 x 6.1 mm
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Weight: 458 g (4G version: 460 g)
Reliable battery life and peak performance
The iPad Air has Apple’s latest chip, the A14 Bionic, which also works at the heart of the iPhone 12.
The new processor is a considerable step up from the A12 used in its predecessor and more or less matches the raw power of the A12Z used in the current iPad Pro, easily making it one of the most powerful tablets available.
As you might expect, everything is fast, including complex image edits in programs like Affinity Photo. The games work very well; in fact, I couldn’t find anything to slow down the tablet.
The iPad Air has enough power to do anything you can do with an iPad with plenty to spare, but it’s just as happy doing minor tasks like sending emails or just browsing the web.
That means the battery life is very good. Using it as a laptop replacement connected to Apple’s Magic Keyboard, the iPad Air lasted a good nine hours of work, using multiple sites, chat apps, word processors, Affinity Photo, and a bit of video.
Used for streaming video only, it lasts over eight hours or just under 10 hours if the video is stored offline first.
The iPad Air takes two and a half hours to fully charge with the included 20W USB-C power adapter, but it can also be charged with more powerful Apple or third-party USB-C chargers.
Sustainability
Apple doesn’t give a nominal life cycle for the iPad battery, usually 500 full charge cycles, but it can be replaced for £ 99. The tablet can usually be repaired, and the cost of out-of-warranty service is £ 396.44, which includes screen.
The iPad uses 100% recycled aluminum in its case, 100% recycled tin in the solder of its main board, 100% recycled rare earth elements in the speaker magnets, and at least 25% recycled plastic in various components. Apple is also using renewable energy for the final assembly of the machine and breaks down the environmental impact of the tablet in its report.
Apple also offers free and trade-in recycling schemes, even for non-Apple products.
iPadOS 14.1
Apple’s IPadOS 14 is the best mobile tablet software available, offering a balance of utility, entertainment, and broad application compatibility unrivaled on Windows 10 or Android. You can also expect at least five years of software support from Apple, so you can safely use the iPad Air for longer than the competition.
The software is essentially the same as other iPads, including the 8th Gen iPad and iPad Pro 2020. Has new at-a-glance widgets on the home screen, a more desktop-like appearance for apps, search faster and Siri, plus improved privacy controls and all the split-screen multitasking it can handle.
Apple’s new Scribble handwriting recognition feature, which allows you to write directly in any text input field on the screen with the optional £ 119 Apple Pencil that instantly converts your scribble into typed text, is very impressive and would be Really useful for anyone taking handwritten notes, drawing, or drawing diagrams.
The iPad Air also has access to an extensive library of productivity apps, allowing you to use it as a complete laptop replacement similar to an iPad Pro, though to do it properly you’ll likely need to invest in additional accessories like a keyboard. for example, Logitech’s £ 140 Folio Touch or Apple’s £ 299 Magic Keyboard.
All the major media apps are also available, there are plenty of games, from casual to graphics intensive, plus lots of learning and kid-friendly apps for those times when you need to occupy a little one. However, please note that Fornite is not available.
The only thing really missing is multi-user support, although some apps like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video have multiple profiles these days.
Observations
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The power button now does three things: press to power, rest to unlock with your fingerprint, and press and hold for Siri.
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iPadOS 14 supports standard Bluetooth keyboards and mice.
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The selfie camera is mounted on the left side when held horizontally; it would have been better at the top since most video calls are horizontal like a laptop, not vertical.
Price
The Wi-Fi-only iPad Air 2020 costs £ 579 with 64GB or £ 729 with 256GB of storage. 4G capable models cost an additional £ 130.
For comparison, the RRP for the 8th-gen iPad is £ 329, the iPad Pro costs from £ 769, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 + costs £ 799 and the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 costs £ 799.
Verdict
The iPad Air is essentially an 11-inch iPad Pro, but with some high-end features eliminated for a £ 190 price cut.
That means it has Apple’s cool, modern tablet design, slim bezels, superior performance, long-lasting and reliable battery life, and a robust software ecosystem that will stay current for more than five years.
The iPad Air is as happy to do the job as it is to an entertainment station. Movies and TV shows look and sound great, as do more graphics-intensive games, but if you want to use them as a replacement for a laptop, you can do so with the right accessory.
It also has a great front-facing camera, good microphones, and speakers that make great video calling easy, regardless of which app you choose.
The iPad Air isn’t cheap, but it’s the all-rounder that will outperform just about any tablet in its class.
Pros: modern design, great performance, good battery life, great display, USB-C, iPadOS, many apps, great speakers, great microphones, great camera for video calls, long stand, recycled aluminum.
Cons: no Fortnite or cloud game streaming, no multi-user support, relatively small storage in the initial model with no way to add more, comparatively expensive.
