The iPad Air (2020) offers a great screen, supremely powerful processor, premium design and great Apple Pencil support… it's simply excellent. It's a shame the price has crept up, but it's still the tablet to beat.

Sleek design in great colours; Detailed screen; So fast and slick; Apple Pencil 2 support; Impressive spatial audio

Mediocre cameras; No 120Hz or OLED screen; Screen only medium brightness; Notable price jump from previous version

This iPad costs significantly less than the Pro model and, for many users, it offers significantly better value - although the price can quickly ramp up with accessories. The Air is powerful, desirable, fun and functional - it's an iPad for all seasons.

Excellent performance; USB-C forward-looking; Touch ID button works well; Trackpad support means true laptop replacement; Variety of colours

Lack of Face ID can annoy; No 128GB option; Accessories expensive; No rear camera flash

Apple iPad Air 4th generation (2020): The new iPad Air is a powerful, portable and practical alternative to a traditional laptop

Nearly as fast as the iPad Pro; Thin and light; Decent camera

Accessories are expensive

Pointing to iPad’s future rather than its past, this is a meaningful, impressive iPad Air update

Vastly improved design; Almost unreasonably powerful; USB-C for charging and accessories

Speaker set-up weird in portrait; No ProMotion; Limited storage options

“The iPad Air 4 is the iPad Pro for the masses. It's perfectly situated to offer an exceptional tablet experience, without pushing into the territory of high-end laptop pricing.”

Excellent hardware design; Strong battery life and USB-C; Wonderful display; Pro-level performance; Magic Keyboard support; Fast fingerprint sensor

Base 64GB of storage; Expensive upsell to 256GB

I’ve been using the new iPad Air (2020) for the past few weeks, throwing everything from writing and emailing to media editing at Apple’s midrange tablet, and I’m struggling to figure out why most people should step up to the iPad Pro.

iPad Pro design but far more affordable; Screen is excellent; Apple A14 Bionic processor is fast and future-proofed; Touch ID is slickly integrated

Cellular and higher storage upgrades are expensive; iPadOS still has some multi-tasking foibles

The fourth-generation iPad Air gives you the power of an iPad Pro for less money, making it the best Apple tablet to buy in 2020.

Super-fast processor and internet speeds; Excellent cameras; Fantastic build quality

Unimpressive battery life; iPadOS still doesn't multitask as well as Mac/Windows

The new iPad Air might feel like a minor update from last year’s model, but it’s improved enough that its features and specs are now mostly on par with the pricier iPad Pro. It’s not just the best iPad for most people -- it’s arguably even Apple’s best tablet for the money.

Fast performance and WiFi speeds; Healthy battery life; Fun new color options; Supports Apple’s second-gen Apple Pencil; Very similar to the pricier iPad Pro

Still no Face ID; Only two speakers; The cost adds up with accessories meant to make it a laptop replacement

If you’re looking to get an iPad right now and can afford it, the new $599 iPad Air is the best tablet for most people. Apple has taken the design from the more expensive iPad Pro and brought it down to a more reasonable price point.

Excellent screen; Compatible with iPad Pro accessories; Very fast processor

Price increase; Only step-up storage option is a big jump; $749 for 256GB; Touch ID on the power button takes some getting used to

The iPad Air finally has a solid identity with its fourth-generation model—this time as an affordable alternative to the iPad Pro. While you miss out on features like the 120hz ProMotion display, quad speakers, FaceID, Ultra-wide-angle camera, and LIDAR, the 4th-generation iPad Air comes with...

TouchID finally makes a comeback; USB-C connectivity; Great display upgrade

TouchID location takes a little getting used to; More expensive than the previous-generation iPad Air