Updated 1 Nov 2026
Is the Apple iPad Air 13-inch (M4) worth it?
Yes — if you want a big screen without paying for the Pro.
It's the iPad Air (M4) with a 13-inch screen: plenty of room for two apps side by side, drawing, sheet music or films. The M4 chip is far faster than most people need, it works with the Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard, and it unlocks with Touch ID. The screen is a sharp LCD but runs at 60Hz rather than the Pro's smoother 120Hz OLED, battery life is about ten hours, charging is slow, and it costs a lot more than the 11-inch Air.
89%of 9 owners give it 4 or 5 stars
- Big 13-inch screen
- Fast M4 chip
- Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard
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What owners say
Owners are very pleased, above all with the bigger screen. The few unhappy ones found it limited next to a laptop or an iPad Pro, or wanted it to fill an external monitor.
Good to know
- The screen runs at 60Hz, not the Pro's 120Hz.
- Charging takes a while.
- Touch ID in the top button rather than Face ID.
- On an external monitor it may not fill the whole screen.
From 9 buyer ratings at Currys, every complaint read by us, November 2026. How we do this
What they love
- Easy to use, with a bigger screenMentioned a lot
- A huge step up from an older iPadMentioned often
What they complain about
- Limited and buggy next to a laptop or the iPad ProCommon
Get it if…
- You draw, read music or work in two apps side by side.
- You want a big iPad without paying Pro prices.
- You'll use it with a keyboard as a laptop stand-in.
Skip it if…
- You'll carry it everywhere or hold it in bed: the 11-inch Air is lighter.
- You want the smoothest, best screen: the iPad Pro has a 120Hz OLED.
More on the iPad Air 13 (M4)
How we reached this verdict
Notebookcheck's test of the 13-inch M4 Air praises its top performance, very fast Wi-Fi, high-quality build, colour-accurate PWM-free screen and balanced speakers, but faults the slow 60Hz display, slow charging and throttling under long loads. Cult of Mac found the bigger screen made more difference than the faster chip, and misses only the Pro's OLED and ProMotion. Currys owners like the bigger screen; one returned it because it wouldn't fill an external monitor.
We compared independent expert reviews with the manufacturer's specifications, then checked it's sold at a major retailer where you live. We don't test products ourselves.
Sources: Notebookcheck, Cult of Mac, Apple, Tom's Guide, TechRadar, manufacturer specifications.
Updated 1 Nov 2026How we decide