iPad Air 2025 review – I test Apple’s new tablet and there’s an extra add-on I’m obsessed with that’s worth EVERY penny

APPLE has released a shiny new iPad Air with some serious upgrades – and I’ve been trying it out.

The AI-powered tablet is one of four (yes, four) different iPad types. Then you’ve got spec choices too. So picking one is a real head-scratcher.

Sean Keach

The new iPad Air is a large and attractive tablet – I’m holding the 13-inch model here[/caption]

Sean Keach

You can get nice colourful cases – but there’s an even better accessory to look out for[/caption]

It’s worth pointing out straight away that you this table starts from £599 / $599, which will put some of you off right away.

Unlike phones, tablets aren’t something that everyone just needs. So if forking out hundreds for a (genuinely brilliant) iPad seems bonkers to you, it’ll be hard to convince you otherwise.

I love using my iPad for gaming, writing away from a desk, browsing the web for fun, and keeping me from going mad on every single plane journey.

Some students might love them as a laptop alternative, while telly fans on the move can prefer having a bigger screen than the one on their iPhone.

Once you’ve decided whether you actually want a tablet at all, you can then decide if the iPad Air is the right one for you.

AIR WE GO

So what’s going on with this model?

Well the iPad Air sits in the middle of Apple’s range.

It’s more powerful than the regular iPad, but less whizzy than the iPad Pro – and all three are bigger than the coat-pocket-sized iPad mini.

There are four colour options, including Space Grey, Blue, Purple (which I’ve been using, and love), and Starlight. They’re all beautiful, but it’s all personal preference anyway.

As the Air name suggests, it’s pretty light at 460 grams. That’s slightly less than the 477 grams of the regular iPad, and it feels easy to hold (even with a case on).

And it’s strikingly thin at just 6.1mm, which is less than the 7mm entry-level iPad.

In fact it’s even thinner than the iPhone 16, which is 7.8mm. Not bad.

Interestingly it’s both slightly thicker and heavier than the iPad Pro (with both screen sizes), but that’s way pricier (starting at £999 / $999).

You’ve got two screen size options: 11 inches and 13 inches.

Sean Keach

The large and bright screen is colourful and great for watching telly on[/caption]

Sean Keach

The gadget doesn’t have Face ID, but instead features a Touch ID fingerprint scanner for unlocking[/caption]

If you want this for doing proper work (i.e. a genuine laptop replacement), you’ll want the bigger screen.

But if you just want something portable and fun, the 11-inch option is fine.

It’s an extra £200 / $200 for the bigger screen.

Either way, you get a pretty Liquid Retina display that packs in 264 pixels per inch of screen.

You get a 12-megapixel camera on the back that doesn’t exactly compete with a high-end iPhone, but does the job just fine.

It’ll shoot 4K at 60 frames per second and take perfectly fine pictures for your social media.

And the 12-megapixel selfie camera serves up a cool Centre Stage feature that pans and zooms when you’re on FaceTime to keep you nicely framed. Very neat.

The problem with buying an iPad is that there are so many of them – and they’ll all great.

Sean Keach

There’s a single camera on the back, which can shoot 4K video at 60 frames per second[/caption]

There’s no Face ID for unlocking. Instead you get Touch ID, which scans your fingerprint when you tap the iPad’s top button.

You’ll use this for OK-ing Apple Pay transactions and signing into apps too.

And on the bottom is a USB-C port, which replaces the now-dying Lightning connector.

That’s a big win, as USB-C ports are now on almost every Apple device, and are increasingly common. In fact you’ll find that the cables work with most modern Android phones and tablets too.

POWER PLAY

For battery life, Apple is promising about 10 hours of video watching. That’s the same as the iPad Pro and regular iPad.

In reality, you’ll be able to get a decent day of work or play out of it.

And it’s enough to cover you for a long plane journey.

This respectable battery life is partly made possible thanks to the impressive Apple M3 chip inside the iPad Air.

Sean Keach

The new iPad Air is strikingly thin – it’s even slimmer than an iPhone[/caption]

It’s a laptop-grade processor that serves up truly epic performance, but is also very efficient.

And it means you can get Apple Intelligence, which is the suite of bonus AI-powered features making their way to Apple gadgets.

So it includes Clean Up (for removing unwanted people in your selfies), Genmoji (for making almost any emoji you can dream up), and notification summaries (so you can find out what’s going on quickly, without reading every single text).

All of that is on top of the iPadOS 18 software that powers the iPad Air.

Sean Keach

There’s a USB-C port on the bottom that accepts what is now a very common cable[/caption]

This gets you access to basically every app, a very smooth computing experience, and great compatibility with your other Apple gadgets (like an iPhone, Apple Watch, Apple TV, or Mac).

In fact the iPad Air can double up as a second screen for your Mac, if you’ve got one.

WHAT’S IN STORE?

If you want, you can spec-up the device based on how much storage you need.

There are four options: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB.

I’d say that 128GB feels a little light these days, so if you want to download loads of movies and games, keep music on here, and have all your photos readily synced and available, you might struggle.

So in this case, it’s probably worth upgrading to the 256GB option. Sure you’ll pay an extra £100 / $100, but it means you’ll be able to hold onto the iPad Air for longer without having to delete loads of stuff.

You can also upgrade to a cellular version of the iPad, so you can use a mobile plan to connect to the internet out and about.

It’s an extra £150 / $150 for the upgrade, so if you’re mostly using it on Wi-Fi, you’re probably better off saving the money.

Sean Keach

The new Magic Keyboard lets the iPad Air float using the power of magnets[/caption]

ACCESSORISE!

And there are some accessories that are absolutely worth considering.

The main one will be a must for some gadget fans.

Apple is offering the new Magic Keyboard, which is a lovely case that doubles up as a full keyboard (complete with a row of function keys).

It suspects the iPad Air magnetically, which looks pretty cool.

Sean Keach

Strapping the new Magic Keyboard to the iPad Air turns it into a much more capable laptop rival[/caption]

And it turns the iPad Air from a leisure device to something that is extremely work capable. I’m obsessed with it as an accessory, and can’t imagine not having it strapped to the Air. It’s just too useful.

It transforms the iPad Air into so much more than a tablet, it’s easy to carry around and use, and looks very smart too.

So if you want this to be a true laptop rival, consider snapping it up. You’ll pay £269 / $269 for the 11-inch version, of £299 / $319 for the 13-inch one.

The other accessory to think about is the Apple Pencil.

It’s by no means essential, unless you’re an artist (professionally or just for fun).

Sean Keach

The iPad Air is thin and light, making it a great portable gadget[/caption]

If you need it for work, the Apple Pencil Pro has a few more features (like squeezing and rolling), and costs £129 / $129.

But most casual users will get on fine with the regular Apple Pencil (USB-C) for £79 / $79.

I-BUY OR NOT I-BUY?

So which iPad is right for you?

Well the iPad Air is a brilliant middle-ground.

If you want a cheap iPad for casual use, the entry-level model is a couple hundred cheaper – and will probably do the job.

On the other side, you’ve got the iPad Pro with some big advantages.

It boasts the more powerful M4 chip, which might be important if you’re doing serious video editing or heavy gaming.

The iPad Air only has two microphones, while the iPad Pro gets four studio-quality mics. And it’s got four speakers versus the Air’s two.

And Pro has an OLED screen (and an option for matte nano-texture, which I personally love)

Sean Keach

This tablet is a great option for people who want a device that’s fine for work and leisure[/caption]

But ultimately the iPad Pro is way more expensive – to the tune of at least £400 / $400.

So if you want an iPad for a bit of work and pleasure, the iPad Air is probably the one that fits the bill best.

The Sun says: The new iPad Air looks beautiful, runs buttery smooth, and is crammed with Apple magic – all for a decent price. It’s the best-value option for a work-and-play iPad.