Apple’s M4 iPad Air Review Shows Power and Value Surge, Near‑Pro Performance

Apple’s new M4‑powered iPad Air lands on the market with a price point that undercuts the M5 iPad Pro by roughly $300, yet its benchmark scores sit within a few hundred points of the flagship, according to 9to5Mac’s early review roundup. In Geekbench 6 CPU tests the Air posts numbers that are “just a few hundred points shy of the M5 iPad Pro,” narrowing a performance gap that has traditionally favored the Pro line (9to5Mac). The difference is more pronounced in graphics‑intensive workloads: the M5 iPad Pro’s 10‑core GPU still leads the “Steel Nomad Light” benchmark with a score of 3,984, while the Air’s 10‑core GPU records 3,166 (9to5Mac). Nonetheless, reviewers note that the Air’s GPU performance is “still a great choice for most creators” who don’t need the absolute top tier (9to5Mac).

The performance uplift over the previous M3‑based Air is modest but noticeable. Kyle Barr of Gizmodo, citing the same benchmark data, observes that “the gulf between the iPad Air’s and iPad Pro’s performance … has significantly shrunk with this latest iteration.” Maria Diaz of ZDNet echoes the sentiment from a creator’s perspective, calling the M4 Air “the most affordable tablet that can comfortably handle writing, photography, video, and some graphic design” (ZDNet). Her hands‑on testing suggests that the Air’s CPU and GPU are sufficient for multi‑tasking workflows that previously required a Pro model, especially when paired with Apple’s latest iPadOS multitasking features.

Apple’s pricing strategy appears to be a deliberate move to capture the “mid‑range creator” segment. 9to5Mac notes that Amazon is already offering up to $100 off the M4 Air ahead of its official release, while the M5 Pro iPad Pro sees a $450 discount on its maxed‑out configuration (9to5Mac). The price differential, combined with the Air’s near‑Pro performance, creates a compelling value proposition for users who want “significant power without the premium price tag” (9to5Mac). This aligns with Apple’s broader product tiering, where the Air sits “oddly between the base model and the Pro” but serves as the “perfect fit if you’re a certain type of user,” according to ZDNet’s review (ZDNet).

Industry analysts have begun to flag the Air as a potential catalyst for shifting market dynamics in the tablet space. CNET’s 2026 tablet roundup lists the Air among the “Best Tablets” for its blend of performance and cost, positioning it as a serious contender against high‑end Android and Windows tablets (CNET). While the M5 iPad Pro retains a lead in raw graphics horsepower, the Air’s CPU parity and substantially lower price could erode the Pro’s dominance in education and small‑business deployments, where budget constraints are paramount. The Air’s launch also arrives as competitors such as Samsung and Amazon push their own premium tablets, intensifying the battle for the “best tablet for work and play” crown highlighted by WIRED (Wired).

In practice, the M4 iPad Air’s real‑world speed matches its benchmark promise. Reviewers report fluid app launches, swift video rendering, and responsive multitasking even when running multiple demanding apps side‑by‑side. The device’s 10‑core CPU, paired with Apple’s optimized silicon architecture, delivers “near‑Pro performance” without the thermal throttling that has occasionally hampered earlier Air models (9to5Mac). For power users who need a portable, capable device but cannot justify the Pro’s cost, the M4 Air now offers a “great choice” that balances performance, price, and the Apple ecosystem’s software continuity (9to5Mac, ZDNet).