Title:
Why the New iPad Air 2024 is the Ultimate Productivity Powerhouse
Content:
When it comes to tablets, Apple is king – and there’s another shiny jewel in its crown. I’ve been secretly testing the new iPad Air 2024, an upgraded super slate that is thin, light, and extremely impressive.
A Gorgeous Upgrade
The iPad Air is a gorgeous slab of metal and glass that comes in four colors: Starlight and Space Grey, as well as the new Blue and Purple. I’ve also been trying it paired with the float-effect Magic Keyboard ($299/$349) and the squeezable, rollable Apple Pencil Pro ($129). This turns into what looks like a laptop, but is easily pulled apart to its core tablet form depending on your needs. It’s a fair bit of money to chuck on top of the $599 base price, but it’s well worth it as the upgrades these accessories offer are significant.
Enhanced Productivity
The iPad Air is now available in two sizes that should suit most needs. Apple’s 11-inch tablet is cheaper and offers plenty of screen real estate for casual gaming, movie viewing, or web browsing. But you’ll get a much broader view from the pricier 13-inch option ($749), which also lets the tablet serve better as a laptop replacement.
Not Pad!
On that subject, if you want to get some (relatively) serious gaming or work done on the iPad Air, you’ll have a great time. That’s because the new iPad Air is powered by Apple’s speedy M2 chip, which has previously featured in MacBooks. This laptop-grade processor handles everyday tasks with ease, and will let you comfortably edit videos, photos, and music on the fly.
Enhanced Features
A small but welcome change is the front-facing camera’s move to the landscape edge of the iPad. It means your eyes will be centered rather than off to the side when video calling. And you’re less likely to leave finger smudges over the camera too. Apple has made significant upgrades with its iPadOS, now allowing for far greater productivity versus older software versions.
Air Fair?
So is it worth buying the new iPad Air? The iPad Air has enough computing power to outclass plenty of laptops, and is a steal at $599 or $799 (depending on the screen size). At the same time, you have other options: the regular iPad is cheaper and is fine for very casual users, while the new (and costlier) iPad Pro is extremely powerful but might be overkill for many. Three reasons to get it: The iPad Air is a happy medium that could work as a secondary professional device, a student laptop alternative, or a brilliant portable entertainment machine for almost anyone.
The Ultimate Value
The best of both worlds, Apple’s new iPad Air sits at the heart of the tablet range and offers tremendous value for money. 5/5
iPad Air Price and Release
The iPad Air is available for pre-order right now, and will be in stores from Wednesday, May 15. Here’s how much you’ll pay:
– 11-inch iPad Air (Wi-Fi) – $599
– 11-inch iPad Air (Cellular) – $749
– 13-inch iPad Air (Wi-Fi) – $799
– 13-inch iPad Air (Cellular) – $949
– Apple Pencil Pro – $129
– Magic Keyboard (11-inch) – $299
– Magic Keyboard (13-inch) – $349
– New Smart Folio (11-inch) – $79
– New Smart Folio (13-inch) – $99
All prices in this article were correct at the time of writing.