iPad Air M4 Reddit Verdict: Great RAM, Stuck Display

Apple are lazy enough that they even used the same wallpapers for 3 years now

60hz & 128GB in 2026...

120hz would kill the Pro line and they know it.

The could've at least put new colors

Still 60hz.

Everyone who doesn't use Reddit has no idea what '120hz' even means. For grandma getting an iPad to FaceTime the grandkids and post weird stuff on Facebook it absolutely does not matter.

The iPad Air used to mean something compared to the base iPad and the pro. For years now I'd call this iteration of the iPad Air Apple's laziest product. Now the Air is basically just an 11" pro with a worse display and last year's processor. Feels strange with little to no differentiation other than that. I imagine they'll just consolidate this line and the base iPad at some point.

The issue with the Air was never its power (well, at least not for typical usage) but that 60hz feels slow and laggy compared to the 120+hz screens that are commonplace on modern screens. I go from my laptop (240) to my phone (120) no problem, but then i get on my ipad air and it feels like its the slowest piece of shit in the world simply because the refresh rate is stuck in the past. That's why the m1 ipad pro feels nicer than the m3 air, despite being two gens back.

The base 128GB version is an odd one… even the 17e got 256. Apple probably had a stock of 128 memory sticks to throw out.

Crazy that apple gave the base m4 ipad pros 8gb ram and then the air M4s suddenly get 12gb

It's the non-laminated screen in the base model which pushes people to move up to the air. Other than that yeah, it's not great value.

Once again, the Air is still the worst value tablet out there. Amazing how Apple does it year after year.

why are they gatekeeping promotion still thats so stupid

I just pulled the trigger on a M3 256gb for $549 - Apple refurbished. Extra storage (not memory), you mean?

Still no 120hz. It's not even a pro feature anymore. Such a shame.

if it had 120 no one would buy the pros, this is the only 'real' downside of air

$599 & $799 starting prices are wild for those specs..

The only good thing I see from it is it is a cheaper option for people who want the larger screen but don't need the pro features. At least for me that's where the value is. I have an M2 air and it's been great for my use case.

Base model iPads are probably the best value product apple produces nowadays. Especially around Christmas when the current model has been out for most of the year and it's $200-250.

No 120Hz Promotion is a deal breaker. With the iPhones they showed us that it doesn't have to be a Pro feature

A $600 tablet in 2026 with a 60 hz display. No thanks.

Face ID Face ID Face ID. Enuf said.

The 11inch Pro M5 256gb was $799 while this is $699 for the 256 version. Not worth it to get this iPad Air when you consider that. Costco had/has deals that trump this new Air.

I think that cost goes to the larger RAM, the M4 now have a 12GB RAM vs M3 8GB RAM. i think it's worth the trade off, you can multitask more apps now

A lot of things have changed since 2020. But iPad Air has the exact same ancient flickering 60hz screen from the model that used the A14 chip. Unbelievable.

Another year, no ProMotion is diabolical.

I really really wanted a new ipad this spring but this ain't it. no FaceID, no new colors, still weighs more than the Pro (hello ipad 'AIR'???). I'm no longer in a stage of life I need Pro lines. just ugh.

That they refuse to bring FaceID to the Air so that the Pro has differentiating features is just silly at this point. I'm still on the M1 Air, and wont be upgrading any time soon.

Leakers on youtube were screaming 120Hz and Oled for almost 7-8 months, and this is what we get.

Consider if you need the screen of the Pro, Face ID, LIDAR etc. If your budget is tight the Air is a very solid middle ground that is very capable and probably the more realistic option for most users that need more performance.

at this rate we will get m5 ipad air next year with the same colors and same stock wallpaper with 60hz lcd screen. atleast there is no incentive to upgrade from my m2 air for a very long time i guess

8GB ram is plenty. M4 can last a decade or more, limited only by battery health

Ipad reached its plateau stage, m4 on ipadOS is just wasted potential. I have m2 and it breezes through everything and I never understood why did they put it anyways instead of more power efficient a series cpu

I wish Apple source their display from wherever Xiaomi got theirs as from someone who have both Xiaomi Pad 8 and Ipad Air, Xiaomi got better, sharper display

Just bought the air M3 (13") the other week, I can sit in the living room and game on the thing (I use it for couch gaming via steam) for a good 3-4 hours and the battery still has a good amount of life left for whatever after. For what it is... It's a solid device imo.

I think the bump to 12GB RAM on the Air, which Apple considers a non-professional device, is a sign of things to come. The Pro has an exceptional screen on paper, and is probably built using the highest quality components inside (which you will not see mentioned on paper, but matters for longevity), though I personally can't tell the difference in screen refresh rates. I faced a similar decision and took a bet on 12GB RAM being important in the future.

I got the Pro. Tandem OLED is just the killer feature above everything else. Not mentioning 120Hz VRR display. Now it depends what you want to do with it but 8gb is probably plenty enough for leisure.

I was considering Air M4 and Pro M4 and I went for the Pro because of the screen!

I had the same decision to make. Upgraded from m3 ipad air 13" to m4 ipad air 13" rather than picking an ipad pro almost solely because of the ram increase. The only other consideration that helped my decision was I already had the magic keyboard for the air (pro is not compatible).

As long as you are not a digital artist, civil engineer etc. you won't notice the performance difference. But you will notice the lower refreshrate, lower brightness, less vibrant colors as well as FaceID.

The battery life is the reason why I'm exchanging it for a M5 iPad Pro. The screen I can deal with, but 20w-30w charging and the only 'fine' battery is going to annoy me longterm.

The major difference is the screen. LCD 60 Hz for the Air, much brighter Tandem OLED 120 Hz for the pro (the state-of-the-art currently). But if the 11" size isn't an issue, if you don't require a bigger screen, then I'd 100% recommend you the iPad Pro 11'' M5 at 1049€, because it has a better chip and more RAM for about the same price.