Over the past few weeks, I have had the opportunity to test the new 13-inch iPad Air with the M2 system, the “little brother” of the Pro models. Younger, and at the same time cheaper. The basic iPad Air M2 model has been priced at PLN 2,999 (11 inches) and PLN 3,999 (13 inches), which – considering the very high prices of most Apple devices – does not look bad at all.
For comparison, the cheapest model of the new iPad Pro with the M4 chip will cost PLN 5,299 (11 inches) and PLN 6,999 (13 inches), respectively. What compromises do we have to take into account when deciding to buy the cheaper version? Who is the iPad Air aimed at? What are the strengths and weaknesses of this device? You will find the answers to these questions below.
PLUS: Proven design…
In terms of design, the new iPad Air 2 is a twin of the Pro models. So we have a construction that combines glass and aluminum. The screen has an oleophobic coating, thanks to which it does not collect (too much) fingerprints. The tablet’s bezels are narrower than in the Air M1 model, but the manufacturer still has room for improvement here.
The back of the device has the Apple logo, a 3-pin connector for accessories, and a single camera (the Pro has a dual camera). The front has a camera for video calls, which has finally been placed on the longer edge of the device.
Apple recently said goodbye to the Lightning charging connector for good. And we probably won’t miss it. The bottom edge of the iPad houses a USB-C port. There are also covers for two stereo speakers (the Pro models have four speakers).
CONS: No FaceID
The new iPad Pros have a FaceID function that allows you to unlock the device with a facial scan. The iPad Air, unfortunately, has been deprived of it. Here, we find a fingerprint reader (TouchID) built into the tablet’s wake/sleep button, which is placed on the top edge of the device. In my humble opinion, this is unfortunately a much less convenient solution for everyday use of the iPad.
PLUS: Two variants of the device
The iPad Air M1 was available in only one screen size – 10.9 inches. People who wanted a larger display had to pay extra (and a lot) for the 13-inch iPad Pro. Fortunately, in the case of the new iPad Air M2, we have two variants to choose from – 11 inches and 13 inches.
The larger version offers a resolution of 2048 x 2732, which translates to a pixel density of 264 PPI. In the case of the 11-inch model, it is 1640 x 2360 and also 264 PPI.
MINUS: No OLED screen and 120 Hz
The iPad Air M2, like its predecessor, is equipped with a Liquid Retina display. So we are dealing with a slightly outdated IPS matrix. In addition, it only has a standard 60 Hz refresh rate. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a decent screen with good contrast and black and excellent colors (coverage of the wide P3 color gamut). However, I would expect something more from this class of equipment.
This something more would be the miniLED matrix, which until recently was offered in iPad Pros. Now they have received an organic OLED display, so there was nothing to prevent miniLED from coming to iPad Air. Then the cheapest standard iPad would have an IPS screen, the more expensive and powerful Air version – a miniLED screen, and the most powerful iPad Pro – an OLED panel. Such differentiation of individual models would be logical in every respect.
As for the display brightness, the 13-inch iPad Air M2 reaches a solid 600 nits, while the smaller-screen version has 500 nits. The new iPad also has an anti-glare coating.
PLUS: The M2 system is still a performance beast
The heart of the new iPad Air is the M2 processor, the same one that powered the iPad Pro (2022). To say that it is still an efficient system is an understatement. It is a real beast that achieves phenomenal results in benchmarks. Results unattainable for most tablets on the market. Heck, the iPad Air could compete with many an ultrabook with Windows.
GeekBench6 photo: Daniel Maikowski/Gazeta.pl
The M2 chip used in the iPad Air is so efficient that I can forgive Apple for “losing” one of the cores. Let’s recall: the company initially claimed that this unit had 10 GPU cores, but tests showed that there were 9 cores and only then did Apple admit to the mistake.
GeekBench 6 – GPU photo: Daniel Maikowski/Gazeta.pl
In addition to the already mentioned processor with 8 CPU cores and (let me remind you again) 9 GPU cores, we also have 8 GB of RAM and 128/256/512 or 1 TB of memory for user data.
3D Mark Wild Life Extreme photo: Daniel Maikowski/Gazeta.pl
The iPad Air M2 can handle not only games and office applications without any problems, but also professional photo editing and video editing and rendering. Applications such as Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom or DaVinci Resolve are no challenge for it.
MINUS: Accessories are expensive, and without them you can’t do anything
However, if we want to fully use the potential of the iPad Air M2, additional accessories may be necessary – primarily a keyboard and a stylus. I used the excellent Magic Keyboard. In this case, working on the iPad Air was not significantly different from using my private MacBook Air, which also has an M2 chip. It is worth remembering, however, that the iPadOS system does not offer many functions available in the desktop MacOS.
Unfortunately, the Magic Keyboard is not cheap. For a keyboard for the 13-inch iPad Air, you will have to pay as much as PLN 1,799, which is more than many Android tablets. Fortunately, the iPad Air M2 also supports older Apple keyboards, as well as cheaper keyboards from other manufacturers (e.g. Logitech). Before buying, it is worth making sure that you are dealing with a compatible model.
When it comes to styluses, compatibility is a bit of a mixed bag. The iPad Air M2 supports the latest Apple Pencil Pro (3rd generation), as well as the entry-level Apple Pencil (USB-C). Older models are not supported, which will mean another expense for many people.
PROS: Very long battery life
The 13-inch iPad Air M2 variant I tested has a 36.59 Wh battery, which surprised me very positively. During everyday use (internet, movies, office applications), the device worked on a single battery charge for about 10 hours. With a higher processor load (games), this time dropped to about 7-8 hours, which is still a great result.
SUMMARY
The iPad Air M2 is a proposition for people who are looking for a powerful tablet, but do not want to pay a few thousand złoty extra for the Pro model with the M4 system, whose potential they will (probably) not use anyway. This device stands out not only for its speed, but also for its minimalist design, bright screen and very durable battery, and after connecting the keyboard it turns into a functional ultrabook.
The ideal lacked one thing – a miniLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate. I think that such a panel should simply be in a tablet of this class, and Apple made a mistake by deciding to use the older IPS matrix.
Source: Gazeta
Mabel is a talented author and journalist with a passion for all things technology. As an experienced writer for the 247 News Agency, she has established a reputation for her in-depth reporting and expert analysis on the latest developments in the tech industry.
