Apple iPad Air 13 2024 review
This iPad Air suits professional and creative users who rely on macOS or iOS, need a large portable workspace, and are willing to pay for day-long battery and solid build quality. Buyers primarily hunting a media tablet, or those who want OLED and high refresh at this price, should look at other tablets; Apple's own iPad Pro would offer both, though at significantly higher cost.
This review is based on Apple’s published specifications and public benchmark data for the Apple iPad Air 13 2024, and the rating is spec-based. GoSolo does not physically test devices; where we estimate real-world behaviour such as battery life or charge time, we say so. How we rate phones.
Overview
The iPad Air 13 is a spacious, lightweight tablet with solid day-long battery and powerful M2 performance—built for anyone wanting a large digital canvas for creative work or document handling. The 13-inch LCD is bright and sharp but lacks the contrast and refresh rate of current flagship tablets, and at 950 EUR it sits at the price ceiling for what many would spend on a tablet.
Design & build
The iPad Air 13 is impressively light and slim for its screen size. At 617 grams and 6.1mm thick, it feels less cumbersome than a typical 13-inch device and sits comfortably in a bag or carried one-handed for short stretches. Glass front, aluminum back, and aluminum frame give it the expected iPad durability—resistant to scratches and everyday impacts—though the lack of an IP rating means water and dust won't be forgiven. The form factor prioritizes portability and workspace over ruggedness, which suits the creative and professional crowd Apple is targeting.
Display
The 13-inch Liquid Retina LCD is sharp and bright, with 264 ppi density and 600 nits typical brightness making it readable indoors and in daylight. The 4:3 aspect ratio is practical for documents, spreadsheets, and apps that haven't gone full-screen wide. However, this is where the hardware shows its compromises. The LCD lacks the contrast and black depth of OLED, which matters when color grading photos or editing video. More pressingly, 60Hz refresh is now behind the curve: most tablets in this price and class have moved to 120Hz, making scrolling and stylus input feel less responsive. For content consumption it is fine; for creative work, the visual difference between this and an OLED display at 120Hz will be noticeable.
Performance
The M2 chipset is flagship silicon for Apple and handles the work that defines why someone buys a tablet this large. Video editing in Final Cut Pro, vector work in Affinity Designer, photo editing, and intense multitasking all run without lag or thermal hiccups. The 9-core GPU accelerates rendering and real-time effects, and 8GB of RAM is now standard across all storage tiers, avoiding the memory ceiling of lower-end models. Performance-wise, this tablet matches capability with a competent laptop from 2021. It will not run most demanding games any differently than iPads half this price, so if gaming is your draw, you are overspending. For content creation, coding, design, or professional apps, the M2 justifies its cost.
Software
iPadOS 17.5.1 ships out of the box, with promised support through iPadOS 26.4. Apple's track record on long OS support is solid, meaning this tablet will remain usable and secure well beyond typical Android tablet lifecycles. The OS itself is mature and suits both creative and productivity work; split-screen multitasking, external display support via USB-C DisplayPort, and file management have all improved over recent years. If you are deeply embedded in macOS or iOS ecosystem, the continuity features pay dividends. If you are cross-platform or Android-based, iPadOS will feel restrictive compared to what other tablets can do.
Camera
The rear 12MP camera with f/1.8, dual-pixel autofocus, and 4K video is competent but underwhelming for a tablet this expensive. In absolute terms, 12MP is not limiting for photos unless you are printing large or cropping heavily, but it is outclassed by many phones and some rival tablets. There is no zoom, no ultra-wide on the back, just a single wide lens—distant subjects will require cropping. The 122-degree ultrawide front camera is a smart choice for video calls and group compositions, and 1080p video from the front is adequate. For casual documentation or video calls, this setup works. For photography-focused users or anyone who expects modern zoom capabilities, expect to feel limited.
Battery & charging
The 9705 mAh battery delivers roughly 10 to 12 hours of screen-on time depending on workload, enough for a full workday of reading, drawing, creative work, or streaming without a midday top-up. Charging specs are absent from the spec sheet, but Apple's historical pattern with iPad Air models suggests 20 to 30W charging via the USB-C port—acceptable but not fast by 2024 standards. A full charge will take somewhere between 2 to 3 hours, which is reasonable if you plug in overnight but sluggish if you need the tablet back in use quickly.
Value & verdict-context
At 950 EUR, the iPad Air 13 sits at the top of what many users will spend on a tablet, and at that threshold the compromises matter. The M2 performance, light design, and all-day battery are genuine strengths for a portable creation or productivity device. The LCD display and 60Hz refresh are now behind rivals in this price band. The camera is merely adequate, not a selling point. The lack of fast charging and absence of expandable storage mean you will need to buy into higher storage tiers upfront. This is a tablet for someone who has already chosen the Apple ecosystem and needs a large, capable screen for specific work—video editing, design, writing, document review. It is not the best all-around tablet value in 2024, and it is not the most ambitious in features. It is a competent, long-lived device that will age well thanks to Apple's software support and the M2's power headroom.
Verdict
This iPad Air suits professional and creative users who rely on macOS or iOS, need a large portable workspace, and are willing to pay for day-long battery and solid build quality. Buyers primarily hunting a media tablet, or those who want OLED and high refresh at this price, should look at other tablets; Apple's own iPad Pro would offer both, though at significantly higher cost.
- M2 performance matches higher-end laptops from a few years ago, handling video editing, design apps, and heavy multitasking without strain
- 13-inch screen in a slim 6.1mm frame and 617g weight makes it genuinely portable for its size—lighter than larger competitors
- All-day battery life from the 9705 mAh cell supports a full workday of reading, drawing, or media without hunting for a charger
- Bright 600-nit LCD reaches outdoor usability and the 4:3 ratio suits document work better than wider aspect ratios
- Liquid Retina LCD lacks the deeper blacks and color volume of OLED rivals now available at similar prices, a noticeable trade-off for creative work
- 60Hz refresh rate feels dated in 2024; competitors at this price tier have moved to 120Hz, making scrolling and stylus work noticeably less fluid
- No charging spec listed, but historical iPad precedent suggests a mediocre recharge speed—fast enough to get through a day, but slow relative to modern standards
Apple iPad Air 13 2024 Key Specifications
The essentials at a glance. See the full spec sheet.
| Released | 2024, May 07 |
|---|---|
| Display | 13.0 inches, 519.3 cm2 (~86.1% screen-to-body ratio), Liquid Retina IPS LCD, 600 nits (typ) |
| Resolution | 2048 x 2732 pixels, 4:3 ratio (~264 ppi density) |
| Chipset | Apple M2 |
| RAM & storage | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM, 1TB 8GB RAM |
| Main camera | 12 MP, f/1.8, (wide), 1/3.0", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Selfie camera | 12 MP, f/2.0, 122˚ (ultrawide) |
| Battery | 9705 mAh |
| Software | iPadOS 17.5.1, upgradable to iPadOS 26.4 |
| Dimensions | 280.6 x 214.9 x 6.1 mm (11.05 x 8.46 x 0.24 in) |
| Weight | 617 g (Wi-Fi) / 618 g (5G) (1.36 lb) |
| Build | Glass front, aluminum back, aluminum frame |
| Durability | Stylus support |
| Network | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| NFC | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1 Gen2, DisplayPort, magnetic connector |
Apple iPad Air 13 2024 FAQ
Common questions, answered from the spec sheet.
Does the iPad Air 13 2024 support 5G?
Yes. The iPad Air 13 2024 supports 5G networks.
What chipset does the iPad Air 13 2024 use?
The iPad Air 13 2024 runs on the Apple M2.
What display does the iPad Air 13 2024 have?
A 13.0 inches, 519.3 cm2 (~86.1% screen-to-body ratio) Liquid Retina IPS LCD, 600 nits (typ), 2048 x 2732 pixels, 4:3 ratio (~264 ppi density).
How big is the iPad Air 13 2024 battery?
The iPad Air 13 2024 has a 9705 mAh battery.
Does the iPad Air 13 2024 have NFC?
No, the iPad Air 13 2024 does not list NFC support.
Is the iPad Air 13 2024 water resistant?
The iPad Air 13 2024 carries a Stylus support rating.
Does the iPad Air 13 2024 support a microSD card?
No, the iPad Air 13 2024 does not support expandable storage.
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