iPad Air (M4) review: M4 is powerful, iPadOS 26 improves multitasking, and the hardware is robust, but its screen could be better, no Face ID, and can be pricey
Nathan Ingraham /Engadget:
Context & Ripple Effects
Apple’s iPad Air line has repeatedly paired faster Apple silicon with lingering convenience trade-offs: the 2022 M1 iPad Air review cited Touch ID as less convenient than Face ID, while the M3 model review likewise found a capable tablet that could become expensive.
Apple’s M4 iPad Air update raises the hardware baseline and adds an N1 networking chip, while this review identifies iPadOS 26 multitasking as a meaningful part of the practical upgrade. The result is a stronger productivity case, but not a clean resolution of the line’s display, biometric, and price compromises.
First-order effects
- Prospective buyers get more processing headroom and improved multitasking, but must weigh those gains against a screen the reviewer finds lacking, continued Touch ID rather than Face ID, and potentially high configurations.
- Apple strengthens the iPad Air’s performance and software-productivity pitch while retaining feature distinctions that can make the device less compelling for shoppers focused on display quality or Face ID.
Second-order effects
- The M4 update makes an upgrade from the previous M3 iPad Air harder to justify on chip performance alone; iPadOS 26’s multitasking changes become a more important reason to switch.
- As configurations become pricier, Apple’s product-tier choices—not raw performance—carry more weight in buyer comparisons across the iPad range.
Third-order effects
- If this pattern persists, iPad differentiation will increasingly depend on the combination of software workflows and deliberately segmented hardware features, rather than annual chip upgrades alone.
- The recurring Face ID and display criticisms suggest that stronger silicon does not automatically eliminate value questions in mid-tier tablets; price-to-feature balance remains the durable purchase test.
The trend: The iPad market is shifting toward software-enabled productivity and tiered hardware differentiation, with performance becoming a less decisive annual upgrade trigger.