Apple iPad Air (M4) Verdict

Who it fits

The iPad Air M4 is the iPad to step up to when the upgrade solves a specific problem: you want materially more performance headroom, Apple Pencil Pro, Apple Intelligence, faster wired connectivity or a stronger external-display workflow than the base iPad provides.

The Australian model we checked is MH304X/A — 11-inch, 128GB, Wi-Fi, Space Grey. It pairs Apple's M4 chip with 12GB unified memory, an 11-inch fully laminated Liquid Retina display, Wi-Fi 7, USB 3 up to 10Gbps and support for one external display up to 6K at 60Hz. It also supports Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard for iPad Air.

It is best suited to creators, serious note-takers, students and professionals who can point to an M4, Pencil Pro, Apple Intelligence or desk-workflow requirement that the base iPad does not satisfy as well.

Retailer prices

Prices we've recently checked.

We keep retailer prices separate from product fit. Different retailers and marketplace sellers can show different prices, and prices and availability can change. Check the retailer before buying.

The Good Guys

$987

Checked 24 Oct

PIQSY price context

Matched our lowest recorded price

About 21% below what we've recorded over recent weeks.

Lowest we've recorded · The Good Guys · 17 Oct

Based on 6 prior weekly checks.

What changes the decision

M4 matters when your workload can use the headroom

The current iPad Air uses Apple's M4 chip with an 8-core CPU, 9-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine, 120GB/s memory bandwidth and 12GB unified memory. It also includes hardware-accelerated ray tracing and Apple's media engines for formats including ProRes.

That makes the Air better positioned for heavier creative apps, demanding multitasking, graphics work and longer ownership horizons than the A16 base iPad. Unused performance headroom is not a decision benefit by itself, so mainstream web, video, email and school workloads do not automatically justify the step up.

The display is more refined, but M4 is still the bigger reason to step up

The 11-inch Air uses a 2360×1640, 264ppi Liquid Retina IPS display at 500 nits. It adds P3 wide colour, full lamination and an antireflective coating.

That makes it a stronger working canvas for drawing, photo work and frequent use in varied lighting, but it remains a premium IPS proposition rather than a reason to assume every buyer needs the Air.

Apple Pencil Pro is a real capability boundary

The Air M4 supports Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C). Pencil Pro adds squeeze, barrel roll, haptic feedback, double-tap and Find My support.

The Pencil is still sold separately. A shopper who only wants occasional handwriting may not need the Air's Pencil Pro capability and should not let compatibility alone pull them into this tier.

Apple Intelligence separates the Air from the base A16 iPad

Apple lists Apple Intelligence as part of the current iPad Air M4 platform. That creates a clear capability distinction from the A16 base iPad.

PIQSY treats this as a requirement question rather than a generic bonus. If Apple Intelligence is genuinely important to the intended workflow, the Air can satisfy that requirement. If it is not, it should not outweigh more basic questions such as screen size, storage and accessories.

USB 3 and external-display support make the Air more credible for desk work

The Air's USB-C port supports USB 3 up to 10Gbps and DisplayPort, and Apple specifies support for one external display up to 6K at 60Hz. Magic Keyboard for iPad Air adds a trackpad, function row and pass-through charging when purchased separately.

Those capabilities make the Air more convincing for people who expect the iPad to move between handheld use and a desk setup. They do not turn iPadOS into macOS or Windows, so desktop-only software requirements remain a separate constraint.

Choose size and connectivity as part of the exact setup

Apple sells the M4 Air in 11-inch and 13-inch sizes, and also offers Wi-Fi + Cellular family variants with 5G and eSIM. PIQSY's version we checked is MH304X/A — 11-inch, 128GB, Wi-Fi.

The 11-inch Wi-Fi model weighs 464g, while the 13-inch Wi-Fi model weighs 616g. The larger model buys more workspace; the 11-inch reference is easier to carry and hold. Neither size nor cellular capability should be treated as a free family-level upgrade: choose the exact configuration that matches the way you will use and carry the tablet.

If cellular is mandatory, a Wi-Fi reference price cannot satisfy that requirement. A cellular buyer needs an exact cellular SKU and its own current price rather than assuming family availability makes the Wi-Fi model equivalent.

owner feedback remains thin. The Amazon research contains only a small local sample, and the exact Australian MH304X/A listing at The Good Guys currently has only a small review pool. PIQSY therefore does not infer durable owner strengths or weaknesses from the early sentiment, and rating/review volume does not increase Match Fit.

Who should choose something else

If your work depends on desktop-only Windows or macOS software, resolve that platform requirement before comparing iPad tiers.

• Switch to the iPad A16 when the real workload is browsing, streaming, schoolwork, video calls, mainstream apps and occasional Pencil use and the Air-only capabilities would mostly sit unused.
• Move to the iPad Pro M5 when Tandem OLED/ProMotion, Thunderbolt-class I/O or other Pro-specific display and media capability is genuinely part of the workflow.
• Choose the Galaxy Tab S11 when an 11-inch high-refresh AMOLED display, included S Pen, microSD expansion or Samsung DeX matters more than remaining in iPadOS.

The Air is strongest when it solves a capability gap between the base iPad and Pro—not simply because it occupies the middle tier.

PIQSY conclusion

Buy the iPad Air M4 when you can point to the capability that makes the step up useful. M4 performance, 12GB unified memory, Apple Intelligence, Apple Pencil Pro, faster USB-C and stronger external-display support give the Air a genuinely broader working envelope than the base iPad.

Do not choose it simply because it sits higher in Apple's range. For mainstream tablet use, the A16 iPad can remain the better fit. And if your priority is an AMOLED high-refresh display, bundled pen or expandable storage, a Galaxy Tab S11 deserves a direct comparison before you commit to iPadOS.

The Air M4 is strongest as a capability-led upgrade, not a prestige-led one.