First things first, I’m admittedly an “Apple fanboy” but have never been one who fawns indiscriminately over everything they do. For example, I thought the iPhone was overblown junk until the 4S came out and, even then, I thought it had plenty of flaws. With that being said, I think this iPad is my third attempt at giving an iPad a try. Before this, I had one of the original minis and, more recently, I had a 7th gen regular iPad. I barely touched either of them, let alone used them for anything substantial. My phone was always a lot more convenient to use and so I invariably found myself wondering what the hype was about. Until I purchased this 13” iPad Air yesterday. Wow! This thing is impressive! And even though I’m sure I’ll never use it anywhere near as often as I do my phone, I foresee wasting significantly more time in it than any other iPad I’ve owned. First of all, somehow, I think it’s lighter than the 7th gen regular iPad! Or if it isn’t, it sure gives the impression that it is, despite being considerably larger. Second, TouchID is via the power button is as flawless as I was hoping it would be. Personally, I always found TouchID on the iPhone to be a heck of a lot more convenient than FaceID (I understand that I’m a minority in this respect) and its implementation here doesn’t disappoint. Third, although I never looked at the new iPad Pro with its OLED screen, the Air’s screen is no slouch and is plenty great to meet my needs. Lastly, build quality/design and processor speed are welcome upgrades over my old 7th gen iPad. Final impression? The 13” iPad Air is a delight to behold and use! In my mind, it often (usually?) takes Apple years to develop products that are truly worthy of its own hype but they finally succeeded with the new Apple Air. No buyer’s regret on this purchase.

The new 13-inch iPad Air with the M2 chip sets a new standard for tablets, combining sleek design with powerhouse performance. Its M2 processor delivers laptop-level speed and efficiency, effortlessly handling multitasking, video editing, and graphics-intensive apps. The 13-inch Liquid Retina display is stunning, offering vibrant colors and sharp clarity, making it ideal for media consumption and creative work. Its slim, Space Gray design strikes the perfect balance between portability and elegance.

Apple Intelligence integration takes this iPad to the next level, enabling advanced on-device features and enhancing productivity. Battery life remains impressive, lasting a full day even with heavy use. Overall, the iPad Air M2 is a game-changer, perfect for students, professionals, and creatives who need power, versatility, and future-ready intelligence in one exceptional device.

First the bad news. If you are, like me, upgrading from a previous iPad and think your Apple Pencil will work, think again. You WILL need the Pro Pencil, you could get away with the USB C charging Pencil if on a budget. That said, the new iPad Air is fast, I'm comparing to my old iPad Pro, original, it's quite the jump. Better definition, faster screen movement, quicker access. The Pencil Pro is another jump and one I'm very happy with. Photos look great, games seem better and faster, messages and mail are quick. Attaching and editing photos with the apps is also a real boon. The ability to arrange apps is great and when switching from an existing Apple device, all you do is point the camera at the old device and that's it. You can of course set up manually if you want to, but why! The new Air is delightful, so pleased I made the jump. Unless you are using the iPad as a business tool the Air will work fine and fast, if you have the money, then, go Pro. Just remember, you'll need the Pro Pencil, you'll also want a screen protector, remember to buy the correct one, with the notch on the side! A case will be a must just to protect your new friend!

Got this for a family member. I caved on getting her the 11 inch & opted for the 13. It IS a big bit of real estate but as it's now her main device it makes sense. The screen resolution is very impressive & it copes well running several, resource heavy, apps simultaneously.
This was a replacement for an older iPad which Apple bricked the battery on via an update( literally. Instantly & from there on the battery more than halved it's endurance). Not AO's fault of course. Whilst that was annoying this new product & version is a step change & according to her it's like a totally new bit of tech in comparison.
Having looked over at the screen when running HD movies I'm inclined to agree.
If you're on the fence about replacing I can genuinely say this version & size is worth the sticker price & runs efficiently & effectively day-2-day.
I say all the above whilst, personally, not even liking Apple product for my own use. So nothing I've said is even remotely from a 'fanboy' POV.