The thing with every new iPad generation is that it is, in essence, pretty much the same as the last one – not unlike smartphones. Yes, it will be more powerful, probably have a nicer screen, and maybe the design has changed ever so slightly, but at its heart, the slate will do everything the older version can do, just faster and looking nicer.
Does that make upgrading from an older iPad, a 10.5-inch 2017 iPad Pro in my case, to the new 13-inch iPad Air a waste of money?
With my old iPad starting to feel a bit slow and long in the tooth, an upgrade was on the cards. Rumors that Apple was set to unveil its first iPad with an OLED display and the all-new M4 chip were exciting, but there was never any doubt it would be expensive. Sure enough, a few weeks back Apple launched their latest iPad Pros starting at $949, or $1,250 if you want a 13-inch version, which I did.
That’s a lot of money though, especially if you’re unlikely to need all the power of the M4 chip or an OLED display – even if it is gorgeous. However, Apple also announced a new iPad Air that not only featured the M2 chip, but, for the first time, also came in a 13-inch form factor. Best of all, it’s a comparatively more affordable $769, making it $500 cheaper than the same-size iPad Pro M4.
Unpacking and first impressions
It’s strange that despite featuring the “Air” moniker, long used by Apple to signify its thinner and lighter devices, both models of the iPad Air M2 line are heavier and thicker than the iPad Pro M4 equivalents. Still, at 1.36 pounds and 6.1mm thick, you’re not going to be complaining about this being a hefty or weighty tablet.
Being larger than my 10.5-inch iPad Pro means the new Air is slightly heavier – albeit by just 0.33 pounds – yet when you hold both devices by their edges, the old Pro feels like the heavier of the two, likely related to weight distribution. Both tablets have the same 6.1mm thickness.
