Early reviews of Apple's M4 iPad Air reveal impressive performance gains with the new processor, but reviewers agree the tablet represents an incremental upgrade rather than a major redesign. Major publications published hands-on testing after Apple lifted its review embargo, focusing on the addition of the M4 chip and updated wireless hardware while keeping the same design and Liquid Retina display.

Reviewers found the tablet extremely fast in everyday use, with benchmark testing showing roughly 20% to 25% faster CPU performance compared to the previous generation. However, several outlets noted the upgrade matters most for people coming from older iPads, as recent iPad Air owners may see little reason to upgrade. Apple announced the updated iPad Air on March 4, with preorders opening the same day and shipments beginning March 11.

The iPad Air comes in 11-inch and 13-inch sizes starting at $599 and supports Apple Pencil Pro and keyboard accessories. Across publications, the consensus is that this is a performance-focused refresh rather than a major redesign. Apple upgraded the processor and wireless hardware while keeping the overall design largely unchanged, resulting in a tablet reviewers broadly recommend for buyers upgrading from older devices.