Connect with us

Tablet

iPad Air M3 review: A subtle update that remains an easy recommendation 📱✨

Published

8 months ago

on

If you’ve handled an iPad 📱 anytime in the last five years, the new iPad Air will feel immediately familiar. In practically every aspect but one, it is a mirror image 🪞 of the model Apple launched last spring. The singular distinction lies internally: the latest Air runs on the M3 chip 🧠, stepping up from the already formidable M2. Even the color palette—which remains notably understated—looks unchanged this year 🎨. Aside from the 13-inch size option introduced last spring 📏, this device is virtually indistinguishable from the design language established back in 2020.
This familiarity makes evaluating the new iPad exceedingly straightforward—much of what I observed in my review of the 13-inch M2 model last May remains true today 🧐. It still boasts impressive battery life 🔋, ample processing power ⚡, a respectable amount of entry-level storage 💾, and a landscape-oriented front camera 📸. The 13-inch variant is substantial, yet remains thin and light enough for comfortable handheld use—though, if you prioritize tablet ergonomics over keyboard usage, the 11-inch model remains the more logical choice ⚖️. The Apple Pencil Pro ✏️, introduced last year, continues to be a superb tool for digital artists. However, I remain disappointed by the reliance on Touch ID over Face ID ☝️, and I firmly believe the iPad Air is overdue for a display upgrade 📺.
Apple iPad Air (M3, 13-inch display) 🍎
The iPad Air continues to occupy the “sweet spot” 🎯 in Apple’s tablet portfolio, bridging the gap between the entry-level iPad and the high-end Pro with a mix of advanced features and relative affordability 💸.
Pros ✅
Apple’s most accessible large-screen tablet 🖥️
Powerful M3 silicon 🚀
Superior display, speed, and multitasking compared to the base iPad ⚡
Improved, lower-cost keyboard option ⌨️
Cons ❌
Display technology is showing its age ⏳
Lacks Face ID 🆔
Price climbs steeply with upgrades and accessories 📈
Color options are uninspired ⚪
$749 at Amazon 🛒
Explore More Buying Options 🛍️
$800 at Target 🎯
$1,200 at HSN 📺
Since the M3 chip is the headline update, it warrants a closer look 🔍. Geekbench 6 benchmarks indicate that the M3-equipped Air delivers roughly a 16 percent boost in both single- and multi-core performance 📊. While impressive—especially considering the M2 model is less than a year old—this isn’t the kind of leap that radically alters the user experience. It does, however, offer a layer of future-proofing, which is always welcome ✨. In practical terms, the iPad Air breezed through my daily routine, handling multitasking, gaming 🎮, video transcoding, and various Apple Intelligence tasks without a single stutter.
Apple has been aggressive about equipping the Air and Pro lines with desktop-class silicon for years now 💻, ensuring that performance bottlenecks are virtually non-existent. Crucially, this new power hasn’t compromised endurance. I easily squeezed eight hours of battery life out of a workday with the Magic Keyboard attached 🔋, and pushed close to Apple’s promised 10 hours when sticking to video streaming and lighter tasks 🎬.
Apple has also addressed one of my primary grievances with the previous generation. The new Magic Keyboard ⌨️ is modeled after the superior version launched alongside the iPad Pro M4. It is lighter and thinner than its predecessor 🪶, features a larger trackpad, and finally includes a dedicated row of function keys 🔠. While these aren’t revolutionary changes, they significantly improve the typing experience. It does lack a few premium touches found on the Pro keyboard—the palm rest is plastic rather than aluminum, the keys lack backlighting, and the trackpad uses a physical click mechanism instead of haptics. However, priced at $269 for the 11-inch and $319 for the 13-inch, it is $30 cheaper than the model it replaces, though still objectively expensive 💰.
The iPad Pro M4 on the left and the iPad Air M3 on the right 📲. The iPad Pro’s keyboard has a slightly bigger trackpad.
In fact, the entire setup I’ve been testing commands a premium price 💎. A 13-inch iPad Air configured with 1TB of storage and 5G runs $1,449—before you even add the keyboard. That said, a similarly specced iPad Pro would set you back a staggering $2,099 without accessories 😲. The 13-inch Air’s starting price of $799 for 128GB feels reasonable by comparison, and the $599 11-inch model remains an excellent value, offering significant upgrades over the standard iPad 🏷️.
Given the similarities to last year’s model, I’ve been reflecting on the compromises Apple makes to keep the Air’s price in check, and whether those trade-offs still hold up in 2025 🕰️. The iPad Pro M4 holds several clear advantages over the Air M3: a stunning OLED display with a high refresh rate 🌟, increased base storage, a faster chip, superior audio hardware 🔊, Face ID, a thinner chassis, LiDAR, and advanced camera capabilities 🛰️. The Pro also offers exclusive options like nano-texture glass and 16GB of RAM on higher-tier models.
For the most part, I accept these as valid differentiators for a “Pro” device 💼. However, after extensive time with the Air, the screen stands out as a component in need of evolution. A viable solution already exists: the mini-LED technology used in the 2021 and 2022 iPad Pros. That display offered a 120Hz refresh rate (ProMotion) 💨 and achieved 1,000 nits of brightness for video—peaking at 1,600 nits for HDR 🔆. Even if standard brightness remained capped at 600 nits like the current Air, the visual upgrade for media consumption would be profound.
It is likely that Apple fears a high-refresh, mini-LED screen on the Air would cannibalize sales of the iPad Pro 📉, whose OLED panel remains arguably the best portable display on the market. Furthermore, since Apple never produced a mini-LED panel for the 11-inch form factor, bringing this tech to the smaller Air would require new manufacturing investment 🏗️.
Despite the business reasons against it, I believe the iPad Air deserves a better visual experience 👁️. Frankly, I would settle for the current panel if it just supported a higher refresh rate. While Apple guards 120Hz as a “Pro” feature, the market reality in 2025 is that many mid-range smartphones offer 90Hz or 120Hz displays 🤳. Apple, of course, rarely bows to industry peer pressure, maintaining strict segmentation across its lineup: the Air shares its screen tech with the MacBook Air, while the Pro iPads, MacBooks, and iPhones get the high refresh rates ⚖️. That is the current status quo, but it feels ripe for change.
To be fair, the iPad Air’s screen is still objectively good 👌. Apple has refined its LCD technology to its absolute limit, resulting in sharp resolution, vibrant color reproduction 🌈, and excellent viewing angles. While I can see that the blacks aren’t the inky voids of an OLED or mini-LED panel, it rarely detracts from the enjoyment of a movie or game 🕹️. Most users won’t be obsessing over contrast ratios while using it.
The 60Hz refresh rate, however, is more perceptible in daily use 👆. On a touch-first interface where you are constantly swiping and scrolling, the lack of fluidity is noticeable. Coming from a MacBook Pro, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPad Pro—all equipped with ProMotion—switching to the Air feels like a step backward in responsiveness 🔙. While Apple often ignores broader tech trends, sticking with 60Hz panels for premium products is becoming increasingly difficult to justify 😤.
My other significant grievance concerns Touch ID. In 2025, Face ID shouldn’t feel like a gatekept “Pro” luxury 👑. With the exception of the budget-friendly iPhone SE, every iPhone released since 2018 has included facial recognition. Yet, on the iPad, you must spend upwards of $1,000 to get it 💸. Touch ID is functional, but reaching for the top button to authenticate for work apps and websites is a friction point I could do without—especially when a camera is staring right at me 🤨. While this annoyance is amplified during a review period that requires constant logging in, Face ID simply feels like a standard feature that should no longer be exclusive to the most expensive tier.
For a detailed breakdown, my review from 10 months ago covers the nuances, but the summary remains consistent 📝. The Air is a definitive upgrade over the base iPad 🆙, justifying its cost with a better display, superior performance, and a more robust ecosystem of accessories. Furthermore, the 13-inch Air is the only pathway to a large-screen iPad experience that doesn’t require a mortgage payment 🏠. The improved keyboard is a welcome addition, and it’s a nice bonus that it is backward compatible with older Air models.
It is worth noting that the entry-level iPad, now with the A16 chip, has also improved ⚙️. Apple has corrected previous missteps, lowering the price, doubling the storage, and finally eliminating the clumsy Lightning charging method for the Pencil ⚡. For users who don’t prioritize Apple Intelligence features or advanced multitasking, saving $250 by choosing the standard iPad is a very sensible move 🧠.
However, for those seeking a more capable machine, the iPad Air remains as easy to recommend today as it was last year 👍. It delivers about 80 percent of the iPad Pro experience for significantly less money, and most users will never truly miss the features omitted to achieve that price point 🤝.

My primary caveat is that this iteration of the iPad Air feels like a placeholder—a polished stopgap before a more significant redesign 🛑. It reminds me of the 2022 iPad Pro, which moved from M1 to M2 with minor tweaks just 18 months before a massive overhaul. The M3 iPad Air seems to occupy a similar space, biding its time before a major refresh ⏳. I suspect it won’t be long before Apple updates the display technology 🔮. If you are particular about screen quality, it might be wise to wait another year to see if high refresh rates finally trickle down to the Air lineup 📅.

Source

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Tablet

This rugged 💪, battery-swapping 🔋 Lenovo tablet is finally available for purchase! 🛒🎉

Published

3 months ago

on

June 13, 2026

By

Lenovo launches the ThinkTab X11 in the US, featuring a tool-free user-replaceable 10,200mAh battery, IP68 rating, and Snapdragon 7s Gen 3.



In an era where user-replaceable batteries 🔋 have virtually vanished from the tablet market 📱, Lenovo is bucking the trend with its latest Android release. 🚀 First unveiled at MWC 2026 🌐, the Lenovo ThinkTab X11 has officially launched in the US 🇺🇸, bringing a unique blend of rugged durability 💪 and business-ready features 💼 to the mid-range segment.

Under the hood ⚙️, the ThinkTab X11 sports a crisp 10.95-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600) display 🖥️ that boasts a smooth 90Hz refresh rate ⚡ and peaks at a bright 600 nits ☀️. It is powered by Qualcomm’s capable Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chipset 🧠, configured with up to 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM and up to 256GB of fast UFS 3.1 storage 💾. Out of the box, the tablet runs Android 16 🤖, backed by Lenovo’s promise of at least four years of security patches 🛡️.

What truly sets the ThinkTab X11 apart from its peers, however, is its commitment to longevity and field-readiness 🌟. Its massive 10,200mAh battery 🔋 can be swapped out entirely tool-free—no screwdrivers required 🛠️. For specialized industrial or kiosk setups 🏭, Lenovo even includes a battery-less power mode 🔌. The tablet itself is IP68-rated against dust and water 💦💨, and pairing it with the optional rugged case upgrades its resilience to MIL-STD-810H military-grade standards 🪖.

Connectivity is another strong suit 🔗, featuring dual USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C ports 🔌 (one of which supports video out 📺). In a welcome nod to legacy convenience, Lenovo has kept both the 3.5mm headphone jack 🎧 and a microSD card slot 💾—two features that have almost entirely disappeared from modern high-end tablets. Rounding out the spec sheet are Wi-Fi 6E 📶, Bluetooth 5.4 📡, GPS 🧭, NFC, stereo speakers 🔊, dual microphones 🎙️, a 13MP autofocus rear camera 📸, and an 8MP front-facing camera 🤳.

Available in a sleek Eclipse Black finish 🖤, the ThinkTab X11 starts at $499 💵 in the US for the Wi-Fi-only model equipped with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Users needing mobile connectivity can opt for the 5G variant 📶, which bumps the storage to 256GB for $579. Additionally, the tablet supports the Lenovo Tab Pen XE stylus ✍️, which conveniently slots right into the optional rugged protective case 🛡️.



Continue Reading

Tablet

Realme’s 8,000mAh battery beast arrives on June 10 🔋🦁📅

Published

3 months ago

on

June 5, 2026

By

Realme P4R 5G launches June 10 featuring a massive 8,000mAh battery, 144Hz display, and military-grade durability. Explore the full specs and new design here.



Realme is about to change the game 🎮 with a massive 8,000mAh battery beast! 🔋🦁 The all-new Realme P4R 5G is officially launching on June 10, 📅 packing a 3-day battery life, ⏳ 144Hz display, 📺 and military-grade durability. 🎖️ Get the full scoop on specs, features, and design right here. 📝

 

Realme P4R 5G launch date and key features 🚀📱

#Realme

Realme P4R is launching on June 10 in India 🇮🇳📅

The Realme P4R 5G will launch in India on June 10 at 12pm IST. 🕛 The smartphone will be offered in Titanium Glare, Silver Glare, and Lavender Glare colour options. 🎨✨ It introduces a new Floating Light design along with a customizable Pulse Light and AI Power Light system that can provide visual notifications for calls, music playback, gaming activities, and alerts. 💡📞🎶🎮

 

One of the biggest highlights of the handset is its 8,000mAh battery. 🔋 Realme claims the battery can deliver up to three days of usage on a single charge. ⏳ The phone supports 45W fast charging ⚡ and includes features such as bypass charging, reverse charging, AI-powered power management, and a battery health engine that is said to maintain more than 80 percent battery health after several years of use. 🛠️ Hearty cooling is provided by a 5,300 sq mm vapor chamber system to help manage heat during demanding tasks. ❄️🌬️

 

 

Realme P4R key features 📝✨

The Realme P4R 5G is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chipset ⚙️ and will run Android 16-based Realme UI 7.0. 🤖 The handset is confirmed to offer 256GB of storage and up to 14GB Dynamic RAM. 💾🚀 It also carries MIL-STD-810H military-grade durability certification and an IP65 rating for dust and water resistance. 🛡️💧

 

For visuals, the smartphone features a flat display with a 144Hz refresh rate 📺 and up to 1,200 nits peak brightness for improved outdoor visibility. ☀️ Photography duties are handled by a dual rear camera setup led by a 50-megapixel AI camera. 📸 For durability, the smartphone will have a military-grade certified body along with an IP65 level of dust and splash resistance. 🎖️🛡️



Continue Reading

Tablet

May AnTuTu Android-Pad Performance Ranking: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 sweeps top six spots 🧹🏆, Dimensity 9500 lands at No. 7 📅

Published

3 months ago

on

June 5, 2026

By

Vivo Pad 6 Pro dominates the May 2026 AnTuTu rankings, shattering the 4-million-point barrier. See how the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 redefines tablet performance.



The tablet performance war just reached a new peak ⚔️📈. With scores shattering the 4-million-point barrier 💥, the May 2026 AnTuTu rankings reveal a new king—and the results might surprise you 👑😲.

 

 

Leading the chart is the Vivo Pad 6 Pro 🥇, which posted an average score of 4,132,697 points 🚀. Powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 🔌, it currently sits at the top of the Android tablet performance ladder 🪜.

 

The iQOO Pad 6 Pro isn’t far behind at 4,081,031 points 🥈. Given how much hardware the two tablets share, the small gap between them isn’t particularly surprising 👯‍♂️.

 

#Antutu Performance

Lenovo’s Legion Y700 5th Gen takes third place with 4,073,338 points 🥉. The compact gaming tablet has built a strong reputation among enthusiasts 🎮, and these numbers suggest Lenovo has another winner on its hands 🔥.

 

A quick look at the rest of the top ten reveals a clear trend 📊: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is everywhere 🌎. The Oppo Pad 5 Pro, OnePlus Pad 3 Pro, and Honor MagicPad 3 Pro 13.3 all make appearances near the top of the list, underlining Qualcomm’s grip on the flagship tablet market right now ✊.

 

One of the more interesting entries is the Redmi K Pad 2 🤔. It’s the only device in the top ten running MediaTek’s Dimensity 9500 🦄, yet it still manages an average score of 3,716,562 points, which is enough to keep it firmly in the mix 💪.

 

Further down the rankings are devices like the H3C MegaBook with Intel’s Core Ultra 5 228V 💻, along with older Snapdragon-powered tablets such as the Oppo Pad 4 Pro and OnePlus Pad 2 Pro 📉.

 

Benchmark charts never tell the whole story 📖, but they do offer a snapshot of where the market stands 📸. At least for now, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 devices are setting the pace 🏃💨, with the Vivo Pad 6 Pro holding a narrow lead over an increasingly crowded field 🏁.

 

Don’t miss a thing! 🔔 Join our Telegram community for instant updates ✈️ and grab our free daily newsletter for the best tech stories! 📩🗞️

 



Continue Reading

Trending