Apple · iPad Air

iPad Air 13″ (M2)

Released May 2024

Apple's first 13-inch iPad Air combines M2, a larger LCD and Apple Pencil Pro support for study, drawing and everyday creative work.

Screen: 12.9″
Display: LCD, 60 Hz
Chip: M2
Memory: 8 GB
Storage: 128 GB – 1 TB
Weight: 617 g

13″+

What reviewers say

Reviewers praise the large, accurate display, strong performance and good battery endurance, finding it a less costly way to get a big iPad than the Pro. They criticise the 60Hz screen and lack of Face ID. A keyboard adds substantially to the cost, and iPadOS at launch limits its usefulness as a laptop replacement.

From expertreviews.co.uk and tomsguide.com

Specifications

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Display

Screen size: 12.9″
Resolution: 2732 × 2048
Sharpness: 265 pixels per inch
Panel: LCD
Refresh rate: 60 Hz
Brightness: 600 nits
Display type: Liquid Retina display, LED-backlit IPS LCD; sold as 13-inch, 12.9 inches diagonally as a rectangle
Pixel density: 264 ppi
Display features: 60Hz refresh (Expert Reviews); wide colour (P3); True Tone; fully laminated; anti-reflective coating; fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating

Performance

Chip: M2
Memory: 8 GB
Storage: 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB
CPU: 8-core CPU with 4 performance and 4 efficiency cores
GPU: 9-core GPU per Apple's corrected specifications; Media Engine with hardware-accelerated H.264 and HEVC, video encode and decode
AI engine: 16-core Neural Engine

Cameras

Rear camera: 12 MP
Ultra wide camera: None
Front camera: 12 MP
Rear camera: 12MP Wide, ƒ/1.8; five-element lens; autofocus with Focus Pixels; up to 5x digital zoom; Smart HDR 4; panorama up to 63MP
Front camera: Landscape 12MP Center Stage camera, ƒ/2.0; Smart HDR 4; Retina Flash with True Tone; 1080p at 25, 30 or 60 fps
Video recording: 4K at 24, 25, 30 or 60 fps; 1080p at 25, 30 or 60 fps; 720p at 30 fps; slo-mo 1080p at 120 or 240 fps; cinematic video stabilisation; HEVC and H.264

Battery and connections

Battery life (maker's claim): Up to 10 hours
Battery capacity: 36.59 Wh
Mobile data option: Yes
Stylus: Supported, sold separately
Keyboard made for it: Yes
Battery life detail: Up to 10 hours surfing the web on Wi-Fi or watching video; up to 9 hours surfing the web on mobile data
Charging: Via USB-C power adapter or computer; power adapter not included in the UK box; Apple does not specify maximum charging power
USB-C: USB-C with charging, DisplayPort and USB 3 up to 10Gb/s; one external display up to 6K at 60Hz
Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) with 2x2 MIMO
Bluetooth: Bluetooth 5.3
Mobile network: Optional 5G (sub-6 GHz) with 4x4 MIMO and Gigabit LTE with 4x4 MIMO; eSIM only, no physical SIM; GPS/GNSS on cellular models; 618g for Wi-Fi + Cellular, 617g for Wi-Fi
Stylus support: Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C), sold separately; Apple Pencil hover; magnetic pairing and charging for Pencil Pro
Keyboards: Magic Keyboard, available in black or white; Smart Connector; sold separately

Design

Weight: 617 g
Thickness: 6.1 mm
Height × width: 280.6 × 214.9 mm
Operating system: iPadOS
Biometrics: Touch ID in the top button
Speakers: Landscape stereo speakers with Spatial Audio; twice the bass of the 11-inch M2 Air, according to Apple
Microphones: Dual microphones
Sensors: Three-axis gyro, accelerometer, barometer, ambient light sensor, digital compass
Materials: Enclosure made with 100% recycled aluminium
Colours: Blue, Purple, Starlight, Space Grey
Software at launch: iPadOS 17
In the box: iPad Air, USB-C Charge Cable (1 m)

Storage options

Storage
128 GB
256 GB
512 GB
1 TB

Pros and cons

Pros

M2 with an 8-core CPU, 9-core GPU and 8GB RAM
Larger 600-nit display, landscape camera and Apple Pencil Pro support
128GB base storage, Wi-Fi 6E and an optional 5G connection

Cons

60Hz LCD with 600 nits brightness and no ProMotion
Keyboard and Pencil sold separately
USB limited to 10Gb/s, and Touch ID rather than Face ID

Closest rivals

Model	Screen	Display	Chip	Memory	Storage	Weight	Released
AppleiPad Air 13″ (M3)	12.9″	LCD, 60 Hz	M3	8 GB	128 GB – 1 TB	616 g	Mar 2025
AppleiPad Air 13″ (M4)	12.9″	LCD, 60 Hz	M4	12 GB	128 GB – 1 TB	616 g	Mar 2026
XiaomiXiaomi Pad 6S Pro 12.4	12.4″	LCD, 144 Hz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2	8 GB – 12 GB	256 GB – 512 GB	590 g	Feb 2024

Newer model: iPad Air 13″ (M3).

Sources

Photo: store.storeimages.cdn-apple.com

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