Skip to main content

Not ready to ditch that iPad 4? Here’s how it compares to the iPad Air

It’s that time of year again: The iPad refresh. Apple likes to offer up new versions of its tablet. So much so that the company is on its fifth version of the device in three years. The changes are usually pretty incremental, making small improvements and tweaks without making the previous generation entirely outdated. The 2013 version of the iPad is the biggest change to the tablet that we’ve seen since launch, starting with the name. It’s no longer just the iPad followed by generation number; now it’s the iPad Air. Does the Air take flight when compared to the last version of the iPad? We take a look at the specs to find out.

 

iPad (4th Gen.)

iPad4
Image used with permission by copyright holder

iPad Air

iPadAirChange
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Size 241.2 x 185.7 x 9.4 (mm) 241.2 x 185.7 x 7.4  (mm)
Weight 662g 453g
Screen 9.7-inch LCD 9.7-inch LCD 
Resolution 2048 x 1536 pixels 2048 x 1536 pixels
OS iOS 7 iOS 7
Storage 16/32/64GB 16/32/64GB
SD Card Slot No No
Processor Dual-core A6X A7, M7 motion processor
RAM 1GB 1GB
Connectivity Wi-Fi, 4G LTE, HSPA+ Wi-Fi, 4G LTE, HSPA+
Camera Front 1.2MP, Rear 5MP Front 1.2MP, Rear 5MP
Bluetooth Yes, version 4.0 Yes, version 4.0
Battery 11,560mAh (10 hours of use) 10 hours of use
Charger Lightning connector Lightning connector
Marketplace Apple App Store Apple App Store
Price $400+ $500+
Availability Verizon, AT&T, Sprint November 1, 2013
Recommended Videos

Size and Dimensions

Apple gave the Air title to a line of its laptops when it stripped away a lot of the excess size in the name of portability. The iPad Air earns the title in the same way. Like an iPad on a diet, the iPad Air has maintained its screen size while still slimming down from 9.4mm to 7.4mm. It also gets lighter, dropping to just 453g from 662g. It’s not as if the iPad was a bulky, unpleasant device to carry around before, but when it comes to tablets, the lighter and thinner, the better. 

Processor and Performance

The biggest difference between the iPad Air and all of the models that came before it is the A7 chip and its accompanying M7 motion processor. This bumps the iPad into 64-bit architecture, just as it did for the iPhone 5S. It does a lot of things, some of which won’t be noticed right away. It definitely gives the iPad Air the benefit of being future-proof when it comes to the next line of innovation in mobile. But right now, it means improved performance. According to Apple, users will experience 8 times faster performance and 72 times faster graphics performance than the first iPad. That’s a solid advancement, especially for devices that will be used for media consumption and presumably be more prominent for gaming and similar activities. Additionally, the chipset’s efficiency allowed the battery in the iPad Air to be smaller without sacrificing battery life, which enable the slimming of the device mentioned earlier.

Usually, updating to the latest iPad isn’t really a requirement. The second generation of the device has continued to support almost everything that newer generations of the device have been able to do. The iPad Air appears to be the device that makes a change worth making. The addition of the A7 chipset is the single biggest change to the internals of the iPad that we’ve seen. Bumping the tablet into the 64-bit world will give this device longevity and may end up making older versions of the iPad outdated sooner rather than later. With the price point of the iPad 2 remaining at $400 – a price that doesn’t seem as reasonable as it once did – there’s no real reason not to make the extra investment in the iPad Air. It’s slimmer, faster, and will likely stick around much longer than its predecessors. 

AJ Dellinger
AJ Dellinger is a freelance reporter from Madison, Wisconsin with an affinity for all things tech. He has been published by…
The $999 iPad Pro M4 is discounted by $100 at select stores today
Writing in Arabic script using the ESR Geo Digital Pencil on the M4 iPad Pro.

If you want one of the best tablets, it is only natural to gravitate towards the iPad Pro line. It is the top of the iPad line, and we compare the iPad Pro M4 and Microsoft Surface Pro side by side. These are intense products. And right now you can get the 11-inch version of the iPad Pro M4 for just $899. That's $100 off its usual $999 price. Tap the appropriate button below to jump to this deal at the retailer of your choice or keep reading to see why we like it so much.

Why you should buy the iPad Pro M4
The basic stat line of the iPad Pro M4 is quite impressive. Its 11-inch OLED screen has a 2420 x 1668 pixel resolution that refreshes at 120Hz, and in our iPad Pro M4 review we noted that it has a noticeable "boost in saturation, contrast, and viewing angle" compared to previous iPads. The speakers are fantastic too, producing "enough thump that you can clearly feel the sonic vibrations if you're holding the slate in your hands." The M4 iPad Pro has 8GB of RAM and (this version) has 256GB of memory storage.

Read more
You could be folding your iPad as soon as next year
A person holding the 13-inch iPad Air (2025).

The iPad Fold, as it's being touted, could arrive as soon as next year.

A new report suggests that the first folding iPad could be on track to land in 2026.

Read more
iPad Air (2025) vs. iPad Pro (2024)
Apple iPad Air M3 2025 vs iPad Pro M4 2024

The iPad Pro is Apple's premier tablet computer, that offers power identical to a MacBook in a more convenient and portable layout. It was announced in May last year and continues to serve as Apple's flagship iPad since then. Intriguingly though, Apple also announced an iPad Air at the same time last year with an M2 chip, and the same design was recently refurbished with M3 chips.

Superficially, both iPad models may seem very similar, especially since the iPad Air covers all the essential features from the iPad Pro, including support for the new Apple Pencil Pro, a similarly large footprint that will let you replace your laptop for most chores. Simultaneously, the $400 divide between the two devices must leave you wondering why Apple is charging extra for identical specs. The answer is complicated and more confusing than the comparison between the base iPad and the new iPad Air (2025).

Read more