iPad Air 10th Generation: A Practical Review

The iPad Air 10th Generation is Apple’s latest mid-tier tablet. While it’s “mid” in terms of price, it’s far from average. After countless reviews hyping up its versatility and sleek design, it’s easy to get lost in the marketing fluff. Let’s step back and take a realistic look at what this device truly offers, based on what you might actually need.

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Design and Feel of the iPad Air 10th Generation

Apple knows how to make a device that looks and feels premium, and the iPad Air 10th Generation is no exception. The Apple Pencil and digital keyboard are fantastic, but let’s be honest—they’ve always been great. No matter which model you choose, an iPad is an iPad. It’s sleek, intuitive, and well-built.

Performance of the iPad Air 10th Generation

This iPad comes equipped with the M2 chip and a decent amount of RAM (8GB). It’s not quite on the same level as the iPad Pro, but the M2 chip helps make up for that gap. And sure, we know that an M3 and M4 will eventually be rolled out, but let’s focus on the now. The real question is, what are you going to use it for?

Most people use their iPads for “entertainment”—streaming video, playing mobile games, or reading books and comics. Others use it to stay productive or for creative work, like editing videos or designing homes. But your needs should guide your purchase.

Gaming: A Reality Check

If you’re thinking about using the iPad Air 10th Generation for gaming, here’s where things get a little tricky. Despite the M2 chip and 8GB of RAM, this device isn’t going to run current-generation games like a high-end gaming rig. While this might be obvious to seasoned gamers, it’s a point worth considering if you’re new to iPads.

Price vs. Value

Now, let’s talk about cost. Scanning… uh no, it looks like I can’t. Note that it’s like other iPads in the same field, and you’re essentially getting a 64GB storage device with a screen. In today’s world, 64GB of storage feels like a joke when you can get 1TB of cloud or external storage for under $100. The 12MP cameras (both front and back) are decent, but nothing groundbreaking.

The display, despite what other reviewers say, differs only slightly in size (by about an inch diagonally) compared to other models. When it comes down to it, the “advanced” features aren’t really what you’re paying for anymore. What you’re actually buying is RAM, storage, and weight.

Laptop Replacement Potential

Personally, I could see myself choosing this over a new laptop. You can dictate notes, write with the Apple Pencil, take decent photos, and stream movies or shows—all while multitasking. The software experience across Apple devices has become nearly identical, whether you’re on an iPad, iPhone, or Mac.

Who’s It For?

The iPad Air 10th Generation is ideal for “students” and “casual users.” It’s not designed for power users or professionals who need a workhorse device. Instead, it’s for people with around $600 to spend on a sleek, functional tablet—perhaps as an upgrade from an older iPad Air that’s suffering from planned obsolescence, a dying battery, or the aftermath of that one time you dropped it, but only kinda dropped it. You remember when it didn’t work exactly as it had prior to the drop but you didn’t want to tell anyone because maybe you would get in trouble?

Technical Specifications and Benchmarks

For those who like to dive into the numbers, here’s a breakdown of the iPad Air 10th Generation’s key technical specs:

Display

• 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display with True Tone technology and P3 wide color, 2360 x 1640 resolution at 264 pixels per inch (PPI).

Processor

• Apple M2 chip with an 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine.

RAM

• 8GB of unified memory.

Storage Options

• 64GB and 256GB.

Cameras

• 12MP rear camera with f/1.8 aperture, and a 12MP front-facing camera with Center Stage feature.

Battery Life

• Up to 10 hours of web surfing on Wi-Fi or video playback.

Weight

• 461g (Wi-Fi) or 462g (Wi-Fi + Cellular).

Operating System

• iPadOS 17.

Ports

• USB-C for charging, data transfer, and accessories, with 5Gbps transfer speed.

Connectivity

• 5G (Wi-Fi + Cellular model), Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3.

Benchmark Performance

For those wondering how the M2 chip actually performs under pressure, here are some benchmark scores:

Geekbench 6

• Single-core score: 1,835
• Multi-core score: 8,140

These scores indicate a performance leap over the previous generation (M1), making it powerful enough for multitasking, 4K video editing, and handling graphically intensive apps, though not quite as capable as the iPad Pro models with higher memory configurations and the M2’s 12-core variant.

Graphics and Gaming Benchmarks

When it comes to gaming, the M2’s 10-core GPU holds up well for most mobile games. According to GFXBench Metal tests:

• Offscreen 1080p (Manhattan): 141 frames per second (fps)
• Offscreen 1080p (T-Rex): 241 fps

While the iPad Air 10th Generation delivers solid gaming performance, keep in mind it’s not built for AAA games like on a dedicated gaming console or high-end PC. But for popular mobile titles like Genshin Impact or Call of Duty Mobile, it should handle medium to high settings without a hitch.

Battery Statistics

The 28.6-watt-hour battery provides:

• Up to 10 hours of web browsing on Wi-Fi.
• Up to 9 hours of browsing using a cellular data network.

In real-world usage, users report roughly 8-9 hours of mixed usage including video streaming, gaming, and light multitasking.

Conclusion

The 2024 iPad Air offers solid value, especially if you’re looking for a device that balances performance and price without the premium cost of an iPad Pro. It comes in two sizes: 11-inch and 13-inch, with the latter offering a larger display option. The main improvement is the inclusion of the M2 chip, which delivers a noticeable boost in performance compared to the M1 from the 2022 model.

However, if you’re upgrading from an M1 device, the performance gains may not be groundbreaking unless you need intensive computing power. Storage options are greatly improved, starting at 128GB (double the previous 64GB base model) and going up to 1TB. The camera setup remains mostly unchanged, with a 12MP rear camera that’s adequate but not exceptional. The placement of the front-facing camera has been optimized for landscape video calls and yes that’s kinda cool, I guess?

Although the display is bright and colorful, it still lacks the 120Hz refresh rate found in the iPad Pro, which might be noticeable if you’re used to smoother animations. But let’s be honest, not really. In fact, some find it off-putting. 120Hz is something more useful in video games but even then, if the rest of the hardware can spread the butter to the bread without a hiccup, this is unnoticeable for most of us. Though the old Magic Keyboard is heavier and less functional than the latest version, it still packs its weight in gold.

Overall, the iPad Air 2024 offers excellent value for those who want a powerful, well-rounded tablet without jumping to Pro-level prices. If you decide you want more storage? A pretty space-age color? You can do that. Mobile games? It’s got you. Color pretty pictures? Easy. Email, net, and shows, piece of cake. However, if you already own an M1 iPad Air, the upgrade may not be necessary unless you just have to have the new kit and call yourself “THE” early adopter.

If you really need the additional storage or slightly better performance, you can jump to the 10th gen Air. If you need a device for rendering video or motion graphics, this iPad isn’t going to cut it—smoothly, anyway—but if you’re in the industry, you already know that. If your needs are more along the lines of streaming, managing daily tasks, or accessing cloud storage, the iPad Air 10th Generation is a solid choice. Anything beyond that, and you’ll want to look into the more powerful options in Apple’s lineup.

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