Apple Air 13-inch

Apple Air 13-inch

By Apple · Tablets · Phones & Computers

  • 13-inch Liquid Retina display, 2732 x 2048
  • Apple M4 chip with 16-core Neural Engine
  • 12GB unified memory
  • Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6
  • 128GB base storage

Lowest price seen
~$799.00 (approx.)
from $799.00 at Amazon

Prices are snapshots. Check the current price with the store.

Summary

The iPad Air 13-inch (M4, 2026) is the larger of Apple’s two midrange iPads: an M4 chip, 12GB of memory and a 2732×2048 Liquid Retina display in a 1.36 lb aluminum body. Check the extras before you buy, because the Magic Keyboard and Pencil Pro are sold separately and can push the total past a 13-inch MacBook Air.

Strengths

  • The M4 chip is far more performance than most owners need for browsing, media and productivity.
  • The 13-inch screen gives real room for multitasking and drawing.
  • The display is sharp, color-accurate and bright at 600 nits.
  • Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 keep the connectivity current.
  • 12GB of memory is a meaningful step up from the previous 8GB.
  • Battery life of about 10 hours covers a full day of school or work.

Weaknesses

  • No Face ID; Touch ID lives in the top button, and PCMag found it read prints only about half the time.
  • There is no IP rating for water or dust resistance.
  • The display is still 60Hz, so scrolling and animation feel less smooth than on the iPad Pro.
  • The Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil Pro are expensive extras.
  • The 128GB base storage looks low next to phones that now start at 256GB.
  • The screen is the same panel Apple has used since 2024.

Verified specifications

ModelA3461 (Wi-Fi) and A3462 (Wi-Fi + Cellular), introduced March 2026.
Display13-inch Liquid Retina IPS LCD, 2732×2048 at 264 ppi, 600 nits, 60Hz, P3 wide color, True Tone, fully laminated with an antireflective coating.
ChipApple M4 with an 8-core CPU (3 performance and 5 efficiency cores), 9-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine and 120GB/s memory bandwidth.
Memory12GB unified memory on every configuration.
Storage128GB, 256GB, 512GB or 1TB.
Battery36.59 Wh lithium-polymer; up to 10 hours of web browsing or video on Wi-Fi, up to 9 hours on cellular.
Charging20W USB-C power adapter and a 1 m USB-C charge cable in the box.
ConnectivityWi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 (10Gbps, DisplayPort support) and eSIM on cellular models.
Cameras12MP rear wide (f/1.8, 4K60 video) and a 12MP front Center Stage camera (f/2.0, 1080p60).
BiometricsTouch ID in the top button; there is no Face ID.
SoftwareiPadOS 26 with Apple Intelligence built in.
Dimensions11.04 × 8.46 × 0.24 in (280.6 × 214.9 × 6.1 mm); 1.36 lb (616 g) Wi-Fi, 1.36 lb (617 g) cellular.
ColorsBlue, Purple, Starlight and Space Gray.
Warrantyone-year limited manufacturer warranty.
Full research notes and sources

Performance and battery

PCMag measured Geekbench 6 scores of 3,713 single-core and 13,153 multi-core, and T3 recorded 3,722 and 13,230, both ahead of the M3 iPad Air. PCMag’s video-streaming test at full brightness ran 7 hours 44 minutes, and a full charge took 1 hour 41 minutes. Consumer Reports saw 9.9 hours of web browsing and 14.1 hours of video playback, with 3.3 hours of use from a 30-minute partial charge. Apple rates the battery at up to 10 hours of browsing or video on Wi-Fi and up to 9 hours on cellular.

WIRED called the M4 “supremely powerful” and said 12GB of memory helps multitasking. Its GPU test in Oceanhorn 3 stayed smooth at 60% render scaling but turned choppy at 80%, and a 13-inch MacBook Air M4 scored up to 13% higher in 3DMark Steel Nomad Light.

Display and design

The “13-inch” name is nominal: the panel measures 12.9 inches diagonally as a rectangle. It is the same design, dimensions and colors as the 2025 M3 iPad Air, and the same panel Apple has used since 2024. PCMag called the display very good but not as bright or glare-resistant as the iPad Pro’s OLED; Consumer Reports found it bright with reduced glare, good contrast and wide viewing angles. WIRED measured the screen as 15% sharper than the MacBook Air’s. There is no headphone jack, and cellular models use eSIM with no SIM tray.

Accessories and total cost

Apple prices the Magic Keyboard for the 13-inch iPad Air at $319, or $299 with education pricing, and the Apple Pencil Pro at $129, with the USB-C Apple Pencil at $79 (Apple, 2026). A 13-inch Air plus the Magic Keyboard runs over $1,100, more than a 13-inch MacBook Air, and adding the Pencil Pro brings a typical setup to about $1,247. WIRED found the keyboard’s palm rests too small for comfort. The Pencil Pro is well liked by artists and note-takers for its haptic feedback, barrel roll and squeeze controls.

Repairs and upkeep

The battery is not user-replaceable; service runs through Apple or an authorized provider, and the standard warranty is one year. AppleCare+ extends the coverage. iFixit scored the previous-generation 13-inch iPad Air 3/10, with the battery held by strong adhesive, and a teardown of the M4 model found a modular USB-C port but the same adhesive-heavy battery. PCMag noted Apple provides at least five years of system and security updates.

Is it worth it?

Apple’s launch pricing in March 2026 was $799 for the 128GB Wi-Fi model, $899 for 256GB, $1,099 for 512GB and $1,299 for 1TB, with education pricing at $749. In June 2026 Apple raised iPad Air prices by $150, putting the 13-inch base at $949; Cult of Mac listed the 128GB model at $849 in September 2026. At $799 the package was strong value, at $899–949 it weakens as the iPad Pro gets closer, and at $1,099 and up the Pro’s OLED screen and 120Hz refresh rate are harder to ignore. The 11-inch model is $599 and the base iPad is $349 (Apple, 2026).

Which model this is

This page covers the iPad Air 13-inch (M4, 2026), model A3461 for Wi-Fi and A3462 for Wi-Fi + Cellular. It is the larger of the two iPad Air sizes, alongside the 11-inch model, and shares its body and colors with the 2025 M3 Air; the changes are the M4 chip, 12GB of memory, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and the C1X cellular modem. Do not confuse it with the iPad Pro (M5), the iPad (A16) or the iPad mini, which are separate lines.

This review tracks the 13-inch M4 model, ASIN B0GQVLJGJH.

Sources

Manufacturer:

Independent reviews:

Owner reports:

Parts and stores:

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