Apple iPad Air - 2019

The Apple iPad Air (2019) combines a modern SoC with proven technology.

The iPad Air is a powerful and easy-to-use tablet with a large and well-specced screen, long battery life and attractive design, all at a sensible price. There are some compromises here, but as an all-round package this is vastly appealing.

The longest holdout in Apple's iPad family - the iPad Air 2 - has finally been updated after nearly five years.The most prominent change in the new model, which launched last month and reverts to the iPad Air name, is its larger 10.5-inch display with...

Sandwiched neatly between the budget iPad and the pricey iPad Pro is the iPad Air, a strange set of tradeoffs and compromises that delivers most of what everyone wants from an iPad for hundreds less than an iPad Pro.

Unless you absolutely have to have the best of Apple's best, or a 12.9-inch display, the iPad Pro is too much tablet and has a price point to match. The Air nearly matches the Pro in performance, and at that, I doubt most users would notice the minor differences. And it does it for a few hundred dollars less.

The $499 iPad Air is a notable upgrade in almost every respect over the $329 iPad. It has a bigger, better screen, more storage and support for Apple’s Smart Keyboard case. Unless you’re on a tight budget, it’s worth the extra cash and is probably the best all-around iPad you can buy right now.

Sandwiched neatly between the budget iPad and the pricey iPad Pro is the iPad Air, a strange set of tradeoffs and compromises that delivers most of what everyone wants from an iPad for hundreds less than an iPad Pro.

I initially had a lot of questions about what “Air” meant after Apple brought back the moniker for this iPad and the MacBook Air. But after using this iPad, I think I finally get it. This is what Air is supposed to mean now: the best all-around choice for most people.

Ideal if you're looking for a thin and light tablet that's great for taking around with you and has the option of adding a keyboard or stylus to make typing and drawing a breeze. Simple to use, it works well for everything from web browsing to reading and gaming.