Apple iPad Air 13in

A larger iPad for the non-Pro crowd

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You can now buy a massive iPad that isn’t a Pro – and that’s cause for celebration around these AV-obsessed parts. We’re all about movies on the move, and there is no substitute for size where cinema is concerned – even portable cinema.

The 13in iPad Air should, therefore, be a winner. It equals the largest iPad Pro for screen real estate, but it does without the new M4 processor, which is undeniable overkill for our modest media-consumption needs.

There’s an elephant in the room, though, in the form of Tandem OLED. The new iPad Pro has it, but this iPad Air does not. Is that a wise sacrifice in the name of cost-cutting, or a compromise not worth making? That’s a very tough question to answer.

The 13in iPad Air costs ₹79,990 in 128GB form, with each step up the storage-capacity ladder incurring a rather hefty increase in price. Opting for cellular support as well as the standard wi-fi is a ₹15K decision, too. Go for the top-of-the-range cellular option with 1TB of storage and you’re looking at a ₹1,34,900 bill.

That’s a lot of money, for sure. And the 13in iPad Pro starts at ₹1,19,900, so if it’s a super-sized Apple tablet you’re after, it’s the significantly more affordable option.If screen size isn’t your priority but screen quality is, you must also consider the 11in iPad Pro, which starts at ₹89,900. That is still more expensive than the iPad Air we have before us today, but that Tandem OLED display sure is fabulous.

An iPad is an iPad is an iPad, right? In a way, yes, but that does rather underplay what a gorgeous object an iPad is. This 13in Air might lack the ‘thinnest Apple product ever’ tag of the 13in Pro, but it’s still a fabulously slim yet super-solid device. And, for the record, the difference in thickness is only 1mm.