{"id":14337,"date":"2025-03-10T13:35:48","date_gmt":"2025-03-10T13:35:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/topat10.com\/?p=14337"},"modified":"2025-03-10T13:35:48","modified_gmt":"2025-03-10T13:35:48","slug":"apple-ipad-air-m3-2025-review-a-powerful-tablet-that-feels-stale","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/topat10.com\/?p=14337","title":{"rendered":"Apple iPad Air (M3, 2025) Review: A Powerful Tablet That Feels Stale"},"content":{"rendered":"


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It feels like<\/span> it was just yesterday that Apple launched the M2-powered iPad Air<\/a>. In fact, it’s been 10 months, but that’s still far too soon for a new version in my book. Yet, here we are, with a new iPad Air\u2014this time, with an M3 chip. The tablet delivers a minor boost in performance compared to its predecessor, but it does come with features like ray tracing, mesh shading, and dynamic caching to power graphics-intensive tasks. This is a first for the iPad Air, making it the most affordable way into these advanced capabilities for those who need it\u2014like creative professionals or gamers\u2014who don’t want to splurge on the iPad Pro.<\/p>\n

But that’s it as far as new features go for the seventh-generation iPad Air. Apple used the same chassis, so you’ll have a choice between the 11-inch and 13-inch display sizes. While it’s a perfectly fine tablet in terms of usability, Apple failed to address the major critiques from last year’s model: its density, battery life, and lack of an OLED (or even mini LED) panel. All of these are factors that would’ve helped justify a next-generation iPad Air so soon.<\/p>\n

Reuse and Recycle<\/h2>\n

In my review of the M2-powered iPad Air (8\/10, WIRED Recommends<\/a>), I described the design as stale compared to the redesigned iPad Pro (6\/10 WIRED Review<\/a>). Now, seeing Apple recycle the same chassis as last year’s model, my feelings haven’t changed. It’s comical that the iPad Air<\/em> is still a few grams heavier and almost a full milimeter thicker than the iPad Pro. The tablet feels lightweight and slim regardless, but it’s not as impressively thin as its more expensive counterpart\u2014especially when you add accessories to it. And, while Apple didn’t take away color options this time (we lost the pink last year and the green before that), it didn’t add any, either. You’ll have a choice between blue, purple, starlight, and space gray.<\/p>\n

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