I think, after a weekend using the latest iPad Air, that this is the best iPad right now for its price. But it might not be by the end of the year.. I’ve always recommended cheaper iPads. As I said in a recent story, I expected the base iPad would get an upgrade this spring. So did others. It didn’t happen. Meanwhile, the iPad Air got a chip bump to an M4 processor and updated wireless specs. I’ve been living with the 11-inch model as my everyday home-casual computer for the past week, and it’s a wonderful little powerhouse. I don’t miss the more expensive iPad Pro at all.. The iPad Air doesn’t come with a keyboard case and Pencil Pro in the box, but that’s almost entirely how I’ve been using it. Scott Stein/CNET. I could say I want the iPad to be even more like a Mac, but I’ve come to accept that moment just isn’t happening now. Judged as an iPad, and by what it does, it’s still great. It’s just that now you have to make a bit of a lifestyle choice.. The funny thing is that, while this iPad Air starts at $599, which is $250 more than the entry iPad, it’s also exactly the same price as the MacBook Neo, Apple’s new entry-level MacBook. Apples and oranges, so to speak, but which should you get?. Oceanhorn 3 is one of the newest games on Apple Arcade. The iPad Air’s M4 has no lack of graphics power for its size. Scott Stein/CNET. The iPad Air’s processor is a powerhouse. The M4, in a $600 device, is a fantastic value. But you’ll have to get the keyboard case, or any other case, and the Pencil Pro that works with this iPad separately. That could realistically bump the total to nearly $1,000. If you care about getting those things.. What I love about the iPad, and always have, is how instant and casual it feels. I love the focus of full-screen apps, I love how it handles media and games. I also love the Magic Keyboard case, even though it’s expensive and doesn’t fold back easily. iPadOS 26 has also flexed the iPad out enough to give it a Mac-esque sense of versatility. Not a Mac, but approaching one.. And I also love its size. The MacBook Neo is a bigger laptop, a standard sort of 13-incher. The 11-inch iPads feel compact and cozy and perfect for a quick commute or a little work while traveling. I love the intimacy. The 13-inch models have a lot more screen room, but cost more and have a taller aspect ratio than laptops that I’m not wild about personally.. The 11-inch iPad Air is my preferred size. Scott Stein/CNET. Compared with the iPad Pro, the Air is a much better buy. If you’re comparing it with the iPad Pro, this Air’s M4 for $599 is a much better deal than the Pro’s M5 for $999, in my opinion. And now that the entry iPad still hasn’t been updated, and still doesn’t support Apple Intelligence, the Air makes more sense to me as a future-proof upgrade.. That could change in the fall, if Apple does release a chip-bumped entry iPad that runs Apple Intelligence. Which is why I say this is the best “for now.” But that “for now” could be for half a yea
