Apple iPad Air 11" (8th Gen, 2026)Gold
Apple · Released March 1, 2026

iPad Air 11" (8th Gen, 2026)

The M4 iPad Air 11 brings near-Pro speed and Pencil Pro support for $749, $450 under the 11-inch iPad Pro.

Tablets
8.5/10What the pros sayExcellentExpert consensus · Verified Oct 8, 2026See score breakdown ↓
Storage
Finish · Gold
Buying call

Buy the 11-inch iPad Air (M4) if you want a fast iPad for drawing, note-taking and light editing without paying $1,199 for the 11-inch iPad Pro: Apple lists the Air at $749 for 128GB (Oct 8, 2026), after a $150 rise on June 25. It lasted 9 h 44 min in a web-browsing battery test, and reviewers praised its Wi-Fi and cellular speeds. Skip it if you mostly stream and browse, because the $449 iPad (A16) does that well. The screen is still a 60Hz LCD, there's no Face ID, and the case and Pencil Pro add up fast.

Full verdict ↓
Lowest new price · 128 GBCheck price0 retailers
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Editor testedHands-on testing and real-world use
Real-world useBased on everyday testing, not a spec sheet
Unbiased reviewIndependent and objective, sources shown
Key specs
Display type
Liquid Retina display
Rear camera
1) Standard: 12 MP; f/1.8; - Bokeh mode
Highlights

Specs that matter

Display
Panel
IPS LCD
Size
11" (279 mm)
Resolution
1640x2360
Performance
Processor
Apple M4 (iPad)
GPU
9 core Apple GPU
Storage
128 GB
OS
iPadOS 26.3 (Can be upgraded to iPadOS 26.5)
Battery
Capacity
7606 mAh
Body
Weight
1.02 lb (464 g)
Dimensions
247.6 x 178.5 x 6.1 mm
IP rating
No
Colors
Gold, Gray, Blue, Purple
At a glance

Product highlights

Verified attributes, grouped for quick scanning.

Display11" (279 mm)IPS LCD
ChipsetApple M4 (iPad)9 core Apple GPU
Main camera12 MP12 MP · f/1.8 · wide
RAM / storage128 GBiPadOS 26.3 (Can be upgraded to iPadOS 26.5)
Battery7,606 mAh7606 mAh
69 attributes · See all specifications
Price & availability

Where to buy

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Available in 128 GB.
Buying decision

Should you buy it?

Buy the 11-inch iPad Air (M4) if you want a fast iPad for drawing, note-taking and light editing without paying $1,199 for the 11-inch iPad Pro: Apple lists the Air at $749 for 128GB (Oct 8, 2026), after a $150 rise on June 25. It lasted 9 h 44 min in a web-browsing battery test, and reviewers praised its Wi-Fi and cellular speeds. Skip it if you mostly stream and browse, because the $449 iPad (A16) does that well. The screen is still a 60Hz LCD, there's no Face ID, and the case and Pencil Pro add up fast.

Best for

Students and creatives who want M4 speed and Apple Pencil Pro support in a portable 11-inch iPad.

Not for

Anyone who only streams and browses, or who wants an OLED or 120Hz screen.

Main strengthM4 chip is fast enough for drawing, photo editing and Apple Intelligence
Main weakness60Hz LCD with no ProMotion
Reasons to buy
M4 chip is fast enough for drawing, photo editing and Apple Intelligence
Lasted 9 h 44 min in a web-browsing battery test
Fast Wi-Fi and optional 5G, with good cameras for a tablet
Works with the Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard
Reasons to avoid
60Hz LCD with no ProMotion
No Face ID and no water-resistance rating
Keyboard and pencil add a lot to the total
Measured view8.5/10What the pros say · verified oct 8, 2026.
ScoreVerified Oct 8, 2026
Independent coverage

What other reviewers say

Reviews from other sites and creators. They don't change the Gadget Clash score.

Submit your review
WIRED7/10
Article · Full reviewApple iPad Air (M4) Review: The Ultimate iPadLuke Larsen · Apr 2026Read on WIRED ↗
The Verge8/10
Article · Full reviewApple iPad Air M4 review: a little bit faster nowDavid Pierce · Mar 2026Read on The Verge ↗
CNET8.7/10
Article · Full reviewiPad Air M4 Review: The Best Option for the MomentScott Stein · Mar 2026Read on CNET ↗
Jon Rettinger · Apr 2026I did a real test! iPad Air M4 ReviewWatch on YouTube ↗
Brad Colbow · Apr 20262026 iPad Air M4 ReviewWatch on YouTube ↗
Mark Ellis Reviews · Apr 2026M4 iPad Air Review - A Tough Decision!Watch on YouTube ↗
Head to head

How it stacks up

Open a comparison for the full side-by-side view.

Choose a gadget
Apple iPad Air 11" (8th Gen, 2026)
This deviceiPad Air 11" (8th Gen, 2026)
VS
iPad Air 11-inch (M4)
AlternativeiPad Air 11-inch (M4)
Display
11"11"
Chipset
M4 (iPad)M4
Full comparison
Apple iPad Air 11" (8th Gen, 2026)
This deviceiPad Air 11" (8th Gen, 2026)
VS
iPad Air 11-inch (M3)
AlternativeiPad Air 11-inch (M3)
Display
11"11"
Chipset
M4 (iPad)M3
Full comparison
Apple iPad Air 11" (8th Gen, 2026)
This deviceiPad Air 11" (8th Gen, 2026)
VS
iPad Air 11-inch (M2)
AlternativeiPad Air 11-inch (M2)
Display
11"11"
Chipset
M4 (iPad)M2
Full comparison
Same category

Alternatives worth a look

Other phones in the database, with their stored scores and prices.

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iPad Air 11-inch (M4)—
AppleiPad Air 11-inch (M4)11" (279 mm) · M4 · 12 GB
iPad Air 11-inch (M3)9.3
AppleiPad Air 11-inch (M3)11" (279 mm) · M3
iPad Air 11-inch (M2)8.9
AppleiPad Air 11-inch (M2)11" (279 mm) · M2
iPad Pro 11-inch (4th generation)8.7
AppleiPad Pro 11-inch (4th generation)11" (279 mm) · M2
Product data

Full specifications

69 attributes, grouped for quick scanning. Verified Oct 8, 2026. Spot a wrong value? Hit the next to it.

Display

Display type
  • Liquid Retina display
  • True Tone
  • Wide color (P3)
  • Fully laminated
  • Antireflective coating
Pixel density
264
Screen-to-body
81.5%
Protection
Tempered glass
Brightness
500 nits brightness
Contrast
1140:1
Color gamut
99.6%

Performance

CPU
8-core CPU with 3 performance cores and 5 efficiency cores

Battery & Charging

Charging
Charging via power adapter or USB-C to computer system
Wireless charging
✕
Removable battery
✕
Charging port
USB-C (Charging, DisplayPort, USB 3 (up to 10Gb/s))

Camera

Rear camera
1) Standard: 12 MP; f/1.8; - Bokeh mode
Front camera
Landscape 12MP Center Stage camera, f/2.0
Video
Features
8K: No · 4K: Up to 60FPS · 1080p: Up to 60FPS

Network

Cellular
5G (sub-6 GHz), Gigabit LTE (Wi-Fi + Cellular models)
SIM
eSIM

Connectivity

Wi‑Fi
Wi-Fi 7 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be)
Bluetooth
6.0
NFC
✕
Headphone jack
✕
Ports
  • USB Type-C
  • - Charging - USB-Storage mode - OTG

Sensors & Security

Sensors
- Barometer - Gyroscope - Accelerometer - Ambient light sensor - Fingerprint
Biometrics
Fingerprint scanner: Yes, in-button
Infrared
✕

Body

Dimensions
9.75 in (24.8 cm)
Colors
  • Gold
  • Gray
  • Blue
  • Purple
Build
Metal
Water resistance
No
Speakers
Landscape stereo speakers

Software & Launch

Operating system
iPadOS 26.3 (Can be upgraded to iPadOS 26.5)
Released
March 2026
Stylus
Apple Pencil Pro, Apple Pencil (USB-C)

Benchmarks

Geekbench 6 Multi
13294
Geekbench 6 Single
3717
Vote & discuss

Community says

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iPad Air 11" (8th Gen, 2026)No store price yetSpecs
Apple iPad Air 11" (8th Gen, 2026) Specs | Gadget Clash