Perhaps one of the most surprising things about the Apple Silicon era is how quickly Apple now updates its products. Take the iPad Air, for example. It’s been less than two years since the company released the M2-powered iPad Air in 11- and 13-inch sizes. We’re already on our third iPad Air iteration, one with the M4 inside. That’s the same chip that was inside the iPad Pro that was unveiled alongside that M2-powered Air in 2024. (The Pro was updated with an M5 last fall.)

Just as I said a year ago when Apple unveiled the iPad Air M3, this latest model doesn’t fundamentally change the formula. The Air is a notable step up over the basic iPad, with a more powerful processor, more RAM, a better display and superior accessories like the Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard. The Air line is also the only way to get a 13-inch iPad without spending $1,300 or more. 

But without more substantial updates this year, I find myself less enthused by it than I was when the 13-inch model M2 model arrived in 2024. That’s primarily because Apple has stuck with the same display for another year. As best I can tell, the 11-inch iPad Air that I’m reviewing has the same screen in 2026 as it did when the redesigned version with no Home button was released in late 2020. Other features that feel like they should be table stakes at this point, like Face ID, are also restricted to iPads that cost at least $1,000. For better or worse, the Air is a very mature product with few surprises. But on the other hand, if you have an iPad older than the 2024 refresh, the iPad Air M4 will provide a solid performance improvement.

Nathan Ingraham for Engadget

The M4 still has power to spare

Before we start answering existential questions, though, let’s quickly recap what’s new with the iPad Air. It still starts at $599 for an 11-inch version with 128GB of storage; the 13-inch models starts at $799. The one I tested came in an extremely light purple color with 1TB of storage and 5G connectivity and costs $1,249. Seriously Apple, don’t be afraid of putting a little more saturation in these colors next time! As mentioned, the iPad Air now has a more powerful M4 chip as well as 50 percent more system memory (12GB, up from 8GB on last year’s model). If you’re coming from an iPad older than the 2024 model, you’ll likely notice solid performance gains, and the M4 is so performant that I imagine this iPad will be more than powerful enough for years to come. 

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I ran some Geekbench 6 benchmarks to quantify the difference between the iPad Air M4 and last year’s M3 model — unsurprisingly, the biggest gains came in the GPU. Single-core and multi-core scores were 23 percent and 12 percent higher, respectively. But the GPU score was a whopping 39 percent higher with the M4 compared to the M3. Don’t get me wrong, the single-core and multi-core performance improvements the M4 offers are impressive. But tasks that hit the GPU hard, like gaming and AI (of course) should see notable improvements. 

In practice, the iPad Air M4 feels quite similar to the M3 model. That’s due in large part to my relatively modest workflow. I jump between numerous apps all day, but none of them are exactly taxing to a chip like the M4. My day mostly consists of Slack, Google Docs, a ton of Safari tabs, utilities like Messages and Todoist, constant streaming music and other lightweight apps like Gmail and Trello. But if you’re coming from an M1 iPad Air, the M4 should feel significantly faster for almost everything you do. 

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Unsurprisingly, the iPad Air flies through games from the App Store as well. I tried my usual more casual fare like Balatro, Mini Motorways and Powerwash Simulator from Apple Arcade and those were all quite smooth. But I wanted to push things a bit more, so I downloaded Resident Evil 2 as well as a pre-release build of Control Ultimate Edition which is slated to hit iOS in the coming months. Both games looked and played great, with highly detailed environments and pretty quick action that didn’t slow the iPad Air down in the least. I could tell the graphics aren’t as sharp as on my PS5, but both games were impressive considering they’re running on extremely portable hardware with no fans. 

I also tried some generative AI apps, even though that’s not really something I’m interested in. For apps like Apple’s own Image Playground, the M4 is extremely speedy. It ripped through my goofy queries (an orange kitten dressed up like an astronaut) in a matter of seconds. When I compared it to the iPad Pro M5, the Air barely lagged behind it. However, the M4 couldn’t quite keep up with more advanced image generation tools. The Draw Things iPad app lets you download and run a host of local models to create images, and the M4 definitely couldn’t keep up with the M5. The iPad Pro M5 was typically more than twice as fast as the Air. We already knew the M5 was an AI beast, so I’m not knocking the Air for its performance at all — it’s just worth knowing that if you really want to push the envelope, you’ll probably be better off with an iPad Pro.

Nathan Ingraham for Engadget

The other main change is Apple’s in-house networking chips are on board here. The N1 covers Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread, while the C1X handles cellular connectivity if you buy a 5G-capable model. Again, this doesn’t change the experience of using the iPad Air in any major way, but having the newest Wi-Fi and Bluetooth protocols on board is good for future usage, regardless of who built the chip. In my testing, the C1X on Verizon’s 5G network was extremely fast around the suburbs of Boston and didn’t seem any slower (or any faster) than other devices I have running on the same carrier. That’s fine, as other Apple devices I’ve tried with the C1X (like the iPad Pro) are solid and reliable, which is the most important thing. 

A very familiar experience

Other than these new chips, the iPad Air is identical to the last two models I’ve reviewed. (This year, Apple sent an 11-inch Air M4 to review, while the last two were the newer 13-inch. But other than the larger screen, those tablets are the same.) Same screen, same cameras, same 10-hour estimated battery life, same USB-C 3 port. Naturally, it supports the $129 Pencil Pro that Apple introduced alongside it in 2024, and it works with the revamped Magic Keyboard Apple released last year. That keyboard remains quite expensive at $269 ($319 for the 13-inch model), but for me it’s a must-buy accessory if I want to use my iPad for any “real work.” The Pencil, on the other hand, is not something I personally need, but it’s an excellent tool for anyone interested in visual art or written notes. There are a plethora of excellent apps in both categories, and the iPad app ecosystem at large remains unmatched.

Battery life also hits what I’d expect out of an iPad. I don’t get 10 hours the way that I test it — I used the iPad Air as my main machine, all day for several days. In that scenario, I got between seven and eight hours of battery life. That’s more than enough that I’d take it with me for half a day or more and not worry about charging, but not so long that I’d be totally comfortable without a charger for much longer. In a more casual, mixed-use setup, most iPads get closer to the 10-hour mark and I expect that’ll be the case here as well. Of course, if you’re playing games, editing videos or doing heavier generative AI tasks, expect battery life to drop noticeably. 

I’d be remiss if I didn’t quickly mention iPadOS 26, which arrived last fall. It runs on iPad Air models all the way back to 2019, so it’s not a reason alone to upgrade. But, it improved the multitasking experience on iPads to a significant degree. It still feels native to the iPad, but there are so many Mac-like flourishes that it’s a lot easier for me to use as my main computer now. That said, it really shines on larger-screen iPads; the 11-inch model still feels best to me when running an app fullscreen or two apps side-by-side feels most comfortable to me.

Nathan Ingraham for Engadget

My major lament for the iPad Air remains the screen. Apple’s LCD Retina display still looks great in a vacuum — it’s a lovely standard screen, with bright colors and sharp text. But Apple’s continued insistence on gatekeeping a screen with a higher refresh rate for iPads that cost $1000 or more gets more frustrating every year. It bothers me less on a product like the MacBook Air. But with an iPad, you’re literally touching and interacting with that screen as the main interface. Having the fluidity of a 120Hz refresh rate simply makes everything feel more responsive to your touch. 

The consolation is that even Apple’s standard displays still feel very smooth, so unless you’re directly comparing an iPad Air to an iPad Pro you likely won’t notice the difference. I mostly forgot about it in my time reviewing this device, only reminded of it when I went back to the iPad Pro.

I also wish that Apple would implement more advanced display tech. Last year, I imagined that the mini-LED display used in the iPad Pro in 2021 and 2022 would be a great step up for the Air. It wouldn’t be as good as the tremendous OLED screen in the iPad Pro, but it would still offer HDR and significantly increased brightness and contrast. Alas, we’re stuck with a plain old LCD again this year. Again, that’s mostly fine, but playing games like Control made me wish for more contrast, and movies do not have nearly the same visual pop on the Air as they do on the Pro.

Nathan Ingraham for Engadget

Wrap-up

If it’s not obvious, I very much wish that Apple would bring some of its more advanced technology to the iPad Air. But at this point, I have to accept that the Air is what it is. In the same way that the MacBook Air hasn’t changed substantially since the M2 model arrived in 2022, the same goes for the iPad Air. Both products still have displays that haven’t been cutting edge for years, and that’s just the way it is.

Once I started comparing the iPad Air to its Mac counterpart, my negative feeling mostly subsided. I think the MacBook Air is a great laptop and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to many people. Sure, its screen isn’t cutting edge, but it’s good enough for its target audience. And the many positives that it has outweigh a few places where Apple cut corners. The same can be said for the iPad Air.

The iPad Air offers a lot of important upgrades over the basic $349 iPad, which is saddled with the A16 chip from 2022. The Air will be a better performer for much longer, and other niceties like a better screen and accessory support are worth considering. And it doesn’t threaten the iPad Pro, which costs $400 more; between its screen, improved performance, superior industrial design and numerous other small benefits, it’s pretty easy to see what you get for your money in all cases. 

So while I wish Apple would push the envelope with the iPad Air and give me something that feels more like a Pro-lite, I understand why it hasn't yet. The iPad Air isn’t an exciting gadget at this point, but I still think it’s the best iPad for most people.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/ipad-air-m4-review-still-apples-best-overall-tablet-with-a-few-caveats-130000409.html?src=rss

Apple is kicking off multiple days of product announcements this morning with a new iPad Air. Unsurprisingly, it’s more or less like the iPad Air Apple announced one year ago, except it now has an M4 chip instead of last year’s M3.

Apple is also including its in-house networking chips, the N1 and C1X, which will cover Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Thread and cellular connectivity. This means the iPad Air supports the Wi-Fi 7 standard for the first time. The Air also now has 12GB of RAM standard, up from 8GB in the prior model.

The rest of the iPad Air appears unchanged at this point. It has the same display that the 2023 and 2024 models sported — either an 11- or 13-inch LCD that tops out at 500 nits of brightness and a 60Hz refresh rate. Storage options start at 128GB and go up to 1TB, same as last year. The dual stereo speaker configuration and both front- and rear-facing cameras are unchanged, as well.

For those keeping track, it’s been less than two years since Apple redesigned the iPad Air, adding a 13-inch model that had an M2 chip. I remain surprised the company is committed to releasing chip updates for the Air so frequently — even the M2 model is more than powerful enough for the target audience. But, getting a faster chip for the same money is hard to complain about.

Naturally, the iPad Air M4 is running iPadOS 26, which was released last fall. It was, without a doubt, the biggest iPadOS update we’ve seen, bringing a far more robust multitasking system than the iPad has ever had before. It’s most noticeable and useful on the larger 13-inch screen, but having greater freedom with window management and more robust background tasks is a huge step forward — even if the Liquid Glass visual redesign is a bit divisive.

Pre-orders for the new iPad Air M4 open on Wednesday, March 4, and the tablet will be fully available on March 11. As before, pricing starts at $599 for the 11-inch model and $799 for a 13-inch display.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/apple-updates-the-ipad-air-with-an-m4-chip-141117569.html?src=rss

Clicks is an apologetically gadgety company, making gear that feels charmingly out-of-place in a world where almost every smartphone out there is an all-screen slab. That was obviously two years ago when the company first revealed its keyboard case that brought tactile typing to the iPhone and eventually other Android devices. Rather than that being a one-off curiosity, the company had two new announcements at CES 2026: a magnetic keyboard accessory that also doubles as a battery bank and small, squat mobile phone with a keyboard. And while there isn’t a working prototype of the Clicks Communicator available for the press to see, I got to check out the new Power Keyboard talk with Clicks co-founder and former BlackBerry marketing director Jeff Gadway about where he thinks his products fit into the smartphone world.

At first glance, the $79 Power Keyboard feels like a big improvement over the original Clicks Keyboard case. It magnetically attaches to any phone with Qi2 and connects over Bluetooth. The keyboard itself is similar to the original Clicks keyboard, but there’s a dedicated number row which is a nice improvement. But the thing that really caught my eye was its old-school slider form factor. When closed, the Power Keyboard sits on the back of your phone like a thick wireless battery pack — but it satisfyingly slides up to reveal the keyboard like the Palm Pre or BlackBerry Torch smartphones of old.

Nathan Ingraham for Engadget

The Power Keyboard’s last trick is that it can charge your phone up when attached. The battery itself isn’t huge, so you’re not going to fully recharge a modern smartphone. But it’s still a nice addition for if you need some power in a pinch. You can also set it up so it doesn’t charge your phone and instead uses all the battery to power the keyboard; in that situation, the keyboard will last weeks without a charge. Or you can designate a percentage that can only be used by the keyboard — for example, if the battery pack’s charge drops below 20 percent, it’ll stop charging your phone and instead save that power for the keyboard.

Nathan Ingraham for Engadget

As someone who has never owned a smartphone with a keyboard, I can’t say how good the Clicks keyboard actually is — there would be a definite learning curve before I got comfortable with it. It certainly feels tiny to me, but if you just type on and trust autocorrect you should get the hang of it before too long. Whether the benefits of using a physical keyboard matter are up to you to decide. It’s nice seeing a bigger screen unobstructed by the virtual keyboard, but I feel far too set in my touchscreen ways to consider switching it up. But some people just loved their keyboards, and for them this gadget might hit the spot.

The Clicks Communicator is the more unexpected of the two new devices the comapny is working on, but without a working demo model I can’t render any judgement about how it will actually work. When it was announced, Clicks specifically said they were targeting people who used multiple devices, a demographic that I wasn’t fully convinced was large enough to justify the Communicator’s existence. But Gadway assured me the company had done plenty of research before moving into the hardware production phase.

“You've got people who are mandated to carry a second device for corporate deploy. Then you've got people who are small business owners and want to have a separate phone for their small business,” he said. “In markets like Europe, there's a requirement for employers to give people the option to have a separate device and create more separation. You've got travelers who want a second SIM, and then you've got this growing cohort of digital detox, digital minimalism, digital well-being people.” None of those segments might be huge on its own, but add it all up and the Clicks team felt like they had a decent opportunity.

Nathan Ingraham for Engadget

The other half of the thought process was making the Communicator different from an iPhone or Pixel — instead of having two essentially identical devices, Clicks wanted to make the Communicator with a distinct focus. “Our thought process was that complementary devices in tech are on the rise,’ Gadway said. “You wear an Oura Ring and you wear a smart watch; you carry an e-reader for reading and a tablet for content consumption. So why shouldn't your second phone be better at certain things than your first phone instead of just being a straight duplicate?”

That’s where the squarish, 4-inch touchscreen, keyboard and custom implementation of the Niagara Android launcher, which is a list-based UI rather than a grid of apps. The custom Clicks implementation of it focuses on your messaging apps and quickly triaging through new items (hence the Communicator name). The keyboard itself is touch sensitive and can be swiped across to navigate and take actions on what you see. But the Communicator is just an Android phone at heart which means you can install any apps that you find essential — though its form factor changes what it is best used for. “You can download whatever apps you want, but we've optimized it to be better at specific things,” Gadway said. “So, you know, do you want to watch letterboxed TikTok videos on this? Probably not. You could, but it's not the thing you're going to reach for to do that. But we're not going to give you a product that restricts what you can do.”

The good thing about being a smaller hardware maker is that Clicks doesn’t need to sell millions of these — they’re just interested in offering an alternative for people who might enjoy it, just as they’ve done with their keyboard accessories. Of course, the Communicator is a bigger investment; it’s up for pre-order now for $399 (that’s Pixel 9a territory, for comparison). Once it launches in the second half of the year, we’ll find out if it can find its audience.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/the-clicks-co-founder-explains-who-its-tiny-communicator-phone-is-for-170000501.html?src=rss

OhSnap won our hearts (and a best of CES award) last year with the MCON, its tiny Bluetooth game pad that magnetically connects to your phone. At the time, we tried a pre-production unit, but in the year since the MCON has been finalized and went on sale last month. I just got a chance to try the final version here at CES, and just a quick demo was enough to convince me that OhSnap has made some solid refinements over the last year.

Just as we saw last year, the MCON attaches magnetically to an iPhone or any compatible Android phone (the company also includes a magnetic ring in the box for Androids that don’t have Qi2 yet). It has the full array of controls, including four face buttons, a D-pad, two joysticks and index finger buttons and full bumpers. It’s just sleeker and feels more solid than last year’s prototype, and while mounting your makes it feel a bit top-heavy, it’s not awkward enough to cause real issues when playuing (at least that’s how I felt after my brief demo).

The controller also has grips that unfold to help balance things, and the plate that attaches your phone to the controller has a kickstand. So if you want to drop your phone down on a tray table on a plane and play just holding the controller, feel free. All in all, the MCON feels like a flexible and high-quality device that’s probably worth the $150 OhSnap asks for it.

Nathan Ingraham for Engadget

The company also has some new accessories to show off. There’s a $70 TV dock that powers your phone and outputs video from USB-C to HDMI. You could use this dock with any Bluetooth controller hooked up to your mobile phone, not just the MCON. There’s also a tiny $30 adapter you can put on your keychain that has a USB-C plug that goes into your phone; plug an HDMI cable into the other end and you can broadcast your games to a TV anywhere you go and play them with a controller.

It’s a pretty clever and comprehensive set of products, and while there are tons of mobile game controllers, the OhSnap feels like one of the more portable and sleek options out there. OhSnap is working on something even slimmer, though. The company showed off two new prototype controllers, the MCON Lite and MCON Slim.

Nathan Ingraham for Engadget

As the names suggest, they’re both more compact than the original model. The Lite uses concave joypads rather than full sticks, and the Slim makes things even smaller by using concave touch pads. Your’e not going to get quite the same quality experience with those as you would with the bigger version, but they are noticeably thinner; OhSnap says they’ll be cheaper, too. The MCON Lite is scheduled to arrive this summer, while the Slim should launch in the fall (around the same time as the iPhone 18).

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/another-look-at-ohsnaps-mcon-a-magnetic-game-controller-for-your-phone-042424092.html?src=rss