iPad Air (M4, 2026) review: I benchmarked Apple's tablet with the Pro model, and it's very close

ZDNET's Maria Diaz benchmarked Apple's 2026 iPad Air with the new M4 chip against the iPad Pro (M5) and found the performance gap is surprisingly narrow for a $400 price difference. The Air scored 3,690 single-core and 12,996 multi-core in Geekbench 6 tests, dramatically outperforming similarly-priced competitors like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ (1,353/3,923) while approaching the Pro's 4,153/16,414 scores. For creative professionals who do photography, video, and graphic design, the Air's 12GB of unified memory and M4 processor provide enough power to multitask demanding apps without crashes, positioning it as a viable ultrabook alternative.

The review notes the iPad Air starts at $599 with 128GB storage, available in 11- and 13-inch models, though it still uses a 60Hz refresh rate display and accessories remain expensive. Diaz concludes it's the 'perfect middle-ground tablet'—avoiding the overkill of the Pro's M5 while being significantly more capable than the base $349 iPad. The performance-per-dollar value makes it particularly compelling for users who need reliable power for creative work but don't require the absolute peak performance of Apple's pro lineup.