If you are on the hunt for an iPad, then you should take a closer look at our review of the new iPad Air 11 (2024). The sixth generation of the iPad Air has inherited the in-house M2 chipset from the 2022 Pro models. This makes the iPad Air Gen 6 one of the most powerful tablets on the market and with an MRSP of US$599, it is also a lot cheaper than an iPad Pro 11 (2024).
Nevertheless, the Apple tablet didn't only receive praise during our test. This is because the sixth-gen iPad Air still doesn't quite give you that pro feeling. Its display—which is arguably the most important feature of a tablet—simply isn't good enough. The iPad Air 11 (2024)'s Liquid Retina IPS display seems to be the same one that was installed in its predecessor and the model before it—at least our test measurements suggest this.
If you have previously only used an iPad 10 with a non-laminated screen, then you will likely be very happy with the latest iPad Air generation. Even so, its low refresh rate of 60 Hz and slow response times don't exactly speak in the Apple tablet's favor. In addition, its display brightness of under 500 cd/m² and its contrast ratio of 1:1,265 could've been a bit higher. In our eyes, an upgrade with due respect to the Pro models—for example a 90 Hz mini LED panel—would have been the better decision.
Animations or scrolling through the browser don't feel as smooth as on a Galaxy Tab S9 or an iPad 11 Pro (2022). However, this deficit also makes itself known when gaming and using the input pen. This makes HFR gaming impossible on the iPad Air Gen 6, as its display only supports a maximum of 60fps and the Apple Pencil Pro's feedback won't feel quite as direct and natural on the iPad Air 11 (2024).
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Review of the iPad Air 11 (2024)