The Apple iPad Air M4 (11-inch) meets
the Lenovo IdeaTab Pro
The tablet most people should buy. We tested it head-to-head against the Lenovo IdeaTab Pro ($300) across 6 key dimensions.
Head-to-Head Breakdown
Strengths & Weaknesses
Apple iPad Air M4 (11-inch)
- M4 desktop-class chip handles Lightroom, Final Cut Pro, and heavy multitasking without lag. Gadget Evolution, Brandon Butch
- Apple Pencil Pro with barrel roll, haptic feedback, and hover support gives it the best stylus experience on any tablet. Brandon Butch
- 5-7 years of iPadOS updates mean this will outlast every Android competitor. Gadget Evolution, The Tech Chap
- 464g and 6.1mm thin make it genuinely portable, lighter than every Android tablet with a comparable chip
- 60Hz display in 2026 is embarrassing when $300 Android tablets run at 144Hz. Brandon Butch, Gadget Evolution, The Tech Chap all flagged it
- IPS LCD misses the deep blacks and contrast of OLED panels found on the iPad Pro and Samsung Galaxy Tabs. The Tech Chap
- No Face ID. Touch ID on the power button feels like a cost cut on a $599 product. The Tech Chap
Lenovo IdeaTab Pro
- 12.7-inch 144Hz 3K display is bigger and smoother than the iPad Air's screen for half the price. Foremost Picks, Gadget Evolution
- Stylus, fast charger, and folio case all included in the box. Android Digest, Foremost Picks
- Four JBL-tuned speakers with Dolby Atmos rival tablets costing twice as much. Foremost Picks, Audioviser
- External monitor output via USB-C turns it into a desktop workstation. Android Digest
- Screen maxes out at 400 nits, making outdoor use painful in direct sunlight. Teoh on Tech, Android Digest, Foremost Picks
- Software update policy is 'kind of a joke', expect only Android 16 and nothing more. Audioviser, Foremost Picks
- Stylus tilt sensitivity causes a 'shoelace effect' on curved lines, frustrating for digital artists. Teoh on Tech
The Verdict
Our Bottom Line
The iPad Air M4 is the tablet most people should buy. Brandon Butch called the M3 Air "the most well-rounded iPad of the bunch," and the M4 improves on it in every measurable way: the M4 chip is 30% faster, RAM jumps from 8GB to 12GB, and Wi-Fi 7 future-proofs your wireless connectivity. Apple kept the price at $599.
Apple iPad Air M4 (11-inch)
The iPad Air M4 is the tablet most people should buy. Brandon Butch called the M3 Air "the most well-rounded iPad of the bunch," and the M4 improves on it in every measurable way: the M4 chip is 30% faster, RAM jumps from 8GB to 12GB, and Wi-Fi 7 future-proofs your wireless connectivity. Apple kept the price at $599.
- You want a tablet that handles serious creative work, video editing, photo processing, music production, without choking
- You're already in Apple's ecosystem and want continuity with your iPhone, Mac, or AirPods
- Software longevity matters: you expect 5+ years of OS updates and security patches
- You'll buy Apple Pencil Pro or Magic Keyboard and want the best accessory integration available
- Portability is a priority, at 464g and 6.1mm thin, you need something you can carry every day
Lenovo IdeaTab Pro
The Lenovo IdeaTab Pro costs $280-350 and comes with everything in the box. That includes the Tab Pen Plus stylus, a fast charger, and a 12.7-inch 144Hz 3K display that's physically bigger and smoother than the iPad Air's screen. Android Digest called it "one of the best values I've seen around 300 bucks." Audioviser labeled it "a steal."
- You're a student who needs a big screen for notes, textbooks, and video lectures without blowing your budget
- Media consumption is the primary use case: streaming, YouTube, casual browsing with great speakers
- You want everything in the box, stylus, charger, and a 12.7-inch 144Hz screen, for under $350
- External monitor support matters for your workflow, and you want expandable storage via microSD
- You use your tablet mainly indoors where the 400-nit brightness limit won't be an issue