Apple iPad Air (5th generation)

If you want a fast, light tablet for note‑taking, photo editing and video calls without paying Pro prices, this iPad Air solves that problem — it gives you near‑Mac performance in a 10.9‑inch tablet that supports Apple Pencil and 5G cellular for working on the move. ## What makes it worth it The Air uses Apple’s M1 chip (8‑core CPU, 8‑core GPU), which delivers real desktop‑class performance for image editing, multi‑tab browsing and complex iPadOS apps; that same silicon is why it handles pro apps better than most midrange tablets. The 10.9‑inch Liquid Retina screen (2360×1640 at 264 ppi) with P3 wide color and True Tone is bright and color‑accurate for photo work and media. Video calls are noticeably better thanks to the 12MP Ultra Wide front camera with Center Stage, and the cellular models support 5G so you have reliable data away from Wi‑Fi. ## Where it falls short The base 64GB storage on entry models fills up fast if you shoot lots of 4K video or keep big app libraries, and audio is only two‑speaker stereo rather than the four speakers found on Pro models, so media playback isn’t class‑leading. Buy this if you want M1 performance in a lightweight, pen‑friendly tablet for creative work and on‑the‑go productivity; skip it if you need large local storage or the best tablet speakers and prefer to pay up for an iPad Pro.

£345