Design and Build

The iPad Air 4 (2020) had the introduction of a modern aluminum flat-edged style, measuring at 9.74 x 7.02 x 0.24 inches (247.6 x 178.5 x 6.1 mm) and weighing 1.0 pound (458g Wi-Fi, 460g Cellular). It is available in Space Gray, Silver, Rose Gold, Green, and Sky Blue, with a top-mounted Touch ID button, no Home button, and it also supports 2nd-gen Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard. It is neither water-resistant nor dust-resistant because it has no IP rating. The new USB-C port (5 Gbps) is a replacement for Lightning, a notable upgrade from the Air 3. Customers are satisfied with the design and different colors, but they feel that the lack of Face ID and the problem with accessories compared to the Air 5 are negative points.

• Aluminum chassis, flat edges
• Top-mounted Touch ID, no Home button
• USB-C port (5 Gbps)
• Supports 2nd-gen Apple Pencil, Magic Keyboard
• No water/dust resistance

Display

The iPad Air 4 fits perfectly a Liquid Retina IPS LCD that displays 10.9 inches with a resolution of 2360 x 1640 (264 PPI), True Tone, P3 wide color, and a brightness which touches 500 nits. The display has a refresh rate of 60Hz which is not bad but is still less smooth than the 120Hz of the iPad Pro. In addition, the laminated display has averagely higher clarity than the Air 3, and it works flawlessly with the 2nd-gen Apple Pencil when it comes to detailed sketching. The screen is not bright enough to be used outside and some users are disappointed about the lack of HDR support as a minus point.

• 10.9-inch Liquid Retina IPS LCD
• 2360 x 1640 resolution, 264 PPI
• 500 nits brightness
• True Tone, P3 wide color
• 60Hz refresh rate
• Scratch-resistant glass, oleophobic coating

Performance and Software

The iPad Air 4 is a device that is under the control of the Apple A14 Bionic (6-core CPU, 4-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine) chip with 4GB RAM and a user who can either buy 64GB ($599) or 256GB ($749), the price of the storage is not expandable. It is run by iPadOS 14 (upgradable to iPadOS 18), which comes with a limited set of Apple Intelligence features and is guaranteed to get updates until ~2026. The Air 5 outperforms it by ~60% in terms of CPU performance, while the A14 is not that powerful. The Air is still very responsive for light tasks, but it is unable to handle heavy applications due to limitations in the RAM capacity, according to the users.

• Apple A14 Bionic chip, 6-core CPU, 4-core GPU
• 4GB RAM
• Storage: 64GB, 256GB
• iPadOS 14 (up to iPadOS 18)
• Limited Apple Intelligence support

The A14 Bionic is capable, but 4GB RAM and 64GB base storage feel restrictive compared to the Air 5’s 8GB and M1 power. It’s a solid mid-range option but less future-proof.

Camera System

The iPad Air 4 has a 12MP rear camera (f/1.8 with 5x digital zoom) with no flash and a 7MP front camera (f/2.2). The rear can shoot 4K video at up to 60fps, and the front can record 1080p video at up to 60 fps. For photos the iPad Air camera will be adequate for taking pictures of documents or casual shots, but the low-light performance is lacking and the front camera is not Center Stage like on the Air 5 which does help it feel dated for doing video calls, but functional.

• Rear: 12MP (f/1.8, 5x digital zoom)
• Front: 7MP (f/2.2)
• Video: 4K 60fps (rear), 1080p 60fps (front)
• Features: HDR, Burst mode

Battery and Charging

Battery life is solid on iPad Air 4 with a 7606mAh battery providing ~10 hours of video playback or around 8-10 hours of normal use. Apple claims that the iPad Air 4 can charge 50% of the battery in about 45 minutes with 20W fast charging via USB-C, they also include a 20W charger in the box. The iPad Air 4 does not offer wireless charging, and battery life is less than the Air 5's 12 hours; due to the better efficiency of the A14 chip and increased power consumption, house users feel they can get pretty decent battery life if they are using light tasks, but battery life is only decent if they're playing games.

• 7606mAh battery
• ~10 hours video playback, 8–10 hours real-world
• 20W wired charging (50% in ~45 min)
• No wireless charging
• 20W USB-C charger included

Connectivity

The iPad Air 4 has Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5.0, and optional 4G LTE on cellular models ($729+). It has nano-SIM and eSIM and GPS (A-GPS) on the cellular models which also use GLONASS position. The Air 4 does not have 5G support which limits future-proofing better than the Air 5. That said, the iPad Air 4 has reliable connectivity and the lack of 5G is not a deal-breaker. USB-C supports 5 Gbps speeds which is a little slow for power users who would prefer USB 3 speeds.

• Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
• Bluetooth 5.0
• 4G LTE (cellular models)
• Nano-SIM, eSIM
• GPS: A-GPS, GLONASS (cellular)
• No 5G

Pricing and Availability

The iPad Air 4 started priced at $599 (64GB Wi-Fi) and $749 (256GB Wi-Fi), with pre-orders starting on October 16, 2020 and sales beginning on October 23, 2020 by Apple and retailers. The cellular models are $130 more. This model was discontinued on March 8, 2022, but can be bought refurbished or used for between $350 and $450. The iPad Air 5 model then sells for $599 (64GB) and the Air 5 offers a 5g and M1 chip, so if that is an option financially, it is a good option. However, the Air 4 is a price-point option.