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M3 iPad Air (2025) Review: Still The Best, But Changes Needed Next Time
As someone who regularly edits videos and does graphics-related tasks on their devices, I was excited to get my hands on the new M3 iPad Air. And I’m happy to report that it’s still an incredible do-it-all tablet that can easily handle demanding tasks like 4K video editing.
In fact, I was able to load multiple 4K video tracks without any lag and export them at a very impressive time. The performance of the device was absolutely fine for my needs, despite the 11-inch screen feeling a bit cramped.
One area where the iPad Air excels is in its gaming capabilities. With dynamic caching and real-time ray tracing, graphically intensive games will look better and run at higher frame rates than before.
For productivity tasks like video editing, I was also impressed with the new Magic Keyboard that Apple has released for this device. While it’s not cheap, retailing at around $300, the trackpad is incredibly precise and easy to use. However, I do find the price a bit steep, especially considering the cost of the tablet itself.
On the creative side, the iPad Air with the Apple Pencil Pro continues to be the best drawing experience on a mainstream tablet. The stylus’s lack of visual lag and support for over 4,000 levels of pressure make it an ideal tool for sketching and making fine edits in Adobe Lightroom or Final Cut Pro.
As for software, the iPadOS remains as smooth and fast as ever, with the best app ecosystem available. I appreciate the ability to run apps in split-screen mode or windowed mode, which makes multitasking a breeze.
However, I do have some criticisms regarding Apple Intelligence, a feature that Apple is trying to hype up. While it offers generative AI photo editing and text summarization, among other features, I find it lagging behind Google’s offerings. The latter’s generative AI photo editing produces better results, and its AI-powered assistant is significantly more aware of context.
That being said, Apple users are notoriously loyal, and many may not even be aware that there are alternative options available. So, while Apple Intelligence may not be the best, it still has a place in this ecosystem.
My only major complaint about the iPad Air is its battery life. The 11-inch model I used can only last me around 8-10 hours of use, which is somewhat disappointing for a device that’s supposed to be portable.
That being said, if you’re not planning on using your iPad for resource-intensive tasks like video editing or gaming, the battery life may not be an issue. And honestly, the iPad Air is still one of the best tablets on the market.
If I’m being honest, I hope Apple does more than just a silicon bump in future iterations. A 120Hz display and Face ID would be welcome additions to make this device truly compete with other top-tier tablets.
In summary, while the M3 iPad Air is still an incredible device that can handle demanding tasks like video editing and graphics work, it’s not without its flaws. Here’s hoping Apple takes note of these issues and addresses them in future updates.
