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Apple's new $599 budget phone brings MagSafe compatibility, higher base storage and an A19 chip. That makes the trade-offs easier to swallow.

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Apple iPhone 17e: Two-Minute Review

The Apple iPhone 17e isn’t a total reinvention of Apple’s budget iPhone — rather, it’s a refinement of the formula introduced by the Apple iPhone 16e. That phone did the heavy lifting by modernizing the design and retiring the Home button that defined the Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation); the 17e simply makes the package more compelling.

Some of that freshness comes with a new Soft Pink color option alongside Black and White, but the bigger upgrades are under the hood. The iPhone 17e runs on Apple’s A19 chip and feels consistently fast in everyday use, and now starts with 256GB of storage — double the base capacity of its predecessor — while keeping the same $599 / £599 / AU$999 starting price.

The camera setup remains simple, with just a single 48-megapixel rear lens, but Apple has improved what it can do. Portrait shots now benefit from smarter depth detection, letting you add the blur effect after taking the photo, and image processing still delivers the natural colors and reliability people expect from an iPhone.

There are compromises, though. You won’t get the multiple cameras, high-refresh-rate display, or always-on screen found on pricier iPhones like the Apple iPhone 17 or Apple iPhone 17 Pro. If an ultra-wide camera matters to you, the iPhone 16 or iPhone 17 is a better option.

But for anyone who simply wants a modern iPhone that doesn’t break the bank, the iPhone 17e delivers exactly that. It’s an especially easy upgrade if you’re coming from an iPhone SE, an iPhone 11, or anything older.

Apple iPhone 17e: Price and availability

• $599 / £599 / AU$999 starting price
• 256GB starting storage

With double the storage, and a couple of headline new features, you might expect that the iPhone 17e would cost more than the iPhone 16e, but Apple has kept the starting price the same.

The iPhone 17e starts at $599 / £599 / AU$999 for 256GB of storage, and comes in Black, White, or Soft Pink. In the United States, it's an eSIM-only device, while in the UK or Australia it supports eSIM but also has a physical SIM card slot. Globally, it arrives with a USB-C to USB-C cable. If you need more storage, Apple also sells the iPhone 17e with 512GB of storage.

Apple iPhone 17e: Specs

iPhone 17e

Dimensions:

146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8mm

Weight:

169g

Display:

6.1-inch OLED

Resolution:

2532 x 1170 pixels

Refresh rate:

60Hz

Chipset:

A19

Software

iOS 26

Rear cameras:

48MP main (26mm, f/1.6)

Front camera:

12MP (f/1.9)

Storage:

256GB, 512GB

Apple iPhone 17e: Design

(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)

• New 'Soft Pink' color is great
• Similar design to the iPhone 16e
• Finally, MagSafe arrives

Outwardly there's no real difference between the iPhone 17e and the iPhone 16e – it still feels like a modern iPhone, albeit a little more sparse on the back compared to the mainline models with a single camera, but it’s largely crafted with the same premium materials we’ve come to expect.

There is a new color option with the iPhone 17e, and you now have three choices, much like we saw with the last-generation iPhone SE. Like the 16e the 17e comes in Black and White, and there's also a Soft Pink option, which is the color of my review unit. Depending on how the light hits it, the ultra-blush nature of the color can be hard to spot, but when it hits just right it’s a lovely and, yes, soft shade of pink, and I especially like how it looks on the aluminum sides all around.

The gloss-finished Apple logo centered on the rear can be hard to spot at times, as it can blend right into the matte soft pink finish. All in all it’s a lovely color addition, and it could make the 17e a whole lot more appealing.

The other change is hidden underneath the back panel: the iPhone 17e has full MagSafe, meaning the magnetic ring works with a treasure trove of accessories, from the Apple-made FineWoven Wallet and third-party accessories from the likes of PopSockets to Octobuddys, to charging stands from Belkin and Anker. This was a key missing feature on the 16e, and it makes the iPhone 17e feel more like a truly modern iPhone.

(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)

Yes, it has a notch in the display and lacks an ultra-wide or telephoto camera, but otherwise it feels very much like a member of the iPhone 17 family. The corners are a bit sharper — the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, and iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are a bit more rounded — but when the display is off, and from the front, you wouldn't notice much of a difference.

The iPhone 17e has the same dimensions as the 16e, with both phones measuring 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8mm, but the addition of MagSafe means the iPhone 17e weighs slightly more, at 169 grams versus the 167 grams of the 16e.

There’s a USB-C port on the bottom flanked by speakers and a microphone, the main power button on the right-hand side, and the customizable Action button, as well as volume up and volume down, on the left side. It's essentially the button layout we’ve come to expect on the iPhone, with Camera Control being the only button missing here.

The iPhone 17e is still plenty durable, with the same IP68 resistance spec as the 16e. That means it can survive for up to 30 minutes in up to six meters of water, and the display — more on that below — is Ceramic Shield 2 like the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup, which Apple says makes it three times more scratch resistant than models without that material.

• Design score: 4 / 5

Apple iPhone 17e: Display

(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)

• 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR is great for daily use
• More scratch resistant thanks to Ceramic Shield 2
• Still has a notch

While the iPhone 17 ushered in a major glow-up for the base iPhone’s display, the Apple iPhone 17e isn’t getting the same treatment. That means there’s no always-on display here, and the refresh rate hasn’t been upgraded to a buttery-smooth 120Hz.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though. If you’re coming from an iPhone SE (3rd generation) or anything older than the iPhone 11, you’ll still get a pretty sizable display upgrade. The iPhone 17e features a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED with a 2532 x 1170 resolution at 460 pixels per inch. It towers over the 4.7-inch screen on the SE, and offers a much more immersive view than the iPhone 11, stretching much closer to the bezels.

Apple also includes some of its usual display perks here. The panel supports True Tone, which adjusts the color warmth depending on the environment you’re in, alongside Wide Color (P3) support for richer hues. It can also reach up to 1,200 nits of brightness for HDR content.

In everyday use colors look punchy, contrast is strong, and it’s excellent for watching videos, scrolling web pages, responding to emails, or hopping on FaceTime calls. If you’re not coming from a device with an always-on display or a high refresh rate, the screen here will still feel plenty modern.

Maybe the one oddball feature — or the biggest tell that this is using an older iPhone frame — is the notch. Apple first brought it back with the Apple iPhone 16e, and it returns again on the 17e instead of the Dynamic Island. It still cuts slightly into content, but not in a way that feels particularly intrusive. Inside that notch sits the 12-megapixel front-facing camera, alongside the TrueDepth sensor stack, which powers Face ID for unlocking the phone and securely authenticating purchases, or parts of iOS.

• Display score: 4 / 5

Apple iPhone 17e: Software and Apple Intelligence

(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)

• iOS 26 is on board, complete with Liquid Glass
• Standby Mode is excellent

Like the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup, the iPhone 17e is running iOS 26 out of the box — specifically iOS 26.3 — and the standout feature of this platform is Liquid Glass, which freshens up the whole experience and adds to the all-round 'modern' feel.

Apple even pairs the Soft Pink model with a matching wallpaper that looks excellent, with layered shapes that resemble flower petals, each one appearing like slabs of pink glass blending together. As for Liquid Glass and the layers of iOS, you’ll find that elements of an app and the interface live more cohesively. For instance, Control Center is still very actionable and fully customizable, but it will let you see what’s behind it, though translucency can vary.

Alongside the updated user interface, and now nearly seven months out from its launch, many app developers have rolled out their own take on Liquid Glass.

As on other iPhones you can customize the Action Button — within Settings select Action Button and then swipe between the options — to tailor the 17e experience a bit. You can quickly open the camera, another favorite app, or even trigger a customized workflow using Shortcuts.

iOS 26 also introduced a redesigned Phone app for a more modern look that puts Favorites at the top and Recents right below it — but don’t worry, if you don’t like this change you can switch back.

Many top control bars are now positioned at the bottom, making them easier to reach, and Messages got a serious glow-up with the ability to customize the background for any given chat, whether it’s one-on-one or a group message.

(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)

Apple Intelligence is fully supported on the iPhone 17e, meaning you can create custom emojis dubbed Genmojis, remove unwanted photobombers or objects in pictures with Clean Up, summarize notifications, and even use Visual Intelligence with screenshots to figure out what something is, or add something to your calendar by snapping a photo of a poster.

Apple’s roster of AI features is still growing, but the major AI-powered Siri is still billed as “coming soon.” I wouldn’t buy the iPhone 17e just for that promise, but when Apple is ready to ship it the feature will be supported here, thanks to the A19 chip under the hood — essentially the same processor that powers the iPhone 17, albeit with one fewer GPU core.

While you might think of MagSafe as being mainly for accessories or faster wireless charging, it also enables StandBy mode when the iPhone 17e is placed on a MagSafe dock, or plugged in and turned sideways. It works best on a wireless MagSafe stand, and essentially enables the 17e to serve as a mini smart display, with the 6.1-inch screen showing the time in any of several different styles. You can also swipe between widgets like weather or stocks, or even run a slideshow of photos. If it’s sitting on your desk or nightstand, the option to have notifications — like messages or emails — briefly appear on-screen is handy.

• Software score: 4 / 5

Apple iPhone 17e: Camera

(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)

• Still a single, 48-megapixel main camera
• Shoots at 1x or 2x zoom
• You can now apply the Portrait effect after a photo is taken

Yes, there’s a considerable price difference — and a major difference in overall design — between the iPhone 17e and the iPhone 17 Air, but the camera setup is actually quite similar. Both of these iPhones have just a single camera on the back, and it’s clear that some of the gains — specifically around Portrait Mode with just one lens — from the Air have trickled down to the 17e.

Like the Apple iPhone 16e, the iPhone 17e features a single 48MP Fusion main camera with built-in optical image stabilization. You can shoot at either 1x or 2x, with the latter proving especially useful for portraits of people or pets. It’s a little surprising at this price point to have just one lens, but that’s the approach Apple has taken here. If you want two lenses — specifically the addition of an ultra-wide — you’ll need to spend more for something like the Apple iPhone 17 or even the Apple iPhone 16. And, if you’re willing to step outside the Apple ecosystem, phones like the Google Pixel 9a or Google Pixel 10a offer dual cameras for around the same price or less.

All that aside, the 48-megapixel sensor paired with the updated image pipeline powered by the A19 chip performs really well here. The iPhone 17e captures excellent shots with great detail and realistic colors — something we’ve come to expect from modern iPhones. It’s not a night-and-day difference compared to the 16e, but if you’re coming from an older iPhone you’ll notice the improvement when shooting everything from cityscapes to skies, pets, or people.

The real improvement here, though, is next-generation Portrait Mode. When you shoot a person, or a pet, using the standard Photo mode, the camera automatically detects depth and lets you add the bokeh effect afterwards. It works really well, and similarly to the iPhone Air, the iPhone 17e is surprisingly capable for single-lens portrait shots — even when it comes down to finer details like hair separation. It’s a welcome addition for Apple’s more affordable iPhone.

The front-facing camera remains a 12-megapixel lens, and it doesn’t get the wider field of view found on the iPhone 17 or Air. That means selfies with multiple people can sometimes feel like a bit of a game of Tetris. Still, it captures solid shots for selfies and FaceTime calls — you can see some of the images I shot with the iPhone 17e in the gallery below.

It’s not the most flexible camera setup Apple offers, but for everyday shots the iPhone 17e still delivers the kind of results we've come to expect from an iPhone.

• Camera score: 4 / 5

Camera samplesJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureApple iPhone 17e: Performance

(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)

• A19 chip offers excellent performance
• Starting storage is doubled

Probably my favorite upgrade to the iPhone 17e is the chip inside, and the storage paired with it. The 17e is powered by Apple’s A19 chip, which debuted in the iPhone 17, and starting storage has doubled from 128GB to 256GB, and this phone feel like great value, especially as the starting price is unchanged from last year.

It’s a slightly different version of the A19 to that found in the iPhone 17. Inside the 17e there's still a 3-nanometer chip made up of a six-core CPU — two performance cores and four efficiency cores, and a four-core GPU with accelerators, and a 16-core Neural Engine. Even with one fewer GPU core than the A19 in the iPhone 17, everything flies on the iPhone 17e. If you’re coming from an older smartphone, you’re going to notice a significant improvement.

With double the starting storage, you’ll also have plenty of room for apps, music, video downloads, and photos or videos captured with the 48-megapixel main camera or 12-megapixel selfie camera. In daily use, I found the 17e to be consistently responsive, and quick to deliver on whatever I asked it to do.

I was able to edit videos in iMovie, CapCut, or Edits, play games like Mini Metro, Disney Dreamlight Valley, Asphalt 9, and Real Flight Simulator, scroll through videos on TikTok or Instagram, respond to emails in Gmail or Mail, send messages, make calls, and browse the web, all without running into slowdowns. For everyday tasks it felt very similar to using the iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Air.

My qualitative experience with the iPhone 17e also closely matched the quantitative tests run by the Future team. The 17e scored 3,606 single-core and 9,292 multi-core on Geekbench 6.5, which is a decent leap over the Apple iPhone 16e, which scored 3,235 single-core and 8,056 multi-core. It’s also pretty close to the standard iPhone 17, which scored 3,701 single-core and 9,460 multi-core.

Beyond day-to-day performance, the iPhone 17e also features Apple’s latest modem, the C1X, which first appeared in the iPhone 17 Air. In my testing it worked well for cellular connectivity, and Apple says it’s up to twice as fast as the previous-generation C1 found in the 16e. I’ve been testing the iPhone 17e on AT&T’s network in the US, and I routinely saw full bars with 5G+, with download speeds averaging around 403Mbps and upload speeds averaging about 27.4Mbps up in the New Jersey area.

• Performance score: 5 / 5

Apple iPhone 17e: Battery

(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)

• Excellent all-day battery life
• Improved wired charging speeds
• MagSafe is here and offers 15-watt wireless charging

With no always-on display functionality, it might come as no surprise that the iPhone 17e easily clears the bar for all-day battery life. In typical Apple fashion, we don’t know the exact battery size inside — Apple just says to expect up to 26 hours of video playback. In my testing I routinely made it through a full day, even on busier days filled with video exports, FaceTime calls, and plenty of texting while on the go. It's fair to say that the A19 chip paired with the C1X modem offers some welcome efficiencies.

The addition of MagSafe isn’t just great for accessories and functionality within Apple’s ecosystem — remember, MagSafe first premiered with the Apple iPhone 12 lineup. It also significantly improves wireless charging speeds compared to the Apple iPhone 16e or the Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation). In fact, it finally makes wireless charging feel genuinely usable here.

Rather than being limited to 7.5W on a standard wireless charging pad, MagSafe allows the iPhone 17e to charge at up to 15W when paired with a compatible charger, although you will need to pair the MagSafe charger with at least a 20W power adapter to reach those speeds. While the phone can get a bit warm midway through a charge, it cools down soon after.

For wired charging, the iPhone 17e ships with a USB-C to USB-C cable in the box worldwide. Pair it with a 20W power adapter and you can reach up to a 50% charge in about 30 minutes. That’s a welcome addition, and considering that this is the more affordable option in the iPhone lineup, it’s nice that you don’t need a more powerful — or more expensive — charger to get those speeds.

While it doesn’t arrive with multiple rear cameras or a notch-free display with a higher refresh rate or always-on functionality, the iPhone 17e certainly checks the battery box.

• Battery score: 5 / 5

Apple iPhone 17e: Should you buy?iPhone 17e score card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Design

Identical design to the iPhone 16e, with a new Soft Pink color option.

4 / 5

Display

A great display, even with a notch and 60Hz refresh rate.

4 / 5

Camera

While there's just one lens, the 48-megapixel camera is plenty capable for 1x and 2x shots, plus you can add depth effects after the fact.

4 / 5

Software

iOS 26 feels plenty fresh on the iPhone 17e, and the budget iPhone can take full advantage of the software.

4 / 5

Performance

The A19 chip offers stellar performance, and gives us no concerns about longevity.

4.5 / 5

Battery

Still lasts all day, but no improvement here.

5 / 5

Value

Apple's budget iPhone is better than even before, and keeps the same price

5 / 5

Buy it if...

You have an older iPhone
Moving to the 17e means a larger OLED display, much faster performance, better cameras, and significantly improved battery life. It’s an easy upgrade if your current iPhone is a few generations old, like an iPhone SE or a model older than the iPhone 11.View Deal

You're okay with just one camera
The single 48-megapixel camera might not be the most flexible setup Apple offers, but it still captures detailed shots with natural colors, and the improved portrait detection adds some extra versatility.View Deal

Don’t buy it if...

You want the best iPhone possible
If you want the best cameras, performance, or screen, or the most modern design, you'll want to look at the iPhone 17, 17 Pro or 17 Pro Max, or the iPhone Air.View Deal

You want a flexibile, fun camera setup
With just one camera, the iPhone 17e might leave you wanting more. If you want an ultra-wide consider the iPhone 17 or iPhone 16, or for the most complete setup look at the iPhone 17 Pro or 17 Pro MaxView Deal

Apple iPhone 17e: How I tested

I've been testing the Apple iPhone 17e for nearly a week to complete this review, and my unit was Apple’s new budget iPhone in Soft Pink. After unboxing the device, I set it up fresh, signed in with my Apple Account, activated an eSIM, and began downloading my most-used apps — along with several testing apps — to make myself at home.

I then customized the iOS 26 experience a bit to get an early feelf or the A19 chip inside, and continued using it throughout the week for a mix of productivity, creative, gaming, and everyday apps to see how the iPhone 17e performed. To gauge battery life, I tracked how long it lasted each day, and I tested different options recharging the phone.

To test the cameras — both the main and selfie — I took many photos of varying subjects in different lighting conditions to test the sensor and image processing.

I also compared the iPhone 17e with several other phones, including the iPhone SE (3rd generation), iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro Max, Google Pixel 10a, and Google Pixel 9a to better evaluate performance, camera quality, and overall value.

First reviewed March, 9 2026.

Apple iPad Air 13-inch (2026) review: One-minute review

Apple’s iPad Air has long been the 'pro model for most people,' and the 2026 refresh keeps that reputation intact. There are no real design changes this year, but Apple gives the tablet a fuel injection of performance thanks to the M4 chip under the hood, more RAM, and improved connectivity.

This means the iPad Air keeps pace in terms of having Apple’s latest silicon while still sitting below the iPad Pro in price. In everyday use the 13-inch iPad Air absolutely flies, whether you’re juggling multiple windows in iPadOS 26, editing photos or videos, gaming, or pairing it with the Magic Keyboard to act as a laptop replacement.

The display remains the same excellent Liquid Retina panel that was introduced in 2024, and while it still tops out at 60Hz rather than the iPad Pro’s 120Hz ProMotion, it’s a large, vibrant canvas for work, entertainment, and Apple Pencil note-taking.

If you already own an M3 or even M2 iPad Air, this probably isn’t a must-have upgrade. But for anyone coming from an older iPad, or buying their first Air, the M4 model continues to hit a sweet spot of power, portability, and price.

Simply put, the iPad Air with M4 remains the iPad most people should buy. I just hope Apple continues this trend of squeezing more value out of the device. The consistent silicon upgrades keep the iPad Air feeling fresh for years after release, giving it plenty of headroom for new apps and features. I do wish Apple had take the same approach it did with the iPhone 17e by bumping the starting storage, though.

And bear in mind that — as I note in every iPad review I write — you’ll want to factor in the cost of accessories like the Apple Pencil and the Magic Keyboard. Both are excellent companions for the iPad Air, but deciding whether to add one or both ultimately comes down to your needs and your budget.

Apple iPad Air 13-inch (2026) review: SpecsiPad Air (2026) Specs

iPad Air 11-inch

iPad Air 13-inch

Starting price

$599 / £599 / AU$999

$799 / £799 / AU$1,299

Operating system

iPadOS 26

iPadOS 26

Chipset

M4

M4

Memory (RAM)

12GB

12GB

Storage

128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB

128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB

Display

11-inch LED Backlit (2360 x 1640) IPS LCD

13-inch LED Backlit (2732 x 2048) IPS LCD

Cameras

12MP wide main, 12MP ultrawide front

12MP wide main, 12MP ultrawide front

Battery

28.93Wh

36.59Wh

Connectivity

Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. 5G Sub-6Ghz and Gigabit LTE on Cellular models.

Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. 5G Sub-6Ghz and Gigabit LTE on Cellular models.

Weight

460g

617g

Dimensions

247.6mm x 178.5mm x 6.1mm

280.6mm x 214.9mm x 6.1mm

Apple iPad Air 13-inch (2026) review: Price and availability

Apple is continuing a welcome recent trend with the latest iPad Air, upgrading the processor, and some other features, without raising the starting price. The 11-inch iPad Air and 13-inch iPad Air still start with 128GB of storage, but can be configured up to 1TB.

The 11-inch iPad Air starts at $599 / £599 / AU$999, while the 13-inch iPad Air starts at $799 / £799 / AU$1,249, both with 128GB of storage and Wi-Fi connectivity.

Apple iPad Air 13-inch (2026) review: Design

(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)

• Still a modern, portable design
• Same four colors and no major design changes

What's new about Apple’s 2026 iPad Air — aka the iPad Air with M4 or iPad Air (M4) — is mostly a matter of what’s under the hood. With the same four colors available — Blue, Purple, Starlight, or Space Gray — it keeps a nearly identical build and design language to 2025’s iPad Air with M3, and largely the same look introduced with the 2024 iPad Air with M2.

That’s not a bad thing at all — amid a sea of other mid-range tablets, Apple is still opting for a premium aluminum build that feels plenty portable. Even though the iPad Air is no longer the thinnest or lightest iPad in Apple’s lineup — that honor goes to the iPad Pro — the 13-inch variant remains easily portable, and the 11-inch model even more so.

I regularly go back and forth between either an 11-inch Air or Pro and a 13-inch, and I found myself right at home with the 13-inch iPad Air. It’s the same footprint generation-over-generation at 280.6 x 214.9 x 6.1mm and 616 grams (617 grams for cellular), and I absolutely love the Purple shade, although another fresher shade joining the range – maybe a blush pink, as with the iPhone 17e, or citrus yellow like the MacBook Neo, would have been nice.

For the purposes of describing the button layout, we'll talk about using the tablet in landscape mode. The power button with the all-important Touch ID sensor lives on the top left-hand edge, with the volume up and volume down buttons sitting nearby along the top edge. Right beside them are the magnets that easily hold the Apple Pencil Pro or Apple Pencil USB-C.

Everything remains easy to reach in either orientation, and it’s clear Apple feels it's got the ergonomics right here, since the layout hasn’t changed. Touch ID is still fast and reliable for unlocking the iPad Air, or authenticating purchases and other secure actions.

On the rear, the 12-megapixel rear camera remains in the top-left corner on the back, while Apple's Smart connector is along the right edge. This still lets the iPad Air connect to Apple's Magic Keyboard, all without the need for traditional Bluetooth pairing or needing to recharge the accessory.

The Apple logo is centered on the back of the iPad, though it's oriented to be in the proper position when it's held vertical, in landscape it's sideways — either way round it offers some neat reflections and sits flat with the matte aluminum finish.

Ultimately, if you liked the design of the previous iPad Air, or the one before that, you’ll feel right at home here.

• Design score: 4 / 5

Apple iPad Air 13-inch (2026) review: Display

(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)

• Display is still sharp, vibrant Liquid Retina
• Still no 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate

Arguably, the most important part of any iPad is the display, and that's even more the case with the 13-inch iPad Air. There are no changes generation over generation here — in fact, this is the same display Apple introduced when it first introduced a larger 13-inch iPad Air in 2024.

That’s not a bad thing, though, as the 13-inch iPad Air affords you an expansive canvas on which to work. It’s only gotten better since true multitasking landed with iPadOS 26, and it's also excellent for watching films or TV shows (anyone else catching up on Scrubs on Disney+ or Hulu right now?).

The 13-inch Liquid Retina display is excellent (Apple is still rounding up from a 12.9-inch screen measured diagonally). It’s not quite as impressive as the iPad Pro’s Dynamic OLED panel with a 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate, but it goes the full mile for productivity and creative tasks. Whether I was watching a film, editing in Final Cut Pro, overlapping windows to write this review, browsing the web, or gaming, everything looked great here.

Colors are vibrant and punchy, but I especially like writing with the Apple Pencil Pro on the 13-inch iPad Air and seeing the inky black handwriting appear. Of course, you can make that pop even more by changing the color of the pencil in Notes, Notability, or GoodNotes — take your pick of your preferred note-taking app.

Just like the previous two generations, the 13-inch Liquid Retina display offers a 2732 x 2048 resolution at 264 pixels per inch with a maximum brightness of 600 nits. The anti-reflective oleophobic coating is pretty essential here on the 13-inch – and the same goes for the 11-inch Air – helping repel fingerprints and reduce reflections from natural light.

As I wrote in 2025, the main miss here is a higher refresh rate. The 13-inch iPad Air still tops out at 60Hz, while Apple reserves the adaptive 120Hz ProMotion display for the iPad Pro lineup. Then again, if you’re not coming from that device — and I don’t see why you would be — it likely won’t be a major issue, and Apple is clearly adding value elsewhere, as in the jump to the M4 chip.

• Display score: 4 / 5

Apple iPad Air 13-inch (2026) review: Cameras

(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)

• No changes to the front or rear cameras
• Front camera is still in a better spot, and supports Center Stage

If you’re picking up a 13-inch iPad Air for the first time, or upgrading from an older model, you’ll be happy to know the front-facing camera is in a much better spot than on older models. Like the previous 13-inch iPad Air, the 2026 model with M4 keeps the 12-megapixel front camera on the long edge, which makes it far more usable for FaceTime and other video calls when the tablet is docked in a Smart Cover or the Magic Keyboard.

In landscape mode, the camera sits centered along the top edge, which means you’ll appear properly framed on video calls or when recording self-tapes. It also works nicely with Apple’s built-in Center Stage technology, which keeps you in frame as you move around. That’s helpful if you tend to pace during meetings, or if you’re on a FaceTime call while cooking in the kitchen, and moving around to slice and dice ingredients. Image quality here is solid, and you can enable effects such as Portrait mode and Studio Light in iPadOS.

On the back is the same 12-megapixel rear camera as last time. It’s perfectly fine for snapping quick photos or scanning documents, though I’m not that sure many people are bringing a 13-inch iPad Air along specifically to capture the world. Either way, here are a few shots I captured.

• Cameras score: 4 / 5

Apple iPad Air 13-inch (2026) review:: Software

(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)

• iPadOS 26 is still a supercharged experience
• Works well with the optional Magic Keyboard or Apple Pencil

iPadOS 26 was a game-changing update for the entire iPad lineup, but you can really feel the difference on a larger 13-inch iPad Air or Pro. I remember buying the original 12.9-inch iPad when it first launched and ditching my MacBook Pro, hoping to use the iPad as my one device while in college — it wasn’t easy back then, but iPadOS 26 makes it a lot more achievable.

And I’ve been pushing iPadOS 26 pretty hard on the iPad Air (M4, 2026). I’ll dive more into performance below, but this thing really does fly. The main feature of iPadOS 26 is proper window multitasking. I can open Safari and resize it from the bottom corner, then pull Messages into a floating window, do the same with Pixelmator Pro, and continue stacking apps however I see fit. It’s not exactly the Mac experience like for like, though the familiar red, yellow, and green window controls appear in the corner and you can enable a top menu bar, but the system still feels purpose-built for the iPad’s more flexible way of working.

That flexibility really shines on the 13-inch display. I can use my finger, the Magic Keyboard’s trackpad, or an Apple Pencil — whichever input works best for what I’m doing. During testing I edited video in Final Cut, wrote and organized this review in Pages, Google Docs via Safari, and Notes, edited photos in Pixelmator Pro as part of Apple Creator Studio, played games like Real Flight Simulator and Disney Dreamlight Valley, took notes during meetings, FaceTimed with friends and family, and watched plenty of videos.

I did a lot of that undocked, but I also spent time using Apple’s Magic Keyboard. For the iPad Air it now comes in black as well as white, and pricing remains at $319 / £299 / AU$499 for the 13-inch model and $269 / £269 / AU$449 for the 11-inch. With the iPad Air attached it starts to feel quite Mac-like — the tablet floats slightly thanks to strong magnets and you get a good range of tilt for adjusting the screen. The keys have great travel, the trackpad is quite large, and you even get an extra USB-C port for charging or connecting accessories.

For most of this review period I actually pushed my Apple MacBook Pro (14‑inch, M5) to the side and used the iPad Air with the Magic Keyboard instead. No, the keyboard isn’t included, and it does add to the price, but it really does unlock a more complete working experience.

Similarly, the Apple Pencil Pro — priced at $129 / £129 / AU$219 — remains one of the accessories that truly makes an iPad feel like an iPad. It’s fantastic for note-taking, sketching, or mapping out ideas, and artists can do a lot with it in apps like Procreate or Pixelmator Pro. Of course, it’s also great for navigating around iPadOS itself.

Apple Intelligence is also supported here. You’ll see Siri’s full-screen edge glow when asking for help with a long press or by saying “Hey Siri,” — the much-anticipated AI-powered Siri is still on the way, but when it does arrive, the iPad Air will support it. In the meantime you can already use Apple’s AI features to clean up unwanted objects in Photos, solve math problems in Notes, and access a growing set of other tools that should expand further over time.

• Software score: 4 /5

Apple iPad Air 13-inch (2026) review: Performance

(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)

• M4 chip lets you complete most, if not all, feasible tasks on the iPad Air
• Keeps things fast today, with no concerns about the future
• Plenty of headroom for even the most complex tasks

As the name suggests, the iPad Air’s performance is where the real changes lie this year. On the cellular model I’ve been testing there are three upgrades, while the Wi-Fi model gets two. Let’s start with the chip under the hood — and credit Apple for sticking with a steady upgrade strategy.

Apple shipped the iPad Air with the M2 chip in 2024, and with the M3 in 2025; and now in 2026 both the 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air move to the M4 chip with 12GB of RAM, up from 8GB previously. So while this does mean that if you have an M3 iPad Air you likely don’t need to upgrade — and the same goes for the M2 edition — Apple is steadily keeping this iPad up to date with its latest silicon, ultimately making it more appealing, and better value for someone approaching the iPad Air fresh today.

Inside, the M4 chip features an eight-core CPU with three performance cores and five efficiency cores, a nine-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine. Regardless of size, it’s paired with 12GB of RAM, and hardware-accelerated ray tracing is supported here as well, which can benefit gaming and creative tasks like video editing or 3D rendering. Memory bandwidth also jumps to 120GB/s, up from 100GB/s previously.

As with the previous generation and the M3, Apple’s decision to bring the M4 chip to the iPad Air really raises the question of whether most people need the iPad Pro for performance alone. The Air sits comfortably above the base iPad in this respect, and feels incredibly capable for heavy multitasking, creative work, and gaming.

As I always do, I tried to throw a lot at the 13-inch iPad Air with M4, and I struggled to slow it down. Even when exporting a video in the background while launching a game and running FaceTime in a floating window, the tablet remained smooth and responsive. The iPad Air simply flies — whether you’re using it as a media consumption device or pairing it with the Magic Keyboard as your main computing machine. The M4 chip also runs silently, and stays cool even while handling heavier workloads.

In everyday use, the iPad Air with M4 rarely feels limited by its hardware. Ultimately, the best compliment I can give it is that whatever I threw at the tablet — within the confines of iPadOS 26 on a 13-inch display — it handled it effortlessly.

Apple’s M4 chip also performed well in our benchmark tests. In Geekbench 6, the 13-inch iPad Air with M4 scored 3,745 single-core and 13,342 multi-core. That’s a solid jump over the iPad Air with M3, which scored 3,023 single-core and 11,716 multi-core, and the M2 model’s 2,591 single-core and 10,046 multi-core. The M3 model was already very fast, so you won’t see dramatic gains year over year, but if you’re upgrading from an M1 Air, an entry-level iPad, or even an older iPad Pro, the improvement will be noticeable.

• Performance score: 4.5 / 5

Apple iPad Air 13-inch (2026) review: Battery and connectivity

(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)

• Still all-day battery life
• Wi-Fi 7 is supported here
• C1X Modem makes for speedy 5G speeds, if you opt for cellular

Unlike the iPhone, Apple actually shares the exact battery size inside the iPad Air — and other iPads — along with its estimates for playback and use. The battery sizes remain unchanged generation over generation, with the 13-inch iPad Air packing a 36.59Wh battery and the 11-inch model coming in at 28.93Wh. That’s not a bad thing, as neither M3 model struggled with battery life.

Apple rates the iPad Air for up to 10 hours of web browsing or video playback on Wi-Fi models, and up to nine hours of web use on cellular models. In my daily testing, the 13-inch iPad Air generally made it through most of a workday without issue, though I did occasionally find myself reaching for a charger towards the evening if I wanted to keep using it later into the night.

Apple still ships the iPad Air with a USB-C to USB-C cable and a wall charger in the box.

Complementing the M4 chip is Apple’s N1 chip, which enables support for Wi-Fi 7 alongside Bluetooth 6 and the Thread networking protocol. If you opt for the cellular model, you’ll also get the C1X modem — the same one found in the iPhone Air — for fast connectivity. Like all cellular iPads, the iPad Air is eSIM-only. I’ve been testing the 13-inch iPad Air on Verizon and saw some impressive 5G speeds across New Jersey and New York City.

• Battery and Connectivity score: 4 / 5

Apple iPad Air 13-inch (2026): Should you buy it?Apple iPad Air 13-inch (2026) Scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

Apple putting the M4 chip inside makes the iPad Air an easier recommendation as the 'pro' model for most folks.

4.5 / 5

Design

Still a modern, portable tablet, even with no design changes year over year.

4 / 5

Display

Display is still excellent, especially at the 13-inch size.

4 / 5

Cameras

The two cameras on the iPad Air are versatile, with the front-facing camera being excellent for video calls.

4 / 5

Software

iPadOS 26 is loaded with features, and the iPad Air is able to take advantage of all of them, especially multitasking.

4 / 5

Performance

The M4 chip makes the iPad Air very, very fast

4.5 / 5

Battery and Connectivity

Apple continues to deliver on all-day battery life, and the C1X modem ensures fast 5G speeds, if the network is there.

4 /5

Buy it if...

You have an older iPad or tablet

The M4 chip ensures you won’t have any concerns about power or performance, and makes this an especially good upgrade if you have an M1 iPad Air or older, an entry-level iPad, or another older tablet, and are craving more power.View Deal

You don’t want to break the bank

The iPad Air still offers plenty of power in two sizes at a lower price than the iPad Pro.View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You want Apple's best display

If having the best visuals possible is your number one deciding factor, opt for the iPad Pro with M4, and its excellent Dynamic OLED display. View Deal

You don’t need M-series power

If you don't need an iPad to replace your laptop or your main device, consider the entry-level iPad — it's excellent for most everyday tasks, and even for some more advanced onesView Deal

Apple iPad Air 13-inch (2026): How I tested

I spent six days testing Apple's 13-inch iPad Air with M4, along with a Smart Folio, Apple Pencil Pro, and a Magic Keyboard. After unboxing it I set up the iPad Air as new, downloading all my essential apps.

After that, I switched to the iPad Air from a 14-inch MacBook Pro as my main device for work and play. I threw many tasks into the mix, from productivity-themed ones like responding to emails, uploading articles to a CMS, writing, editing, editing photos and videos, playing games, plenty of video calls, and multitasking to test the M4 chip inside the iPad Air. I also compared it to the entry-level iPad, the previous-generation M3 and M2 iPad Air, the iPad Mini, and the M4 and M5 iPad Pro.

First reviewed March 9, 2026.

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