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43 facts in comparison

Apple iPad Air 13 (2025) vs Apple iPad Air 13 (2024)

This comparison puts the Apple iPad Air 13 (2025) and Apple iPad Air 13 (2024) side by side — two tablets measured against the same 43-spec sheet, with every meaningful gap scored and explained. On our weighted VS Score they finish level — the differences are real, but they pull in opposite directions.

The single biggest measurable gap is battery life: 10 h vs 29 h.

DesignDisplayPerformanceBatteryCamerasProductivity &connectivitySensors

Tap a category to see which one wins it.

93Points
93Points

Where the Apple iPad Air 13 (2025) beats the Apple iPad Air 13 (2024)

  • 1 g less weight ?616 g vs 617 g
Scroll down for more details

Which one should you buy?

There is no single answer — it depends on what you will actually use it for. Match your priority to the pick below.

  • Best for battery Apple iPad Air 13 (2024) takes the category 100 to 64 — driven by battery life (10 h vs 29 h).
  • Best for design Apple iPad Air 13 (2025) takes the category 100 to 43 — driven by weight (616 g vs 617 g).

Where each one falls short

Apple iPad Air 13 (2025)

  • Battery life: 10 h vs 29 h
  • 4 specs are unreported (shown as Unknown) and excluded from its scores.

Apple iPad Air 13 (2024)

  • No major spec weaknesses in this matchup — the gaps that exist are small.

What matters to you?

Drag the sliders to weight each category and re-rank the products to suit your priorities.

Design
Display
Performance
Battery
Cameras
Productivity & connectivity
Sensors
Your ranking
Apple iPad Air 13 (2025)Your pick94
Apple iPad Air 13 (2024)Your pick94

Score breakdown

Design
Apple iPad Air 13 (2025)100
Apple iPad Air 13 (2024)43
Decided by weight (616 g vs 617 g).
Display
Apple iPad Air 13 (2025)100
Apple iPad Air 13 (2024)100
Performance
Apple iPad Air 13 (2025)100
Apple iPad Air 13 (2024)100
Battery
Apple iPad Air 13 (2025)64
Apple iPad Air 13 (2024)100
Decided by battery life (10 h vs 29 h).
Cameras
Apple iPad Air 13 (2025)100
Apple iPad Air 13 (2024)100
Productivity & connectivity
Apple iPad Air 13 (2025)100
Apple iPad Air 13 (2024)100
Sensors
Apple iPad Air 13 (2025)100
Apple iPad Air 13 (2024)100

How the VS Score works — and what it can’t tell you

Every measurable spec is scored relative to this matchup: the best value here earns 100%, the worst 0%, and everything between scales linearly. Each spec then counts according to an editorial weight that reflects real-world impact — a battery-capacity gap moves the score far more than a colour-options list. The category scores above are the weighted results inside each group, and the overall VS Score rolls all of them together; the evidence line under each category names the specs that actually decided it.

Unknown values are never estimated. A spec a product doesn’t report simply drops out of that product’s scoring — it isn’t penalised with a guess — and a spec only one side reports can never produce a “win”. The trade-off is honest but real: a thinner spec sheet means a score built on fewer data points, which is why the completeness figures are disclosed under About this data.

Most importantly: a spec-sheet lead is not the same as a better product. Megapixels, gigahertz and benchmark points describe capacity, not experience — image processing, software optimisation, thermals, haptics and ergonomics decide how a device actually feels, and no table captures reliability or long-term support quality. Treat the scores as a structured summary of what can be measured, read the caveats under each key difference, and use the weight tuner to re-rank the comparison by what matters to you.

Design

Weight ?
616 g
617 g

A lighter tablet is more comfortable to hold.

Thickness ?
6.1 mm
6.1 mm

A thinner tablet is easier to carry.

Build material ?
Glass front
Glass front

The frame and back materials of the device.

Biometric unlock ?
Apple iPad Air 13 (2025)
Apple iPad Air 13 (2024)

Unlock with a fingerprint or face scan.

Colors ?
Space Gray, Starlight, Purple, Blue
Space Gray, Starlight, Purple, Blue

The colour options the tablet is sold in.

Display

Screen size ?
13 "
13 "

A larger screen is better for media and productivity.

Resolution ?
2,732 px
2,732 px

The vertical pixel count; higher is sharper.

Pixel density ?
264 ppi
264 ppi

More pixels per inch produce crisper text and images.

Refresh rate ?
60 Hz
60 Hz

A higher refresh rate produces smoother motion and scrolling.

Peak brightness ?
600 nits
600 nits

Higher peak brightness is easier to read in bright light.

Panel type ?
Liquid Retina IPS LCD
Liquid Retina IPS LCD

The underlying panel technology (e.g. OLED, IPS).

OLED display ?
Apple iPad Air 13 (2025)
Apple iPad Air 13 (2024)

OLED panels offer deeper blacks and better contrast than LCD.

Laminated display ?
Apple iPad Air 13 (2025)
Apple iPad Air 13 (2024)

A laminated screen reduces glare and stylus parallax.

Contrast ratio ?
? Unknown (Apple iPad Air 13 (2025))
1018:1

The ratio between the brightest white and darkest black.

Performance

Chipset ?
Apple M3
Apple M2

The system-on-chip that powers the device.

RAM ?
8 GB
8 GB

More RAM keeps more apps running smoothly at once.

Internal storage ?
128 GB
128 GB

More storage holds more apps, media and files.

Storage type ?
NVMe
NVMe

The storage standard (e.g. UFS 4.0); newer is faster.

Expandable storage (microSD) ?
Apple iPad Air 13 (2025)
Apple iPad Air 13 (2024)

Storage can be expanded with a memory card.

AnTuTu benchmark ?
? Unknown (Apple iPad Air 13 (2025))
2,536,320

A synthetic score estimating overall performance.

Geekbench multi-core ?
? Unknown (Apple iPad Air 13 (2025))
10,090

Multi-core CPU benchmark score; higher is faster.

Geekbench single-core ?
? Unknown (Apple iPad Air 13 (2025))
2,585

Single-core CPU benchmark score; higher is faster.

RAM type ?
LPDDR5X
LPDDR5

The memory standard (e.g. LPDDR5X); newer is faster.

Battery

Battery capacity ?
9,705 mAh
9,705 mAh

A larger battery generally lasts longer between charges.

Battery life ?
10 h
29 h

Estimated hours of mixed use on a charge.

Wired charging ?
36.59 W
36.59 W

Higher wattage charges the battery faster.

USB-C ?
Apple iPad Air 13 (2025)
Apple iPad Air 13 (2024)

A reversible, widely compatible charging and data port.

Battery type ?
Li-Po
Li-Po

The battery chemistry (e.g. Li-Po, Li-Ion).

Cameras

Rear camera ?
12 MP
12 MP

A higher megapixel count can capture more detail.

Front camera ?
12 MP
12 MP

A higher resolution front camera improves video calls.

Records 4K video ?
Apple iPad Air 13 (2025)
Apple iPad Air 13 (2024)

Captures high-resolution 4K footage.

Front camera aperture ?
2 f/
2 f/

A lower f-number lets in more light for video calls.

Productivity & connectivity

Stylus support ?
Apple iPad Air 13 (2025)
Apple iPad Air 13 (2024)

Works with an active stylus for notes and drawing.

Keyboard support ?
Apple iPad Air 13 (2025)
Apple iPad Air 13 (2024)

Pairs with a dedicated keyboard accessory.

5G support ?
Apple iPad Air 13 (2025)
Apple iPad Air 13 (2024)

Connects to fast 5G mobile networks on the go.

Wi-Fi standard ?
Wi-Fi 6E
Wi-Fi 6E

The Wi-Fi generation supported; later is faster.

Stereo speakers ?
Apple iPad Air 13 (2025)
Apple iPad Air 13 (2024)

Multiple speakers deliver richer, more immersive sound.

Bluetooth version ?
5.3
5.3

A newer Bluetooth version improves range and efficiency.

NFC ?
Apple iPad Air 13 (2025)
Apple iPad Air 13 (2024)

Enables contactless pairing and payments.

Operating system ?
iPadOS 18.3.2
iPadOS 17.5.1

The software platform the device runs.

Sensors

Accelerometer ?
Apple iPad Air 13 (2025)
Apple iPad Air 13 (2024)

Detects motion and orientation for auto-rotate.

Gyroscope ?
Apple iPad Air 13 (2025)
Apple iPad Air 13 (2024)

Senses rotation for gaming and photography.

Compass ?
Apple iPad Air 13 (2025)
Apple iPad Air 13 (2024)

A magnetometer for navigation and maps.

About this data

  • Specifications are compiled from each manufacturer’s official spec sheet, cross-checked against trusted specification databases, and normalised into one schema so identical things are compared identically.
  • Specifications last verified July 9, 2026.
  • Data completeness: Apple iPad Air 13 (2025) 91% and Apple iPad Air 13 (2024) 100% of the 43 specs in this category. Anything we could not verify is shown as Unknown — never estimated — and is excluded from all scores.
  • Prices and availability come from live retailer feeds via our shopping partners and refresh throughout the day; a missing price means no partner currently lists the product, not that it is discontinued.
  • Want the full picture? Our editorial guidelines explain how we research products, weight the scores and stay independent.
  • Spotted an error in a spec? Tell us and we will correct the sheet.

What reviewers say

The bottom line

The Apple iPad Air 13 (2025) and the Apple iPad Air 13 (2024) are neck and neck, both scoring around 93 on our VS Score. It leads on Design. The Apple iPad Air 13 (2024) answers back with stronger Battery. With so little between them, your choice comes down to which strengths matter most to you.

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