New iPad Air 4 (2020) Review – I Got One!

I got myself a new iPad! The iPad Air 4, aka iPad Air 2020.

The last time I got an iPad was the iPad Mini 2 a little while after it came out. That was released 7 years ago, so it was about time I updated my tech.

Here’s my thoughts on the iPad Air 4.

Earlier this year I was looking at the iPad Pro. There was a really good deal on the official Apple refurbished site, and I was really tempted to go for one. Then the new models came around, and finally they released the iPad Air 4.

The Pro line is very expensive, too expensive for my own usage which is just for browsing and using a few apps. I couldn’t really justify getting one of those (apart from the good deals on the refurbs), so I was waiting around for something good.

The Design

The most noticeable difference in this iPad from the rest of the non-pro pack is the screen. There’s no button and it’s almost all screen. The bezels are small, and only marginally larger than on the Pro (You can only tell the difference side-by-side, and even then it’s a small difference).

It feels so big to hold! This is the largest iPad I have owned, going from a really old iPad 2 which was 9.7″ down to the mini at 7.9″, now this one comes in at 10.9″. It’s not something you’d want to hold in one hand the same way as the mini.

The size is something which I have to adjust to. It’s perfectly fine to sit on the sofa with in your lap and use. It’s also very thin and light, so weight isn’t an issue.

The bigger screen means better for media and videos too. Since streaming films and TV has been the done thing for a while now, it will be great to do that on the larger screen.

Tech Spec

I went for the 64GB model in space grey. I was thinking about the 256GB version, and ordered then cancelled that one. I think the 64GB version is the one for me, here’s why.

If I use this for media and I need to put large files on there, I will get an external SSD and put those files on there. The bad part is having to carry a drive, but it means any files or media is truly portable.

The 256GB version is £150 more, and for that money you can almost get the 128GB iPad Pro. So the 256GB version kind of doesn’t make much sense to buy.

In terms of power, it has the A14 CPU that’s in the new iPhone 12. I’ve only used the iPad a little bit, but I am more than happy with the performance. Everything works fine and it feels fast.

I got myself a folio case too.

I am looking forward to using this, hopefully for years to come. There’s not a lot more to say about the iPad Air, you know everything about them already 😉