04 Apple iPad Air (4th generation)

Still a great contender for music makers

What a difference a year makes in the world of Apple. Around this time last year, the iPad Air was sitting pretty at the top of the Apple tree as our number one choice for musicians, beating even the Pro in terms of power. With the all-new M1 Pro and A15 mini, though, the situation’s a little more complex.

The iPad Air comes with a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display with True Tone and offers compatibility with both the Magic Keyboard and Smart Folio keyboard, while connectivity is via USB-C. The A14 Bionic chip that put it ahead in the race for your cash last year though, is lagging behind the M1 chip as now found in Apple’s newer computers and its latest iPad Pros. The A14 also drops behind the A15 chips as found in the all-new iPad mini (6th gen).

What is clear though is that its bigger screen and (still) more powerful A14 Bionic chip put it up there if not beyond the standard iPad (9th gen), although it does cost considerably more.