We're midway through the 2020s now, and the iPad still feels like the same proposition as always: A really great tablet that can aspire to be your laptop replacement, if you're OK with a slight software adjustment. And once again, the "iPad Air" remains a misnomer: it's not the thinnest iPad. It is, however, the budget "Pro" for most people.The iPad Air and iPad Pro were updated a year ago; the iPad Air got an M2 processor, while the iPad Pro got an M4 and a total makeover, including a fancy new OLED display. The iPad Pro hasn't been refreshed yet this year and remains extremely expensive at $999 and up. The Air, meanwhile, received a chip bump to the M3 processor, and a revamped and slightly cheaper Magic Keyboard. And it starts at $599, the same as before.These updates are not exciting. In fact, it's hard to think of a time I was less excited about an iPad update. That doesn't mean the bumped-up performance with no added cost isn't welcome, but it's just not introducing anything new at all.A year ago, I called the iPad Air "the iPad Pro you should buy." So, obviously, my feelings remain unchanged. As nice as the fancier M4 iPad Pro might be, spending an extra $400 for it now that it's also a year old seems like a lot to ask. The iPad Air may be a bit thicker, and lack Face ID and Lidar on the back and an M4 chip and an OLED display but what the Air does have is very good performance, and still works with the Pencil Pro. Are you OK with those compromises? 8.5 iPad Air (2025, M3) $599 at Apple Like Fast M3 processor Price hasn't increased New, less expensive Magic Keyboard option Don't like Lacks OLED display of Pro model Configs can get expensive fast Apple Intelligence still doesn't feel necessary Then again, for most people, there's another iPad to consider: the basic one. The new entry iPad, also arriving at the same time as this Air, sounds like more than enough. I haven't tested that one yet (Apple didn't send one for review at the same time as this Air), but with 128GB of storage and a better A16 processor (that can't run Apple Intelligence), it's a good option worth considering. If you'd like to use a Pencil Pro and plan to power-use either AI or graphics features on the iPad, then the Air is your budget pick.I reviewed a 13-inch iPad Air configuration Apple sent me to test, with 1TB of storage. That's an expensive iPad ($1299), and at that price I'd just consider an upgrade to a Pro. But the 11-inch model, with less onboard storage, would be the one I'd consider. (The 13-inch model's display aspect ratio heavily letterboxes films anyway, making it less ideal for video watching than you'd think). Once again, the Air, Pro and Mini models are your gateways to compatibility with Pencil Pro. Scott Stein/CNETAir vs iPad: $250 more gets you some upgradesThere are reasons to spend more on this Air than the entry-level $349 iPad, even if you're spending $250 more to get it. The two big ones are the M3 chip and Pencil Pro ($129, sold separately) compatibility.The M3 boost over the A16 chip remains to be seen (as I said, I haven't tested the new iPad yet), but the M3 is a big jump in graphics, AI capability and speed, and won't be outdated anytime soon. Most iPad owners don't need the horsepower, but since Apple once again cut off the standard iPad from Apple Intelligence compatibility, you might feel more peace of mind with the Air long-term.The same goes for working with Pencil Pro, Apple's better stylus. It's a more feature-packed tool than the regular Pencil that works with the iPad, and a reason for artists to make the Air a no-brainer.It feels like Apple deliberately cut Pencil Pro support and an Apple Intelligence-capable chip off the entry-level iPad just to make the temptation clearer, which is annoying, but that's the way it goes this year. Watch this: First Look at the iPad Air M3 and New iPad 04:29 Air vs Pro: The Pro's advantages diminishIt's harder to justify spending more for the iPad Pro right now. The M3 versus the M4 chip performance gap diminishes compared to last year's M2 versus M4 gap. The iPad Air also works with the same type of Magic Keyboard this year and with the Pencil Pro. The iPad Pro gets you a high-contrast HDR custom OLED display, a thinner design, a Face ID camera and Lidar on the back if you care about those things, but those features come at a price jump of $400. To me, it just doesn't make sense. Apple Intelligence needs more features to make it a must-have, but its set of tools are likely to grow. Scott Stein/CNETM3 chip? Sure, it's a nice upgradeApple's M series chips are fantastic performers, but I'd argue that their achievements on iPad are harder to appreciate unless you're a power user diving into AI, graphics or video or photo work. The M3 bump seems to offer another good step up: On Geekbench 6, the multicore score was 11,643, compared to the M4 iPad Pro's score of 14,672, and the M2 iPad Air's score last year of 9,894. That makes the iPad Air M3 about 18% percent faster than last year's M2 iPad Air. And the M4 iPad Pro roughly 26% faster than the M3 iPad Air in multitasking, on paper.But even Apple doesn't compare M chip gains year over year. Versus the M2, it's incremental. It'll feel like a big leap if it's your first time using an M-series iPad. Weird how the two revamped Magic Keyboards (Air M3, left, and iPad Pro M4, right) are still slightly different. Keyboards and function keys, but one's got a larger trackpad. Scott Stein/CNETMagic Keyboard: A better option now than it wasIf you already happen to have an M2 iPad Air Magic Keyboard from last year, which works on the M3 model, you don't need a new Magic Keyboard. But the slightly lower cost ($269 and up) and added row of function keys on the new Magic Keyboard make it a better pick (even though it still doesn't flip back to work in a folio-style mode). That said, it's my favorite option for laptopifying your iPad.The Magic Keyboard is heavy, though, and adds thickness to your iPad, too. I've gotten used to it, but on the 13-inch iPad Air it makes the whole thing heavier than a MacBook Air. Just a warning. But also, there are slight differences between the iPad Air and iPad Pro Magic Keyboards. For some reason, the trackpad area is larger on the Pro's, and the keyboard is more shifted up while staying the same size. I prefer the iPad Pro's keyboard layout, and don't know why the Air's couldn't have done the same.But there are more differences, too: the Air's keyboard lacks backlighting that the Pro version has. Also, the inner material isn't aluminum like the Pro. And the smaller trackpad uses a physical click mechanism instead of the haptic click of the Pro version. It has the passthrough USB-C port like the Pro one does, but corners have been cut here in several ways. Watch this: I'm Broken by iPad Choice, Chaos and Subscriptions -- but hey, Cool Dino Toys | Tech Therapy 26:26 The iPad, same as alwaysApple Intelligence has been the big software focus for Apple over the last year, and just like last year, the iPad Air can run all of the generative AI features Apple has put into iPadOS. Right now, those features just aren't all too amazing or useful. Summarizing messages and notifications can get annoying and even misleading. Image Playground and Genmoji image generation aren't as good as generative AI image tools you can get in other apps. And while ChatGPT is integrated into Siri, you can also just use ChatGPT in the ChatGPT app. And with reports that Apple's promised revamp of Siri has been delayed again, it seems that there's no rush to adopt Apple Intelligence into your life. It's still a set of features that feel like they're in beta.The iPad is, you know, versatile. It can run tons of apps. It can multitask (to a degree), something the M-series chips can do even with a connected monitor. It can feel like a laptop. It can be a full computer experience if you want it to be. It's not the same as a Mac, though, which drives me crazy. Once again, I'm writing this review on the iPad Air, but I'll be filing the review on my MacBook because working on our CMS isn't always easy on iPads. They're not the same as Macs. The split identity of Apple's computer lineup continues onward, and you once again have to decide if you're an iPad person or a Mac person, or both.You can be both, and I am. But in that case, you don't want to spend a lot on that iPad, do you? The entry iPad feels priced to be a casual accessory, while the iPad Air's price spans somewhat affordable ($599) to high-end laptop if you bump up storage (up to 1TB configs are on tap) or add accessories like the Apple Pencil Pro or Magic Keyboard. The iPad Air is nicely made, but it's not the thinnest iPad. Scott Stein/CNETNext time, don't call it Air, maybe?Apple removed the "iPad Air" from the back of this iPad Air. There's just an Apple logo now. Maybe it's a sign. Air doesn't mean anything right now in Apple's iPad universe. The Air is very good, and at the right config, this could very well be the futureproofed, more affordable iPad that's perfect for you -- especially if you're interested in pushing the iPad hard for tools that will need the M3 performance. Don't overspend, and you'll be happy.What do I really want here? Well, I've said it before, I'd like these lovely keyboarded, powerful iPads to become Macs at the touch of a button. That would help me. And, sure, an OLED display would be nice. But the Air covers all the rest of the bases I'd ever need. I just can't justify them being super expensive if they're not ready to make the leap into MacOS convertibles, too. Apple's focus on the low and midrange iPads this time around could mean, possibly, that they agree. Or, the M5 chip for the Pro just isn't ready yet.