Apple IPad Air 13" (2024) vs iPad Air 10.9" (4th Gen, 2020)
80
out of 100
VS
64
out of 100
Here we compared two flagship tablets: the 13-inch Apple IPad Air 13" (2024) (with Apple M2 (iPad)) that was released on May 7, 2024, against the Apple iPad Air 10.9" (4th Gen, 2020), which is powered by Apple A14 Bionic and came out 3 years and 9 months before. On this page, you will find tests, full specs, strengths, and weaknesses of each of the devices.
Select the amount of RAM to evaluate performance and value for money more precisely
Key differences
Reasons to consider the Apple IPad Air 13" (2024)
- Has a 2.1 inches larger screen size
- 86% better performance in AnTuTu Benchmark (2536K versus 1361K)
- Comes with 2734 mAh larger battery capacity: 10340 vs 7606 mAh
- Has 2x more RAM: 8GB versus 4GB
- Shows 9% longer battery life (29:14 vs 26:47 hours)
- Newer Bluetooth version (v5.3)
- Uses a faster type of memory: LPDDR5 6400 MHz
- Delivers 22% higher peak brightness (588 against 482 nits)
- Thinner bezels β 6.7% more screen real estate
- Ready for eSIM technology
Reasons to consider the Apple iPad Air 10.9" (4th Gen, 2020)
- Much smaller footprint: 27% more compact case (68.5 vs 93.5 square inches)
- Weighs 159 grams less
Review
Display
Screen quality, color accuracy, brightness
Camera
Photo and video recording quality
Performance
CPU and memory performance (apps, system)
Gaming
Capabilities for playing modern games
Battery
Battery life, charging type and speed
Connectivity
Networks, ports, data transmission
Select your primary usage scenario to get a more accurate NanoReview Score
Value for money (Beta)
Tests and specifications
Comparison table of technical specifications and testsDisplay
| Type | IPS LCD | IPS LCD |
| Size | 13 inches | 10.9 inches |
| Resolution | 2048 x 2732 pixels | 1640 x 2360 pixels |
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 3:2 |
| PPI | 264 ppi | 264 ppi |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 60 Hz |
| Adaptive refresh rate | No | No |
| Max rated brightness | 600 nits | 500 nits |
| HDR support | No | No |
| Screen protection | Tempered glass | Tempered glass |
| Screen-to-body ratio | 86.8% | 80.1% |
| Display features | - DCI-P3 | - DCI-P3 |
| RGB color space | 99.7% | 99.3% |
| PWM | Not detected | Not detected |
| Response time | 45 ms | 36 ms |
| Contrast | 1018:1 | 1305:1 |
Screen space comparison
IPad Air 13" (2024)
13β³ (4:3 ratio) = 81.1 in2
iPad Air 10.9" (4th Gen, 2020)
10.9β³ (3:2 ratio) = 54.8 in2
~47% more screen space
Peak brightness test (auto)
Design and build
| Height | 280.6 mm (11.05 inches) | 247.6 mm (9.75 inches) |
| Width | 214.9 mm (8.46 inches) | 178.5 mm (7.03 inches) |
| Thickness | 6.1 mm (0.24 inches) | 6.1 mm (0.24 inches) |
| Weight | 617 g (21.76 oz) | 458 g (16.16 oz) |
| Waterproof | No | No |
| Rear material | Metal | Metal |
| Frame material | Metal | Metal |
| Colors | Gold, Gray, Blue, Purple | Silver, Gray, Blue, Green, Rose gold |
| Fingerprint scanner | Yes, in-button | Yes, in-button |
| Area | 603 cm2 (93.5 inches2) | 442 cm2 (68.5 inches2) |
Visual size comparison
Screen-to-body ratio
Tablet Ranking (37th and 88th place)
iPad Ranking (10th and 22nd place)
Performance
| Chipset | Apple M2 (iPad) | Apple A14 Bionic |
| Max clock | 3490 MHz | 3000 MHz |
| CPU cores | 8 (4 + 4) | 6 (2 + 4) |
| Architecture | - 4 cores at 2.42 GHz: Blizzard - 4 cores at 3.49 GHz: Avalanche |
- 4 cores at 1.8 GHz: Icestorm - 2 cores at 3.1 GHz: Firestorm |
| Manufacturing | TSMC | TSMC |
| Lithography process | 5 nanometers | 5 nanometers |
| Neural processor (NPU) | Apple Neural Engine | Apple Neural Engine |
| Graphics | Apple GPU 10-core | Apple GPU 4-core |
| GPU shading units | 1024 | 256 |
| GPU clock | 1398 MHz | 1278 MHz |
| FLOPS | ~2863.1 GFLOPS | ~654.3 GFLOPS |
Benchmarks
Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)
Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)
Compute Score (GPU)
| Compute Score (GPU) | 43561 | 17192 |
| Single-core score | 2585 | 2095 |
| Multi-core score | 10090 | 5297 |
AnTuTu Benchmark 11
| CPU | 841074 | 448073 |
| GPU | 801119 | 335707 |
| Memory | 371059 | 133324 |
| UX | 523068 | 444710 |
| Total score | 2536320 | 1361814 |
| Samples | Less than 3 | [3 tests] |
3DMark Steel Nomad Light
| Stability | 74% | - |
| Graphics test | 17 FPS | - |
| Graphics score | 2299 | - |
3DMark Solar Bay
| Stability | - | 97% |
| Graphics test | 30 FPS | 11 FPS |
| Section 1 | 38 FPS | 14 FPS |
| Section 2 | 30 FPS | 11 FPS |
| Section 3 | 20 FPS | 9 FPS |
| Graphics score | 7827 | 2961 |
3DMark Wild Life Extreme
| Stability | - | 90% |
| Graphics test | - | 14 FPS |
| Graphics score | - | 2483 |
Recent User Tests
Apple IPad Air 13" (2024)
No benchmark results yet
Apple iPad Air 10.9" (4th Gen, 2020)
| Date | Benchmark | Result |
|---|---|---|
| π 2026-05-18 -> nickandrewpedrosa201178 | AnTuTu 11 | 1347415 |
| π 2026-03-16 (hi) | AnTuTu 11 | 1375134 |
| π 2026-03-03 (Dr. Maddy) | AnTuTu 11 | 1361814 |
| π 2025-02-01 (AIR 4 hype) | Geekbench 6 GPU | 17192 |
| π 2025-02-01 (AIR 4 hype) | Geekbench 6 CPU | 2095 / 5297 |
Memory
Configuration
| RAM size | 8 GB | 4 GB |
| Memory type | LPDDR5 | LPDDR4X |
| Memory clock | 6400 MHz | 2133 MHz |
| Channels | 4 | 2 |
| Storage size | 128 GB | 64 GB |
| Storage type | NVMe | NVMe |
| Memory card | No | No |
Software
| Operating system | iPadOS 17.5 (Can be upgraded to iPadOS 27) | iPadOS 14.1 (Can be upgraded to iPadOS 26.5) |
| OS size | 13 GB | - |
Battery
| Capacity | 10340 mAh | 7606 mAh |
| Max charge power | 30 W | 30 W |
| Battery type | Li-Po | Li-Ion |
| Replaceable | No | No |
| Wireless charging | No | No |
| Reverse charging | No | No |
| Fast charging | Yes | Yes (50% in 60 min) |
| Full charging time | 2:30 hr | 2:10 hr |
| Web browsing | 12:05 hr | 07:54 hr |
| Watching video | 11:26 hr | 10:27 hr |
| Gaming | 07:56 hr | 06:15 hr |
| Standby | 167 hr | 182 hr |
General battery life
Main camera
| Matrix | 12 megapixels | 12 megapixels |
| Image resolution | 4032 x 3024 | 4032 x 3024 |
| Zoom | Digital | Digital |
| Flash | No | No |
| Stabilization | Digital | Digital |
| 8K video recording | No | No |
| 4K video recording | Up to 60FPS | Up to 60FPS |
| 1080p video recording | Up to 60FPS | Up to 60FPS |
| Slow motion | 240 FPS (1080p) | 240 FPS (1080p) |
| Lenses | 1) Standard: 12 MP |
1) Standard: 12 MP |
| Camera features | - Bokeh mode | - Bokeh mode |
| Image resolution | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Aperture | f/1.8 | f/1.8 |
| Sensor size | - | 1/3.0" (β 0.33 inch) |
| Pixel size | 1.22 micron | - |
| Autofocus | Phase autofocus (Dual Pixel) | Phase autofocus (Dual Pixel) |
| Stabilization | Digital | Digital |
Selfie camera
| Megapixels | 12 megapixels | 7 megapixels |
| Image resolution | 4032 x 3024 | 3472 x 2063 |
| Aperture | f/2.4 | f/2.0 |
| Focal length | - | 31 mm |
| Sensor | CMOS | - |
| Autofocus | No | No |
| Stabilization | Digital | Digital |
| Video resolution | 1080p (Full HD) at 60 FPS | 1080p (Full HD) at 60 FPS |
| Depth sensor (TOF 3D) | No | No |
Connectivity
| Wi-Fi standard | Wi-Fi 6E (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax) | Wi-Fi 6 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax) |
| Wi-Fi features | - Dual Band - Wi-Fi MiMO - Wi-Fi Direct - Wi-Fi Hotspot - Wi-Fi Display |
- Dual Band - Wi-Fi MiMO - Wi-Fi Direct - Wi-Fi Hotspot - Wi-Fi Display |
| Bluetooth version | 5.3 | 5 |
| Bluetooth features | LE | LE |
| USB type | USB Type-C | USB Type-C |
| USB version | 3.1 | 2 |
| USB features | - Charging - USB-Storage mode - OTG |
- Charging - USB-Storage mode - OTG |
| DisplayPort | Yes | No |
| GPS | GPS, GLONASS | GPS, GLONASS |
| NFC* | No | No |
| Infrared port | No | No |
| Number of SIM* | - | 1 |
| Type of SIM card | eSIM | Nano |
| eSIM support* | Yes | No |
| Hybrid slot | No | No |
| LTE Cat* | - | 18 |
| 5G support | Yes | No |
Sound
| Speakers | Stereo | Stereo |
| Headphone audio jack | No | No |
| FM radio | No | No |
| Dolby Atmos | Yes | Yes |
Speakers test
Max loudness
Other
| Category | Flagship | Flagship |
| Announced | May 2024 | September 2020 |
| Release date | May 2024 | October 2020 |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $799 | $599 |
| Successor | - Apple iPad Air 13" (2th Gen, 2025) | - Apple iPad Air 11" (7th Gen, 2025) |
| Sensors | - Barometer - Gyroscope - Accelerometer - Ambient light sensor - Fingerprint |
- Barometer - Gyroscope - Accelerometer - Ambient light sensor - Compass - Fingerprint |
| Keyboard weight | - | 293 g |
| Bundled charger | Yes, 20 W | Yes, 20 W |
*Disclaimer! NFC, GSM network support, and some other specs can be different depending on the country.
Conclusion
After analyzing all the data, we think that the Apple IPad Air 13" (2024) is definitely a better buy.
Cast your vote
Total votes: 2