Apple 2024 13-inch iPad Air (Wi-Fi Cellular, 1TB) – Space Grey (M2)

Must Buy! Context / Background -When I visited Apple Store, I immediately wanted to get iPad Pro 13 inch. However my friend who came along with me said his eyes hurt looking at Pro screen. I think that’s probably because of PWM running at low frequency.For reference we both use phones with AMOLED screens which have 2160 Hz PWM. He said his phone never hurt his eyes. I didn’t experience it but I want all my family to use the device. I didn’t know who is PWM sensitive and who are not.Added to that, the grain issue was another thing that I was concerned about. To add insult to the injury, only higher end models of Pro have 16GB RAM but not base models.Additionally, I was also worried about OLED burn in issue (if grain is an issue, I anticipate more quality issues will surface over time)In 2015, my Retina Macbook Pro had horrible issue with anti reflective coating despite being non-OLED. All of this got me thinking if going for Pro is worth spending extra money. That’s when I decided to go for safe option which is Air.–Observations on 13 Inch iPad Air -1) ScreenThe screen is very good. This is the biggest surprise. Despite being 60 Hz, it’s very good. I use Android phone with 120 Hz AMOLED display.Yes colors pop lesser. However, it is one of the most beautiful screens I have ever seen. I thought reviewers were BSing.Should Apple would have given at least 90 Hz? Yes it would have been nice but it’s 60 Hz at the end of the day. After using the device for 5 hours while switching between my phone and iPad, I did not feel compromised or felt settling for less.The only place where I found display to be lacking is outdoors. The 600 nits brightness is clearly not enough.–2) Media Content13 Inch is a wrong choice if you want to watch movies or YouTube while lying on coach. The screen is too big. Watching something while placing iPad on desk is reasonable (which also defeats the purpose because that’s what laptops are for)–3) Reading, Notes, Games and BrowsingThis is where 13 inch screen shines. It was an absolute delight. Its an immersive experience. It was so good that one of my friend who got 10th gen iPad last month (stating that he doesn’t want to spend on high end models) asked me details which model and it’s price after using it for 30 minutes.I think for this alone, I would consider my purchase worth it!–4) Myth Vs RealityWithout accessories or cases, the iPads are feather weight compared to laptops.The common trap where people fall into is – Comparing Naked iPad with Laptop. In reality, majority of us would never use iPad without a case and we use laptops without a case.Add a case and then compare it with MacBook Air or lightweight laptops, that’s when you will notice that both weights are comparable.Also, don’t waste too much time worrying about color of iPad. After putting it in case, I forgot which color I got. When I showed the iPad, my friend said it’s silver color but when it is actually Starlight (lol)–5) Places where I felt compromiseda) Touch ID Vs Face IDb) Most Popular Apps like YouTube, Reddit, Instagram, LinkedIn etc. are horrible on 13 inch. I can’t believe that most of them look like blown up phone apps. Now I can’t imagine how they would look on Android Tablets.–Which iPad to get? If you are first time iPad buyer who will not use it for art or video editing.Get iPad 10th Gen for casual use and replace it in next 2-3 years with high end model when you find a good use case. If you are clear about what you want, then go with Air or Pro.Coming to screen size, For watching movies or YouTube on couch, 11 inch is great. 13 will be too close / big.For immersive games, apps, reading, art etc. 13 inch is absolutely amazing.Only point you need to look out for is – weight after adding a case. If it feels too heavy and you cannot live it, then 13 inch model can be a disaster.–Overall, I would rate it 8.5/10 Is it worth purchasing? Absolutely!