Apple iPad Air (2020) review: take it from the Pro Despite the higher cost, this iPad is the one to get

 If you’re looking to get an iPad right now and can afford it, the new $599 iPad Air 

is the best tablet for most people. Apple has taken the design from the more expensive iPad Pro and brought it down to a more reasonable price point. It’s $100 more than it was last year, but in return this year’s iPad Air has a bigger, better screen and a faster (and very intriguing) processor.

There are two basic ways a midrange device like the iPad Air usually gets made. Either it’s built up from the base model with key improvements (as happened with last year’s iPad Air) or it’s based on the premium, flagship version with some expensive parts stripped out or replaced. That’s this year’s iPad Air, and that switch means that it feels like a modern device instead of a throwback.

It’s also one of the most enjoyable computing experiences you can get. iPadOS may not have the versatility of a full desktop OS like Windows or macOS, but it’s a lot more relaxing to use.

iPad Air design

The new iPad Air for 2020 switches over to the squared-off sides and rounded-corner display we first saw on the iPad Pro in 2018. It’s the exact same size and shape as the 11-inch model. Back then, Nilay Patel said this design is “kind of brutal looking — almost like a reference design.” I’ve gotten used to it in the intervening years and apparently so has Apple. The new iPhone 12 and 12 Pro bear a familial resemblance.

The hardware’s job on a tablet is to disappear, and it does so fairly well here. If you’d like some more character, though, Apple is offering some new colors for the anodized aluminum frame. In addition to the usual silver, gray, and rose gold, there’s now green and a subtle light blue.

The iPad Air also makes the switch over from Lightning to USB-C for charging, just like the Pro. I applaud this move wholeheartedly — USB-C is a more universal port and it opens up the iPad to more accessories, including some of the same dongles you might already use on your laptop. (And yes, I wish the iPhone 12 had done the same).