The new M3 iPad Air is a mid-cycle refresh, rather than a whole new product, which comes with a new chip - similar to the M2 but with a performance increase of roughly 15%.
The bigger change is the Magic Keyboard, which now includes a row of function keys, making it a more credible laptop replacement.
The device still only supports Touch ID, rather than Face ID, which the reviewer feels makes less sense on a tablet than on a phone.
Although the base model iPad supports Apple Intelligence, the reviewer fails to identify any real-world reason why it should influence consumer choice currently, suggesting buyers are likely to be better served by the base model.
The only other notable difference between the iPad Air and the base model is the screen size, which the reviewer argues makes the 11-inch model far more versatile.