It succeeded the 4th generation iPad Air and is available in five colors: Space Gray, Starlight, Pink, Purple, and Blue. The chip has an 8-core CPU, an 8-core GPU and a 16-core Neural Engine which can process more than 11 trillion operations per second.
The display is laminated and has an anti-reflective coating, as well as wide color, True Tone and 500 nits of brightness. It has Touch ID integrated into the Sleep/Wake button on the top right edge of the device, and stereo speakers with dual-channel sound in landscape mode.
The fifth-generation iPad Air includes a USB-C port that is used for charging as well as connecting external devices and accessories.
Is Your iPad Obsolete and Outdated?
In a technical sense, an obsolete device is one that the manufacturer no longer supports. In this case, obsolete means the models are both discontinued and unsupported by Apple.
These devices don’t support the latest versions of iPadOS.
The following models are no longer sold, but these devices remain within Apple’s service window for iPadOS updates:
An iPad out of the service window isn’t necessarily useless because it no longer receives iPadOS updates. An older tablet makes a great tableside companion in your living room, an effective e-book reader, or a light-duty device for reading mail or checking your favorite websites. Still, the longer your iPad goes without updates from Apple, the more likely it is that security glitches could affect your tablet.
Apple iPad Air (5th generation) review: Spec-tock-ular
Apple’s strategy of slapping powerful chips into affordable hardware isn’t a new one, but it’s really kicked it up a notch with the iPad Air (5th generation). Adding laptop-tier silicon to the iPad Pro line was one thing, but a beefy M1 processor in Apple’s lightweight, sub-flagship tablet surely makes it a no-brainer, right? The iPad Air 5 debuted at Apple’s Peek Performance event on March 8, 2022, alongside the iPhone SE (2022) and the Mac Studio.
If the previous iPad Air was a long-overdue “tick,” this is definitively the inevitable “tock” model.
It’s a smidgen heavier (1-2g depending on the model) and the color options have changed, but the size, ports/buttons, display, rear camera, and speakers are all identical to the iPad Air (4th generation) — check out our in-depth look at the iPad Air 4 for more on those features, as we’ll be skipping over some of the familiar stuff in this review. It’s also compatible with the Apple Pencil (2nd generation) and the Magic Keyboard case, as well as other existing iPad Air accessories.
The game-changing M1 chipset should require no introduction at this point, but the trickle-down effect of Apple’s silicon strategy means that the 2022 iPad Air — just like the iPad Pro (5th generation) before it — packs MacBook-caliber power, albeit with some subtle architecture tweaks. The iPad Air (5th generation) color options are Space Gray, Pink, Purple, Blue, and Starlight. All of the good stuff from the iPad Air (4th generation) applies here: the quality construction from glass and recycled aluminum, reasonably-sized bezels that give you just enough room to grip it without obscuring the edges of the display, and Touch ID for biometrics. The fingerprint reader is baked into the power button, and while the two-step unlock (rest finger and push down) is cumbersome, it’s rapid and accurate. The iPad Air (5th generation) has a USB-C port for external storage access and accessory support. It’s a solid little shooter, delivering pleasing color accuracy and enough detail in decent lighting, though it struggles in dim conditions.
What’s perhaps more exciting is the addition of Center Stage — another “Pro” feature trickling down that follows faces around the room, zooming and panning to keep them in shot. The iPad Air handily dealt with intensive games like Genshin Impact, with the frame rate hovering around the 50-55 mark on average at max settings. Benchmarks only cement how much of a beast this thing is, with numbers that trounce the Tab S8 series’ Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 implementation and handily best Windows hybrids too. The chip’s efficiency is a boon for battery life, though the iPad Air (5th generation) largely sticks to the ~10-hour mark we saw on its predecessor when drained from 100% to zero. Apple also snuck faster charging into the latest model, though the included charger only hits 20W of power. If you’ve got a 30W USB PD PPS charger, you can refill from empty to full in just over two hours as opposed to two and a half. iPadOS still awkwardly straddles the line between iOS and macOS, landing much closer to its walled-off, mobile roots than the more open Mac software platform, but for all its quirks (seriously, why aren’t the widgets interactive?) Yes, you could stick within those means if you only use a few apps and are fastidious with your iCloud management (or by regularly plugging in an external drive), but the point is you shouldn’t have to. 128GB is the standard for any other tablet maker operating in this price bracket, and there’s no excuse for Apple not to have solved a problem that was already well overdue a fix with the previous generation iPad Air. It might be running at Goku-esque power levels, but the lagging animations mean it doesn’t look or feel as smooth as it should when flitting between apps and navigating the UI. The Magic Keyboard ($299) and Apple Pencil (2nd generation) ($129) really unlock the iPad Air’s potential, but you’re looking at an extra $400+ being taken out of your bank account. Center Stage is one of the fifth-gen iPad Air’s key upgrades, but it’s not unique (the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 series has an identical feature), and Apple’s insistence on placing the front camera on the portrait bezel still makes it look like you’re staring off into space during video calls.
Apple’s software support is guaranteed to keep it fresh and stable, but it’s the overkill M1 chip and healthy supply of RAM that ensures it’s future-proofed for many, many years to come. Sure, it didn’t have an M1 chip, but the A14 Bionic was already far ahead of the pack in 2020, and remains competitive with the very best mobile silicon today. Meanwhile, the same gripes we had with the 4th generation Air are all present and accounted for, and the grumbles over the 64GB base storage and 60Hz refresh rate have only gotten louder with the passage of time. Likewise, if you only want to stream movies and play a handful of games, the base model is a steal, and its screen, design, and feature set are enough of a bump over the regular iPad to justify the extra spend.
But even with all that bleeding edge raw power, the iPad Air (5th gen) feels oddly outdated at times — a tablet that received a massive boost in an area it already excelled in, while neglecting its legacy flaws. The iPad Air is still possibly the easiest product to recommend from Apple’s entire, behemoth ecosystem. If you can live with or work around the paltry storage, the price differences between the base models (either Wi-Fi or cellular) will save you a nice chunk of change. Sure, you’re getting half the storage with the Pro compared to the maxed-out Air, but 128GB is a nice sweet spot. The Galaxy Tab S8 gets closer than ever to challenging Apple’s tablet dominance with faster charging, but it’s hampered by Android’s poor optimization for larger screens, not-so-stellar battery life, and is eons behind on raw performance. The iPad Air (5th generation) is still uncontested as the best sub-flagship tablet you can buy, and possibly the easiest product to recommend from Apple’s entire, behemoth ecosystem.
iPad (5th generation)
Its introductory price in the United States was the lowest ever for an iPad, with the media noting that the lower price might be an effort to encourage wider adoption of the tablet in the education sector, as well as for businesses needing inexpensive tablets for undemanding uses. Matt Kapko of CIO wrote that Apple’s introductory pricing of $329 in the United States for the iPad, a $70 price reduction versus the iPad Air 2, appeared to be designed to fend off the encroachment of Google’s Chromebook laptops in the education sector and to foster wider adoption in customer-facing terminals. Kapko also wrote that the device is designed to appeal to businesses that require inexpensive tablets for undemanding use, including as kiosks, checkout terminals, and hospitality screens. The fifth generation iPad shares most design elements with the iPad Air, with a 9.7-inch (25 cm) screen,[1] 7.5mm thickness,[16][6] and differences such as the lack of the physical mute switch, smaller microphone holes and only a single row of speaker holes.
[12] Despite its use of the Apple A9 processor and accompanying M9 motion co-processor, introduced with the iPhone 6S in 2015, the iPad does not feature support for always-on “Hey Siri” voice input, a feature advertised as being made possible by low-power processing in the then-new chips. At the time of its original release, the iPad shipped with iOS 10, a version of Apple’s mobile operating system. Touch ID and Apple Pay let the user purchase items from websites or from within apps. Dieter Bohn of The Verge wrote that “it is a thin, fast tablet”, and praised the screen for being “very good”, despite not having “the fancy True Tone display that the iPad Pro does, nor does it have some of the things that made the screen on the iPad Air 2 so nice: lamination and anti-reflectivity”.
Segan also praised performance compared to the prior iPad models, and also praised improved Wi-Fi performance, writing that it is “quite impressive” with “double the Wi-Fi speeds on the new iPad than I did on the Air 2”. [26] Jeff Benjamin of 9to5Mac wrote that “Sure, it lacks the gorgeous laminated, anti-reflective display of the iPad Air 2, and sure it’s not as svelte in either thickness or weight. But then it’s not supposed to be exciting, […] Apple’s latest tablet is an iterative update designed to appeal to a specific subset of consumers”. [28] Chris Velazco of Engadget praised battery life, describing it as “one of the best iPads we’ve tested”, but also criticized the lack of anti-reflection on the display, calling it “another cost-saving measure that I wish Apple had reconsidered”.
Apple introduces the most powerful and versatile iPad Air ever
Available in a new array of colors, iPad Air also features the new Ultra Wide front camera with Center Stage for a more natural video conferencing experience, a USB-C port with up to 2x faster transfer speeds, and blazing-fast 5G on cellular models — starting at the same affordable price. Advanced cameras and compatibility with the latest accessories enable users, including content creators, gamers, and students, to push the boundaries of creativity, productivity, and self expression. “Whether it’s a college student taking elaborate notes, a content creator working on their latest project, or a gamer playing graphics-intensive titles, users love iPad Air for its amazing performance and versatility in such a portable design,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “With the breakthrough M1 chip, Ultra Wide front camera with Center Stage, and ultra-fast 5G, iPad Air is now more powerful, more capable, and simply more fun than ever.” Combined with the CPU and GPU, a 16-core Neural Engine powers advanced machine learning (ML) functions that enable next-level experiences. From editing multiple streams of 4K video, to playing graphics-intensive games, redesigning a room in 3D, and more realistic augmented reality (AR), the performance of M1 enables users to do more than ever with iPad Air.
The 12MP Wide camera on the back of iPad Air lets users capture sharp photos and 4K video, scan documents, and enjoy amazing AR experiences. The port connects iPad Air to a vast ecosystem of USB-C accessories, including cameras, external storage, and displays with up to 6K resolution. Loved for its thin and light design, the new iPad Air comes in a gorgeous array of colors: space gray, starlight, pink, purple, and a stunning new blue. iPad Air features a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display for an immersive visual experience, with 3.8 million pixels and advanced technologies, including 500 nits of brightness, full lamination, a P3 wide color gamut, True Tone, and an anti-reflective screen coating.
With wireless charging and pairing, Apple Pencil delivers pixel-perfect precision and imperceptible lag, making writing as easy and natural as using pen and paper. The new iPad Air is compatible with Magic Keyboard, providing the best typing experience with its floating design and built-in trackpad; Smart Keyboard Folio, with its comfortable typing experience in a slim design; and Smart Folio covers, which come in beautiful coordinating colors — black, white, electric orange, dark cherry, English lavender, and marine blue — that complement the new iPad Air finishes.
With next week’s release of iPadOS 15.4 and macOS 12.3, Universal Control will enable users to work with a single mouse and keyboard and move between Mac and iPad for a seamless experience, with no setup required. All iPad models meet Apple’s high standards for energy efficiency, remain free of numerous harmful substances, and use wood fiber in the packaging that comes from recycled sources or responsibly managed forests. Today, Apple is carbon neutral for global corporate operations, and by 2030, plans to have net-zero climate impact across the entire business, which includes manufacturing supply chains and all product life cycles.
This means that every Apple device sold, from component manufacturing, assembly, transport, customer use, charging, all the way through recycling and material recovery, will be 100 percent carbon neutral.
Education pricing is available to current and newly accepted college students and their parents, as well as faculty, staff, and homeschool teachers of all grade levels. The Smart Folio for the new iPad Air is available for $79 (US) in black, white, electric orange, dark cherry, English lavender, and marine blue.
iPad Air (5th generation) – Technical Specifications
Front camera Top button/Touch ID Volume buttons Rear camera Smart Connector USB-C connector SIM tray (Wi-Fi + Cellular) Magnetic connector for Apple Pencil The iPad Air display has rounded corners. When measured diagonally as a rectangle, the screen is 10.86 inches. Image formats captured: HEIF and JPEG
Extended dynamic range for video up to 30 fps 12MP Ultra Wide front camera, 122° field of view Extended dynamic range for video up to 30 fps 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6; simultaneous dual band (2.4GHz and 5GHz); HT80 with MIMO
For details on 5G and LTE support, contact your carrier and see apple.com/ipad/cellular/networks. All models Digital compass Wi‑Fi iBeacon microlocation Pay with your iPad using Touch ID within apps and on the web Use your voice to send messages, set reminders, and more
USB-C port with support for: Charging DisplayPort USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10Gb/s) Supports full native resolution on the built-in display at millions of colors Supports one external display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz Video mirroring Up to 4K AirPlay for mirroring, photos, and video out to Apple TV (2nd generation or later) or AirPlay 2–enabled smart TV Video mirroring and video out support through USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter and USB-C VGA Multiport Adapter (adapters sold separately) Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi‐Fi or watching video
Charging via power adapter or USB‑C to computer system iPadOS comes with powerful features and built-in apps designed to take advantage of the unique capabilities of iPad. Built-in accessibility features supporting vision, mobility, hearing, and cognitive disabilities help you get the most out of your iPad. Pages, Numbers, Keynote, iMovie, GarageBand, Clips, and Apple Store app are preinstalled on iPad.
Syncing to a Mac or PC requires: macOS Catalina 10.15 or later using the Finder macOS El Capitan 10.11.6 through macOS Mojave 10.14.6 using iTunes 12.8 or later Windows 10 and iTunes 12.12 or later (free download from itunes.com/download)
English (Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, UK, U.S.), Chinese (Simplified, Traditional, Traditional Hong Kong), French (Canada, France), German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish (Latin America, Mexico, Spain), Arabic, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Malay, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil, Portugal), Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese
English (Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, UK, U.S.), Chinese (Simplified, Traditional, Traditional Hong Kong), French (Canada, France), German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish (Latin America, Mexico, Spain), Arabic, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Malay, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil, Portugal), Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese QuickType keyboard support English (Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, UK, U.S.), Chinese – Simplified (Handwriting, Pinyin QWERTY, Pinyin 10 Key, Shuangpin, Stroke), Chinese – Traditional (Cangjie, Handwriting, Pinyin QWERTY, Pinyin 10 Key, Shuangpin, Stroke, Sucheng, Zhuyin), French (Belgium, Canada, France, Switzerland), German (Austria, Germany, Switzerland), Italian, Japanese (Kana, Romaji), Korean (2-Set, 10 Key), Spanish (Latin America, Mexico, Spain), Ainu, Albanian, Amharic, Arabic (Modern Standard, Najdi), Armenian, Assamese, Assyrian, Azerbaijani, Bangla, Belarusian, Bodo, Bulgarian, Burmese, Cantonese – Traditional (Cangjie, Handwriting, Stroke, Sucheng), Catalan, Cherokee, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dhivehi, Dogri, Dutch, Emoji, Estonian, Faroese, Filipino, Finnish, Flemish, Fula (Adlam), Georgian, Greek, Gujarati, Hawaiian, Hebrew, Hindi (Devanagari, Latin, Transliteration), Hungarian, Icelandic, Igbo, Indonesian, Irish Gaelic, Kannada, Kashmiri (Arabic, Devanagari), Kazakh, Khmer, Konkani (Devanagari), Kurdish (Arabic, Latin), Kyrgyz, Lao, Latvian, Lithuanian, Macedonian, Maithili, Malay (Arabic, Latin), Malayalam, Maltese, Manipuri (Bangla, Meetei Mayek), Maori, Marathi, Mongolian, Navajo, Nepali, Norwegian (Bokmål, Nynorsk), Odia, Pashto, Persian, Persian (Afghanistan), Polish, Portuguese (Brazil, Portugal), Punjabi, Rohingya, Romanian, Russian, Sanskrit, Santali (Devanagari, Ol Chiki), Serbian (Cyrillic, Latin), Sindhi (Arabic, Devanagari), Sinhala, Slovak, Slovenian, Swahili, Swedish, Tajik, Tamil (Anjal, Tamil 99), Telugu, Thai, Tibetan, Tongan, Turkish, Turkmen, Ukrainian, Urdu, Uyghur, Uzbek (Arabic, Cyrillic, Latin), Vietnamese, Welsh
English (Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, UK, U.S.), Chinese – Simplified (Handwriting, Pinyin QWERTY, Pinyin 10 Key, Shuangpin, Stroke), Chinese – Traditional (Cangjie, Handwriting, Pinyin QWERTY, Pinyin 10 Key, Shuangpin, Stroke, Sucheng, Zhuyin), French (Belgium, Canada, France, Switzerland), German (Austria, Germany, Switzerland), Italian, Japanese (Kana, Romaji), Korean (2-Set, 10 Key), Spanish (Latin America, Mexico, Spain), Ainu, Albanian, Amharic, Arabic (Modern Standard, Najdi), Armenian, Assamese, Assyrian, Azerbaijani, Bangla, Belarusian, Bodo, Bulgarian, Burmese, Cantonese – Traditional (Cangjie, Handwriting, Stroke, Sucheng), Catalan, Cherokee, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dhivehi, Dogri, Dutch, Emoji, Estonian, Faroese, Filipino, Finnish, Flemish, Fula (Adlam), Georgian, Greek, Gujarati, Hawaiian, Hebrew, Hindi (Devanagari, Latin, Transliteration), Hungarian, Icelandic, Igbo, Indonesian, Irish Gaelic, Kannada, Kashmiri (Arabic, Devanagari), Kazakh, Khmer, Konkani (Devanagari), Kurdish (Arabic, Latin), Kyrgyz, Lao, Latvian, Lithuanian, Macedonian, Maithili, Malay (Arabic, Latin), Malayalam, Maltese, Manipuri (Bangla, Meetei Mayek), Maori, Marathi, Mongolian, Navajo, Nepali, Norwegian (Bokmål, Nynorsk), Odia, Pashto, Persian, Persian (Afghanistan), Polish, Portuguese (Brazil, Portugal), Punjabi, Rohingya, Romanian, Russian, Sanskrit, Santali (Devanagari, Ol Chiki), Serbian (Cyrillic, Latin), Sindhi (Arabic, Devanagari), Sinhala, Slovak, Slovenian, Swahili, Swedish, Tajik, Tamil (Anjal, Tamil 99), Telugu, Thai, Tibetan, Tongan, Turkish, Turkmen, Ukrainian, Urdu, Uyghur, Uzbek (Arabic, Cyrillic, Latin), Vietnamese, Welsh QuickType keyboard support with autocorrection Arabic (Modern Standard), Arabic (Najdi), Bangla, Bulgarian, Catalan, Cherokee, Chinese – Simplified (Pinyin QWERTY), Chinese – Traditional (Pinyin QWERTY), Chinese – Traditional (Zhuyin), Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English (Australia), English (Canada), English (India), English (Japan), English (Singapore), English (UK), English (U.S.), Estonian, Filipino, Finnish, Dutch (Belgium), French (Belgium), French (Canada), French (France), French (Switzerland), German (Austria), German (Germany), German (Switzerland), Greek, Gujarati, Hawaiian, Hebrew, Hindi (Devanagari), Hindi (Transliteration), Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Irish Gaelic, Italian, Japanese (Kana), Japanese (Romaji), Korean (2-set), Latvian, Lithuanian, Macedonian, Malay, Marathi, Norwegian (Bokmål), Norwegian (Nynorsk), Persian, Persian (Afghanistan), Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Punjabi, Romanian, Russian, Serbian (Cyrillic), Serbian (Latin), Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish (Latin America), Spanish (Mexico), Spanish (Spain), Swedish, Tamil (Anjal), Tamil (Tamil 99), Telugu, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese Arabic (Modern Standard), Arabic (Najdi), Bangla, Bulgarian, Catalan, Cherokee, Chinese – Simplified (Pinyin QWERTY), Chinese – Traditional (Pinyin QWERTY), Chinese – Traditional (Zhuyin), Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English (Australia), English (Canada), English (India), English (Japan), English (Singapore), English (UK), English (U.S.), Estonian, Filipino, Finnish, Dutch (Belgium), French (Belgium), French (Canada), French (France), French (Switzerland), German (Austria), German (Germany), German (Switzerland), Greek, Gujarati, Hawaiian, Hebrew, Hindi (Devanagari), Hindi (Transliteration), Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Irish Gaelic, Italian, Japanese (Kana), Japanese (Romaji), Korean (2-set), Latvian, Lithuanian, Macedonian, Malay, Marathi, Norwegian (Bokmål), Norwegian (Nynorsk), Persian, Persian (Afghanistan), Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Punjabi, Romanian, Russian, Serbian (Cyrillic), Serbian (Latin), Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish (Latin America), Spanish (Mexico), Spanish (Spain), Swedish, Tamil (Anjal), Tamil (Tamil 99), Telugu, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese QuickType keyboard support with predictive input English (Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, UK, U.S.), Chinese (Simplified, Traditional), French (Belgium, Canada, France, Switzerland), German (Austria, Germany, Switzerland), Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish (Latin America, Mexico, Spain), Arabic (Modern Standard, Najdi), Cantonese (Traditional), Dutch, Hindi (Devanagari, Latin), Portuguese (Brazil, Portugal), Russian, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese
English (Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, UK, U.S.), Chinese (Simplified, Traditional), French (Belgium, Canada, France, Switzerland), German (Austria, Germany, Switzerland), Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish (Latin America, Mexico, Spain), Arabic (Modern Standard, Najdi), Cantonese (Traditional), Dutch, Hindi (Devanagari, Latin), Portuguese (Brazil, Portugal), Russian, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese QuickType keyboard support with multilingual input English (U.S.), English (Australia), English (Canada), English (India), English (Singapore), English (UK), Chinese – Simplified (Pinyin), Chinese – Traditional (Pinyin), French (France), French (Belgium), French (Canada), French (Switzerland), German (Germany), German (Austria), German (Switzerland), Italian, Japanese (Romaji), Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Spanish (Spain), Spanish (Latin America), Spanish (Mexico), Dutch (Belgium), Dutch (Netherlands), Hindi (Latin)
English (U.S.), English (Australia), English (Canada), English (India), English (Singapore), English (UK), Chinese – Simplified (Pinyin), Chinese – Traditional (Pinyin), French (France), French (Belgium), French (Canada), French (Switzerland), German (Germany), German (Austria), German (Switzerland), Italian, Japanese (Romaji), Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Spanish (Spain), Spanish (Latin America), Spanish (Mexico), Dutch (Belgium), Dutch (Netherlands), Hindi (Latin) QuickType keyboard support with contextual suggestions English (U.S.), English (Australia), English (Canada), English (India), English (Singapore), English (UK), Chinese (Simplified), French (Belgium), French (Canada), French (France), French (Switzerland), German (Austria), German (Germany), German (Switzerland), Italian, Spanish (Latin America), Spanish (Mexico), Spanish (Spain), Arabic (Modern Standard), Arabic (Najdi), Dutch (Belgium), Dutch (Netherlands), Hindi (Devanagari), Hindi (Latin), Russian, Swedish, Portuguese (Brazil), Turkish, Vietnamese
English (U.S.), English (Australia), English (Canada), English (India), English (Singapore), English (UK), Chinese (Simplified), French (Belgium), French (Canada), French (France), French (Switzerland), German (Austria), German (Germany), German (Switzerland), Italian, Spanish (Latin America), Spanish (Mexico), Spanish (Spain), Arabic (Modern Standard), Arabic (Najdi), Dutch (Belgium), Dutch (Netherlands), Hindi (Devanagari), Hindi (Latin), Russian, Swedish, Portuguese (Brazil), Turkish, Vietnamese QuickPath keyboard support
English (U.S.), English (Australia), English (Canada), English (India), English (Singapore), English (UK), Chinese (Simplified), French (Canada), French (France), French (Switzerland), German (Austria), German (Germany), German (Switzerland), Italian, Spanish (Latin America), Spanish (Mexico), Spanish (Spain), Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Dutch (Belgium), Dutch (Netherlands), Swedish, Vietnamese
English (U.S.), English (Australia), English (Canada), English (India), English (Singapore), English (UK), Chinese (Simplified), French (Canada), French (France), French (Switzerland), German (Austria), German (Germany), German (Switzerland), Italian, Spanish (Latin America), Spanish (Mexico), Spanish (Spain), Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Dutch (Belgium), Dutch (Netherlands), Swedish, Vietnamese Siri languages English (Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, UK, U.S.), Spanish (Chile, Mexico, Spain, U.S.), French (Belgium, Canada, France, Switzerland), German (Austria, Germany, Switzerland), Italian (Italy, Switzerland), Japanese (Japan), Korean (Republic of Korea), Mandarin Chinese (China mainland, Taiwan), Cantonese (China mainland, Hong Kong), Arabic (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates), Danish (Denmark), Dutch (Belgium, Netherlands), Finnish (Finland), Hebrew (Israel), Malay (Malaysia), Norwegian (Norway), Portuguese (Brazil), Russian (Russia), Swedish (Sweden), Thai (Thailand), Turkish (Turkey)
English (Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, UK, U.S.), Spanish (Chile, Mexico, Spain, U.S.), French (Belgium, Canada, France, Switzerland), German (Austria, Germany, Switzerland), Italian (Italy, Switzerland), Japanese (Japan), Korean (Republic of Korea), Mandarin Chinese (China mainland, Taiwan), Cantonese (China mainland, Hong Kong), Arabic (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates), Danish (Denmark), Dutch (Belgium, Netherlands), Finnish (Finland), Hebrew (Israel), Malay (Malaysia), Norwegian (Norway), Portuguese (Brazil), Russian (Russia), Swedish (Sweden), Thai (Thailand), Turkish (Turkey) Dictation languages English (Australia, Canada, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, UK, U.S.), Spanish (Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Spain, Uruguay, U.S.), French (Belgium, Canada, France, Luxembourg, Switzerland), German (Austria, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland), Italian (Italy, Switzerland), Japanese, Korean, Mandarin (China mainland, Taiwan), Cantonese (China mainland, Hong Kong, Macao), Arabic (Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates), Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch (Belgium, Netherlands), Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi (India), Hungarian, Indonesian, Malaysian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil, Portugal), Romanian, Russian, Shanghainese (China mainland), Slovak, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese
English (Australia, Canada, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, UK, U.S.), Spanish (Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Spain, Uruguay, U.S.), French (Belgium, Canada, France, Luxembourg, Switzerland), German (Austria, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland), Italian (Italy, Switzerland), Japanese, Korean, Mandarin (China mainland, Taiwan), Cantonese (China mainland, Hong Kong, Macao), Arabic (Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates), Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch (Belgium, Netherlands), Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi (India), Hungarian, Indonesian, Malaysian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil, Portugal), Romanian, Russian, Shanghainese (China mainland), Slovak, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese Definition dictionary support
English (UK, U.S.), Chinese (Simplified, Traditional), Danish, Dutch, French, German, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish
English (UK, U.S.), Chinese (Simplified, Traditional), Danish, Dutch, French, German, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish Bilingual dictionary support English (UK, U.S.), Chinese (Simplified) Spell check English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Arabic, Arabic Najdi, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Swedish, Turkish English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Arabic, Arabic Najdi, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Swedish, Turkish Apple Pay supported regions
Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China mainland,10 Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jersey, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Palestine, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, UK, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, U.S., Vatican City
Supported formats include HEVC, H.264, and ProRes .jpg, .tiff, .gif (images); .doc and .docx (Microsoft Word); .htm and .html (web pages); .key (Keynote); .numbers (Numbers); .pages (Pages); .pdf (Preview and Adobe Acrobat); .ppt and .pptx (Microsoft PowerPoint); .txt (text); .rtf (rich text format); .vcf (contact information); .xls and .xlsx (Microsoft Excel); .zip; .ics; .usdz iPad Air is designed with the following features to reduce its environmental impact:11
Learn more about the iPad Air Product Environmental Report 100% recycled rare earth elements in the enclosure and audio magnets, representing 96% of the rare earth elements in the device
100% recycled tin in the solder of the main logic board All final assembly supplier sites are transitioning to 100% renewable energy for Apple production 100% of virgin wood fiber comes from responsibly managed forests We’re committed to making our products without taking from the earth, and to become carbon neutral across our entire business, including products, by 2030.
The iPad Air 5: Price, Release Date, Specs, and News
According to DigiTimes in early 2021, Apple had planned to adopt OLED displays in at least some iPad models. A later report claimed Apple won’t release its first OLED iPad until 2023 or 2024.
The 2022 iPad Air features a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display, with 3.8 million pixels and 500 nits of brightness, True Tone, and an anti-reflective screen coating. The iPad Air 5 was also said to have an A15 Bionic chipset, four stereo speakers, 5G, thinner bezels, and a dual-lens camera setup.
Apple iPad Air (5th generation) review: Spec-tock-ular
Apple’s strategy of slapping powerful chips into affordable hardware isn’t a new one, but it’s really kicked it up a notch with the iPad Air (5th generation). Adding laptop-tier silicon to the iPad Pro line was one thing, but a beefy M1 processor in Apple’s lightweight, sub-flagship tablet surely makes it a no-brainer, right? The iPad Air 5 debuted at Apple’s Peek Performance event on March 8, 2022, alongside the iPhone SE (2022) and the Mac Studio. If the previous iPad Air was a long-overdue “tick,” this is definitively the inevitable “tock” model.
It’s a smidgen heavier (1-2g depending on the model) and the color options have changed, but the size, ports/buttons, display, rear camera, and speakers are all identical to the iPad Air (4th generation) — check out our in-depth look at the iPad Air 4 for more on those features, as we’ll be skipping over some of the familiar stuff in this review. It’s also compatible with the Apple Pencil (2nd generation) and the Magic Keyboard case, as well as other existing iPad Air accessories.
The game-changing M1 chipset should require no introduction at this point, but the trickle-down effect of Apple’s silicon strategy means that the 2022 iPad Air — just like the iPad Pro (5th generation) before it — packs MacBook-caliber power, albeit with some subtle architecture tweaks. The iPad Air (5th generation) color options are Space Gray, Pink, Purple, Blue, and Starlight.
All of the good stuff from the iPad Air (4th generation) applies here: the quality construction from glass and recycled aluminum, reasonably-sized bezels that give you just enough room to grip it without obscuring the edges of the display, and Touch ID for biometrics.
The fingerprint reader is baked into the power button, and while the two-step unlock (rest finger and push down) is cumbersome, it’s rapid and accurate.
The iPad Air (5th generation) has a USB-C port for external storage access and accessory support. It’s a solid little shooter, delivering pleasing color accuracy and enough detail in decent lighting, though it struggles in dim conditions.
What’s perhaps more exciting is the addition of Center Stage — another “Pro” feature trickling down that follows faces around the room, zooming and panning to keep them in shot. The iPad Air handily dealt with intensive games like Genshin Impact, with the frame rate hovering around the 50-55 mark on average at max settings.
Benchmarks only cement how much of a beast this thing is, with numbers that trounce the Tab S8 series’ Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 implementation and handily best Windows hybrids too. The chip’s efficiency is a boon for battery life, though the iPad Air (5th generation) largely sticks to the ~10-hour mark we saw on its predecessor when drained from 100% to zero.
Apple also snuck faster charging into the latest model, though the included charger only hits 20W of power. If you’ve got a 30W USB PD PPS charger, you can refill from empty to full in just over two hours as opposed to two and a half.
iPadOS still awkwardly straddles the line between iOS and macOS, landing much closer to its walled-off, mobile roots than the more open Mac software platform, but for all its quirks (seriously, why aren’t the widgets interactive?) Yes, you could stick within those means if you only use a few apps and are fastidious with your iCloud management (or by regularly plugging in an external drive), but the point is you shouldn’t have to.
128GB is the standard for any other tablet maker operating in this price bracket, and there’s no excuse for Apple not to have solved a problem that was already well overdue a fix with the previous generation iPad Air. It might be running at Goku-esque power levels, but the lagging animations mean it doesn’t look or feel as smooth as it should when flitting between apps and navigating the UI.
The Magic Keyboard ($299) and Apple Pencil (2nd generation) ($129) really unlock the iPad Air’s potential, but you’re looking at an extra $400+ being taken out of your bank account. Center Stage is one of the fifth-gen iPad Air’s key upgrades, but it’s not unique (the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 series has an identical feature), and Apple’s insistence on placing the front camera on the portrait bezel still makes it look like you’re staring off into space during video calls.
Apple’s software support is guaranteed to keep it fresh and stable, but it’s the overkill M1 chip and healthy supply of RAM that ensures it’s future-proofed for many, many years to come. Sure, it didn’t have an M1 chip, but the A14 Bionic was already far ahead of the pack in 2020, and remains competitive with the very best mobile silicon today. Meanwhile, the same gripes we had with the 4th generation Air are all present and accounted for, and the grumbles over the 64GB base storage and 60Hz refresh rate have only gotten louder with the passage of time. Likewise, if you only want to stream movies and play a handful of games, the base model is a steal, and its screen, design, and feature set are enough of a bump over the regular iPad to justify the extra spend. But even with all that bleeding edge raw power, the iPad Air (5th gen) feels oddly outdated at times — a tablet that received a massive boost in an area it already excelled in, while neglecting its legacy flaws. The iPad Air is still possibly the easiest product to recommend from Apple’s entire, behemoth ecosystem.
If you can live with or work around the paltry storage, the price differences between the base models (either Wi-Fi or cellular) will save you a nice chunk of change. Sure, you’re getting half the storage with the Pro compared to the maxed-out Air, but 128GB is a nice sweet spot.
The Galaxy Tab S8 gets closer than ever to challenging Apple’s tablet dominance with faster charging, but it’s hampered by Android’s poor optimization for larger screens, not-so-stellar battery life, and is eons behind on raw performance.
The iPad Air (5th generation) is still uncontested as the best sub-flagship tablet you can buy, and possibly the easiest product to recommend from Apple’s entire, behemoth ecosystem.
iPad Air 5 (2022): Everything you need to know
Apple launched the fifth-gen iPad Air alongside the new iPhone SE at its March 2022 event, boasting impressive performance gains compared to its predecessor. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case this time around, with identical pricing to the iPad Air 4 range for the Wi-Fi variant – in fact, it’s £10 cheaper in the UK! With such a dramatic redesign on offer from the fourth-gen iPad Air, it should come as no surprise that the iPad Air looks near-identical to its predecessor, complete with the same 10.9in Liquid Retina display, Touch ID within the Power button and all-screen design – but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. As well as the same Space Grey, Starlight, Pink and Purple finishes, the new iPad Air will also be available in a new shade of Blue.
As predicted in a last-minute rumour ahead of the March Event, one of the headline upgrades for this year’s iPad Air is the chipset. The upgraded 16-core neural engine allows for better AI performance, which should be particularly good news for creatives that use photo editing apps on the tablet.
The iPad Air, like the Mini before it, has made the jump to 5G connectivity, providing much-improved download and upload speeds if you opt for the cellular model – and live somewhere with 5G, of course. For those yet to experience the technology, it essentially uses AI to follow your face and body as you move around in front of the iPad, making it easier to perform tasks like cooking dinner while chatting on apps like FaceTime.
Apple iPad Air (2022) review: A new standard for tablets
The new iPad Air outshines its predecessor thanks to its powerful M1 chip, 12MP front camera with Center Stage and 5G connectivity. I thought its predecessor, the iPad Air 4 (2020), was one of the finest tablets on the market, but this new 2022 model is a step above. But the upgraded M1 chip powering this fifth iteration of the iPad Air marks a notable step forward. The iPad Air 5 (2022) releases in the United States on March 18 with a starting price of $599 for the 64GB configuration with Wi-Fi (opens in new tab), and it comes in your choice of 5 colors: Blue, Pink, Purple, Starlight and Space Gray.
There’s no price bump this year from Apple, as the new iPad Air costs the same as the 2020 model when it launched. We reviewed the blue iPad Air featuring Wi-Fi + Cellular connectivity and 256GB of storage. Our unit also came with a number of accessories, including the Magic Keyboard ($299) and Apple Pencil 2 ($129), which are sold separately. I loved the iPad Air 4’s design so I’m glad Apple didn’t change it for the latest model. I could complain about the lack of a headphone jack, but since most devices are ditching the port in favor of wireless solutions, it’s not a big deal. Considering these factors, I was very interested to see how the current iPad Air’s display compared to the older model. Colors pop on the new iPad Air’s screen and visual details are easy to discern. YouTube, Twitch and programs on streaming services like Netflix all look great on the relatively small iPad Air screen.
Games like Genshin Impact run smoothly on the iPad Air thanks to the powerful M1 chip. I opened up 15 different tabs in Google Chrome and ran HBO Max to see if I could make the iPad Air 5 flinch. I also fired up Genshin Impact and was pleased to see it maintain a consistent frame rate throughout my brief playthrough. iPad Air (2022) iPad Pro (2021) Galaxy Tab S8 Price $599 $799 $699 Display 10.9-inch (2360 x 1640 pixels) Liquid Retina 11 inches (2388 x 1668 pixels) 11-inch (2560 x 1600) 120Hz LCD display CPU M1 M1 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Storage 64GB, 256GB 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB 128GB/256GB Camera 12MP wide (f/1.8) (Front and rear cameras) 12MP wide (f/1.8), 10MP ultra-wide (f/2.4) (rear) / 12MP wide (f/1.8), 10MP ultra-wide (f/2.4) (front) 12MP (front), 13MP/6MP (rear) Security Touch ID Face ID Fingerprint sensor Pencil support Apple Pencil (2nd generation) Apple Pencil (gen 1 & 2) S-Pen Weight 1 pound 1.04 pounds 1.1 pounds Ports USB-C USB-C with Thunderbolt, USB-4 USB-C, microSD Connectivity Wi-Fi 6, optional 5G Wi-Fi 6, 5G optional Wi-Fi 6E The iPad Air 5 may be a small tablet but it delivers sound that’s big enough to fill a medium-sized room. Though the sound quality lacks bass and is somewhat thin, it was easy to hear every explosion, scream and roar in Godzilla vs Kong.
I found the speakers perfect for YouTube content like Star Talk and other podcast-like channels. The camera’s smooth panning makes it feel like there’s a tiny director inside your tablet, and it’s a neat feature to finally have on the iPad Air. During my personal testing, it took about 5 hours to drain the iPad Air’s battery to 50 percent from a full charge.
I watched a number of YouTube videos, surfed the web while having multiple open tabs and played some Genshin Impact. Aside from playing video games (something I don’t do on mobile devices outside of tests), this closely resembles how I use a tablet during a normal day. On the Tom’s Guide Battery Test, which involves surfing the web over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of screen brightness, the new iPad Air lasted 10 hours and 9 minutes.
The Apple Pencil 2 and Magic Keyboard are great optional accessories for the iPad Air that help you get more out of the device. As for the keyboard, it has plenty of space to let you type comfortably, while the trackpad feels responsive and easy to use. The Magic Keyboard is a must-have attachment if you want to use the iPad Air as a mini laptop, but the $349 will make you wince.
The $129 Apple Pencil should have been included with the iPad Air in the same way the S-Pen comes with the Galaxy Tab S8 lineup. However, the new iPad Air does still support Touch ID via the fingerprint reader built into the power button. The new iPad Air 2022 is ideal for consuming and creating content, and its $599 starting price is within reach for many people.
The 11-inch Pro is basically the same size and close to the same price as the new Air, so while the cost of trading up is reasonable it’s also not much of an upgrade. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 is another great alternative if you’re not keen on purchasing an Apple product, though it’s not as powerful as the iPad Air.
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