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.
The fifth-generation iPad Air retains the same external design and display, but everything else has been updated. The M1 processor, ultra-wide selfie camera with Center Stage, faster USB-C port, and 5G bring the iPad Air incredibly close to the 11-inch iPad Pro yet again.
Thanks to the addition of M1, the iPad Air 2022 is almost on par with the iPad Pro. That isn't to say the Air is now a Pro replacement, but the gap in power is considerably smaller. This, along with its relatively affordable $599 starting price, could make this new iPad Air more compelling than the iPad Pro for budget-minded shoppers who still want the best iPad their money can buy.
Design
The iPad Air 5 has a lot in common with the 4th-generation model; the design is the same. You'll find the same rounded corners on its 10.9-inch Liquid Retina Display, the USB-C port at the bottom, two-speaker audio, Smart connector for accessories is in the same spot, and the list goes on. Just by looking at the iPad Air 5 next to an iPad Air 4, you likely wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
Display
The iPad Air uses a 10.9-in., 2360x1640-pixel, 264ppi Liquid Retina display with 500 nits of brightness. If this sounds familiar, it’s the same specification we saw in the iPad Air 4 display.
The screen is bright enough, with decent color reproduction for all tasks. The brightness isn’t at the level of the iPad Pro (500 nits vs 600 nits peak brightness), but most people would struggle to see the difference if they’re not editing video or closely studying photos. The only noticeable difference in the display department between the iPad Air M1 and the iPad Pros is the variable refresh rate up to 120Hz that the ProMotion display in the iPad Pro has.
Still, the display on iPad Air 5 has many other good features that you would expect, like TrueTone and P3 wide color gamut. In addition, the screen is fully laminated and sports an anti-reflective coating, which helps a lot in everyday use.
Performance
The most significant change in the iPad Air 5 hardware is mainly on the inside since Apple decided it wants to put the M1 chip in everything it can, and the iPad Air is now the cheapest device you can buy from Apple with the M1 processor.
The iPad Air 5 earned an impressive 7,151 on the Geekbench 5 general multi-core test. This trounces the iPad Air 4's 4,262 scores. However, it doesn't quite reach or exceed the 7,293 earned by last year's 11-inch iPad Pro. Still, it's clear the M1 chip is a monster of a chip, especially compared to the old A14 Bionic that powered the 2020 iPad Air.
On the 3DMark Wild Life Unlimited benchmark, the iPad Air 2022 scored a whopping 17,966 and 107.6 frames per second, compared to 8,975 and 53 fps for the iPad Air 4.
It doesn't seem to matter what you're doing on your iPad Air 5; the M1 chip handles it with such ease. It makes using all those iPad-specific features like Multitasking, split-screen, and Sidecar so much more intuitive in a way because the machine doesn't stutter at all when you're moving throughout iPadOS. Out of sight, out of mind. It's almost like a Jedi mind trick because you're doing all the same tasks you've done before, but it's just so much smoother that it feels better.
Cameras
There still are only two cameras on the iPad Air 5, one on the back and one front-facing; however, the front-facing camera got a massive upgrade over the previous model.
The front-facing camera is now a 12MP ultra-wide camera that features Center Stage. If you don't know, Center Stage is a feature that uses machine learning and the ultra-wide camera to focus continuously on one or multiple people that should be captured in the frame.
Center Stage works well in practice and is a welcome addition to the iPad Air 5. It makes video calls so much more enjoyable because you can adjust your position as you need without moving your iPad every time. The iPad Air 5 was the last iPad to get the Center Stage treatment, as the feature is now available across the entire iPad lineup. Video calling has never been more critical than in recent years, so It's nice that the iPad Air can finally be a suitable video conferencing device.
What hasn’t changed is the primary camera. This remains the single-lens 12-megapixel camera that was introduced in the last generation iPad Air.
It's a decent point-and-shoot camera if it's the one you have on hand, but if you want your iPad photography to be next-level, the iPad Pro will serve you much better. Still, if you need to snap a quick photo or two and the Air 5 is all you have on you, you'll likely be pretty happy with the results as long as there's enough light.
Battery life
While Apple never officially releases their battery sizes for their devices, the iPad Air 5 has the same stated battery life as its predecessor, which isn't a bad thing considering the move to an M1 chip. Apple says you'll get about 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi‑Fi or watching the video, which is the same battery life stats it gave the previous iPad Air and gives the base iPad too.
Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard
What's cool about the iPad Air 5 is, like its predecessor, it's compatible with pretty much all the same accessories that the 11-inch iPad Pro can use. Notably, the Magic Keyboard provides a fantastic way to type for any who likes to do a lot of work on their iPad. Plus, it even has a trackpad, turning your iPad Air 5 into a very laptop-like user experience.
The Smart Connector is located on the back of the iPad, so other accessories like the Smart Folio or Smart Keyboard also work with the iPad Air 5. Of course, all accessories are extra expenses, but the reason I mention this is that the 11-inch iPad Pro and iPad Air have never been closer in terms of specs. And with that $200 price difference at play, knowing the Air has access to all the same great accessories could factor into your purchasing decision.
The Apple Pencil 2 is a great tool for taking notes and drawing. It’s a thick pencil that feels good to use and comfortable to hold. Though digital pencils still don’t provide the same tactile satisfaction as old-school pens and pencils, the Apple Pencil 2 functions well.
While I think both peripherals are great, they're pretty expensive. 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.
I still recommend the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil 2 because of their usefulness, but it would be nice if they were priced a little lower.
Touch ID security
If you expected the new iPad Air to have Face ID, I have bad news for you. It wasn't included in the iPad Air 2020, and the same thing goes here.
However, the new iPad Air does still support Touch ID via the fingerprint reader built into the power button. I think Touch ID security works fantastically when using Apple Pay and passwords, and personally speaking, I prefer Touch ID over Face ID.
Pressing my finger to the power button isn’t as awkward as staring at a screen. I also like how fast it is to log in via Touch ID. Samsung tablets have their version of Touch ID that works well, but Apple’s version feels snappier.
Price
Here’s how much the iPad Air 5 range will cost at release:
- iPad Air (64GB, Wi-Fi): £569/$599
- iPad Air (256GB, Wi-Fi): £719/$749
- iPad Air (64GB, Wi-Fi & Cellular): £719/$749
- iPad Air (256GB, Wi-Fi & Cellular): £869/$899
Should you buy it?
The iPad Air 5 (2022) is the iPad that makes the most sense for most people, which means it’s the tablet that makes the most sense for most people. While the iPad Pro brings a superior screen, speakers, and comes in a larger screen size that’s more suitable for real work, it is perhaps too pricey and too big for some people.
It's hard not to recommend the iPad Air 5 as the best iPad for most people — especially if you want to hold onto it for several years. The M1 offers so much power that it will likely keep your workflow moving at a brisk pace for years to come, making it a great tablet to get for anyone looking to upgrade from an older model.
But For not a lot more money you can get the iPad Pro 11, which has a superior screen, better cameras, thinner bezels, and more internal storage, with stronger speakers too. While the M1 is impressive and makes the iPad Air 5 perform very similarly to the iPad Pro, there are still features only on the iPad Pro. Whether it's the Thunderbolt port that allows faster data transfer speeds, the ProMotion display that makes the screen much more fluid and improves the visuals, the better speaker array that gets louder than the Air, or just more storage options, there are just some things that iPad Air doesn't offer.
It's pretty simple when you boil it down; if you want the best iPad performance at the best price, the iPad Air 5 is the tablet you should buy. As long as it fits into your workflow and you don't need any of the pro features to get by, the iPad Air 5 will be able to handle anything you throw at it.
Personally, I will recommend that if you are going with the base 64GB wifi version of the iPad Air then it's a good deal but if you want the 256 version then may consider the iPad Pro 11 inch 128GB which will cost you an extra $50 but you will get all the pro features.
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