iPad Air 5 Review

The iPad Air 5, the latest generation in Apple’s iPad Air series, combines sleek design with powerful performance.

Featuring a vibrant Liquid Retina LCD display, the tablet offers immersive visuals, while the Apple M1 chip ensures swift app performance. With support for the Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard, the iPad Air 5 caters to creative professionals, families, students, entertainment seekers, and productivity enthusiasts.

There are improvements in comparison to the previous iPad Air 4. That information is below.

Specifications

Released:	2022, March
Operating System:	iPadOS
Display Size:	10.9-inches
Display Type:	LCD
Resolutions:	1640 x 2360 (ppi ~264)
Chipset:	M1
CPU:	Octa-Core
GPU:	Apple GPU (Apple 8-core)
Storage:	64GB, 256GB
RAM:	8GB
Port:	USB-C
Front Camera:	12 MP, f/2.4
Back Camera:	12 MP, f/1.8
Dimensions:	9.75 x 7.03 x 0.24 in (247.6 x 178.5 x 6.1 mm)
Weight:	~1.02 lb (462g)
Battery:	Li-Ion (28.6 Wh) Up to 9 hours
Cellular(LTE):	Yes (eSIM & Nano-SIM)
Stylus Support:	Yes
Micro SD Card:	No
Applications:	App Store
Bluetooth:	Yes (5.0)
Colors:	Space Gray, Starlight, Blue, Purple, Pink

iPad Air 5 Ratings

What’s Inside Box?

• iPad Air 5 (2022) in the color you chose
• USB-C Charging Cable
• 20W USB-C Power Adapter
• Region Specific Documentation
• Two Apple logo stickers (white)
• SIM ejection tool (if you bought the LTE model)

iPad Air 5 vs 4 – What’s New?

The Apple iPad Air 2022 is similar to its predecessor in various ways, the size remained the same, the screen-to-body ratio didn’t change, and the dimensions are identical, but what has changed?

• There are new colors.
• New & Faster chipset.
• More RAM.
• Better Camera.
• 5G network coverage.
• Faster USB-C Port.

Apple’s biggest and most important change is the chipset, resulting in faster processing speeds and enhanced graphics performance, making the iPad Air 5 significantly faster and more capable of handling heavy, demanding apps faster.

Both iPads are compatible with Apple Pencil 2 and USB-C, Magic Keyboard and Smart Keyboard.

Both of the models have USB-C ports, but the one on iPad Air 5 is faster and it’s able to hit a maximum transfer speed of 10GB/s(iPad Air 4 5GB/s). This is an important upgrade for people who are connecting external hard drives to iPads and transferring files like photos, videos, etc. It will be two times faster.

Overall I would say it was a minor upgrade from iPad Air 4 to iPad Air 5.

What Do I Like & Dislike in iPad Air 5

Pros (What I Liked)

• Touch-ID Button

I like that the Touch-ID button is a power button, and the authentication button is 2-in-1.

• Camera

The iPad Air 5 comes with 12 MP, f/2.4, ultrawide selfie camera. In comparison to the iPad Air 4, it’s a huge upgrade. In addition to being higher quality, it also brings center stage to Air 5, and all of a sudden, the video calls get more exciting.

You can put your iPad on a desk and move around, and the camera will follow you. It’s a really cool feature to have if you make video calls, but there’s still no flashlight in iPad Air 5.

• Gaming

It can handle heavy games like Call of duty, PUBG, and Asphalt. I was able to connect the PS5 controller to the iPad and take advantage of that. I played on smooth and balanced settings so it wouldn’t drain the battery so fast.

Cons (What I Disliked)

• 60Hz Screen

The 60Hz refresh rate screen. I’ve been using 120Hz Promotion screens on my other devices, and you can tell the difference. The screen isn’t as smooth, the scroll isn’t as smooth, and if you pay attention to when you write or draw, you can notice a little latency there.

But if you buy an iPad just for web surfing, smart gadget control, note-taking, online shopping, and a few games here and there – does the 60 Hz screen even matter? I would say no. It matters if you really want to have that top-notch quality.

In my opinion, a non-techy person would have difficulty noticing the differences even if they had these two devices side-by-side.

• 64GB Storage

In a few years, the iPad Air 5 will still be capable of running the latest apps, but with each update, apps and OS systems get heavier, so you might have storage space problems in the future. I would recommend getting the 256GB storage option, since Apple doesn’t offer 128GB storage on iPad Air 5.

• Speakers

iPad Air 5 only features two speakers, one on each side. They are decent, but the iPad Pro offers four speakers, and the sound quality is better when you want to watch a Movie or a video during the day.

Alternatives To iPad Air 5

I want to talk about two alternative tablets. One is from Apple, the same ecosystem, but cheaper, and one is in the same price range but from a different ecosystem, an Android Tablet by Samsung.

iPad 10 and Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE.

iPad 10

If you like the iPad Air 5, but you want something a bit cheaper, I would recommend iPad 10. They both have 10.9-inch screens.

It’s cheaper by $150, but with that come some drawbacks:

• Slower processing power(chip)
• It has a non-laminated screen
• Different colours
• It’s thicker
• Slower file transfer with USB-C
• It’s not compatible with the Magic Keyboard

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus

If you like what iPad Air 5 has to offer but you are not really comfortable switching to iPadOS, you might like the new Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus. It’s a very good alternative in the same price range with a few differences:

• It has a bigger screen 12.4 inches
• It has a 90Hz screen
• The storage is starting from 128GB
• It’s heavier
• The stylus pen is included in the price
• Battery life is tweaked in comparison to iPad Air (Up to 7hrs)

It’s a really good alternative if you want an Android device. It makes more sense if you have an Android phone, not that there would be limitations, but the UI is more familiar.

The best part about Samsung tablets is that all the mid-range and premium tablets have Stylus included in the price, but if you buy an iPad, you have to pay $100 extra for that Apple Pencil.

Does The iPad Air 5?

There are many questions when it comes to iPad Air 5, let me answer them all:

Does the iPad Air 5 have 5G?	Yes
Does the iPad Air 5 have 120Hz?	Yes
Does the iPad Air 5 Supports Apple Pencil 1?	No
Does the iPad Air 5 Support Apple Pencil 2?	Yes
Does the iPad Air 5 Support Apple Pencil USB-C?	Yes
Does the iPad Air 5 Support Wireless Charging?	No
Does the iPad Air 5 Have Face-ID?	No
Does the iPad Air 5 Have Flashlight?	No
Does the iPad Air 5 Have a Headphone jack?	No

iPad Air 5 – Should You Buy it?

The iPad Air 5 is a power tablet. It’s a great choice for many individuals and families.

It’s portable. It has a powerful processor, a sharp screen, and tons of apps to choose from. It has enough power to handle any task.

The iPad Pro offers more. It’s faster, has a 120Hz Promotion Display, has Face-ID, has more speakers, and can handle more processing, but for everyday users, it’s not a requirement, so I believe iPad Air is the best choice for most people.

iPad Air has enough juice for most people to take full advantage of a tablet computer.

Where To Buy It & How Much It Costs?

Amazon	~514 USD
Amazon(Refurbished)	~479 USD
Apple	~599 USD

I recommend reading about the pros and cons of buying a refurbished iPad and the best places to buy it from.