IPad air video quality. Apple iPad Air (2019) Review

The iPad Air Review

Front and rear facing cameras are necessary features on all modern, premium tablets. The usage model for a rear facing camera on a tablet is hopefully not as a primary image capture device but rather a convenient one. The idea being that if you’re on location somewhere using the iPad for work or play and need to quickly grab an image, having a decent rear facing camera can come in handy rather than having to put away your tablet, pull out your phone and then switch back afterwards.

Apple has improved its iPad imaging systems almost every single generation. That being said, the iPad Air is a bit of an exception to the rule as it retains the same rear camera sensor as the 4th generation iPad. We’re still talking about a 5MP sensor with f/2.4 lens, although the iPad Air now has a wider field of view with a 3.3mm focal length (identical to the original iPad mini).

The rear facing camera tends to shoot at lower ISOs than the rear camera on the iPad 4. Since there’s no substantial change in the sensor or lens system however, the result is less noise but a darker image in low light situations. I suspect this might be more of a configuration default for the software layer driving the H6 ISP in Apple’s A7. Image quality is surprisingly good:

Even lower light shots come out fairly well:

Although obviously noise goes up appreciably once you get into really dark scenes:

I took a bunch of photos at the NC State Fair as well as on my trip out to Santa Clara following the iPad launch event in the gallery below.

Despite using the same ISP as the iPhone 5s, there’s no 10 fps burst capture mode on the iPad Air. Similarly there’s no slo-mo video recording mode either. The iPad Air does inherit the other benefits of the new H6 ISP however. Image capture is still insanely quick, which makes me wonder if the A7’s ISP also leverages that large on-die system cache.

The front facing camera does see an improvement in sensitivity thanks to a larger sensor format. My understanding is this is the same sensor/lens combination as what’s in the iPhone 5s and 5c. Similarly to its implementation in the 5s, Apple seems to use the new front facing camera system to drive to lower ISOs and/or higher shutter speeds. You typically end up with a lower noise/sharper image, although sometimes there is a brightness/exposure tradeoff.

The other feature leveraged by the new front facing camera is the inclusion of a second microphone for noise cancellation. The goal here is to use the second mic to cancel out background noise and improve the quality of the audio you’re actually trying to record (presumably your voice during FaceTime for example). The impact is pretty noticeable. I ran an iPad 4 and an iPad Air side by side while playing a background track and have embedded the resulting videos below:

In the iPad Air sample video my voice comes across considerably clearer, as you’d expect given the Air’s second mic.

Video

Video capture settings look unchanged from the iPad 4. We’re still dealing with ~17Mbps High Profile videos from the rear camera and ~10Mbps Baseline Profile H.264 from the front camera.

Video quality out of both is pretty good for a tablet. In well lit scenes rear camera quality is definitely sufficient for sharing on the web.

4 Комментарии и мнения владельцев

Beautyspin. Tuesday, October 29, 2013. link

You should not really call any review by Anandtech of Apple products as reviews. They are homages paid to their shrine. This is a ritual with them.

Drumsticks. Tuesday, October 29, 2013. link

I always hear people complaining about bias here and elsewhere for Apple products. But what exactly is the reason for that? The majority of the review is seriously objective. you can’t argue that Apple has some of the best performance in he game right now, and the best display to boot. He only thing rivaling it is probably the higher clocked Z3770, while Qualcomm will probably pass Apple‘s GPU early next year.

as far as subjectivity goes, even if you don’t like the design, the materials are solid. And it manages to be lighter than every other ten inch tablet on the market (and thinner) withot sacrificing battery life. The only subjective things I could possibly see are maybe the sound quality and the OS itself, of which he criticized a few times. Where does the bias come in?

Fleeb. Tuesday, October 29, 2013. link

and the best display to boot

We have yet to wait for the Kindle HDX review but it is lighter, packs more pixels and with 100%RGB gamut.

darwinosx. Wednesday, October 30, 2013. link

Its lighter because it is cheap plastic. It is also a far more limited device. Really laughable to think it compares to an Air.

dsumanik. Wednesday, October 30, 2013. link

Read this review with a grain of salt. Anand lai shimpi is heavenly vested in Apple stock, doing everything he can to boost the dismal situation.

Thinner bezels and light weight do not hide the fact that functionally, this iPad is the same as the previous 2 generations.

Sent from my ipad3, which will be upgraded when Apple actually updates the product line.

Here’s some basic ideas mr cook:

Wireless chargingFingerprint scannerThunderbolt sync or usb3Haptic feedbackNFC

John2k13. Wednesday, October 30, 2013. link

You know what’s disgusting about your comment, and those similar to yours? That you basically accuse the author of being a liar, a shill, and completely lacking in integrity- without a shred of evidence. I read the entire 10 page review, and it was incredibly detailed, precise, and well-written, something that would be obvious to most sane, rational, objective people.

Anand lai shimpi is heavenly vested in Apple stock, doing everything he can to boost the dismal situation.

First of all, what dismal situation? Apple stock is up around 130 from a few months ago, or almost a third. Hardly dismal. Also, do you think a single review from a website visited primarily by tech geeks is going to have any fucking effect on the stock? I mean, are you for real? Don’t assume the author holds the same amount of ignorant stupidity that you apparently do, to think for a second this review would have a snowball’s chance in hell in affecting stock. You clearly know nothing about how the financial market works.

Thinner bezels and light weight do not hide the fact that functionally, this iPad is the same as the previous 2 generations.

Functionality on a tablet is primarily based on software, and the iPad has 475,000 optimized apps which are getting more powerful all the time. The hardware simply enables better software. A tablet is basically a blank slate for the software, and better hardware helps in enabling better software. Every single aspect of this iPad is improved, so yes, it is more functional. That list you made, though, is pretty ridiculous, and obviously a desperate attempt to list anything you can think of that the iPad doesn’t have and pretend its significant.

Wireless charging- why? This makes the device more functional, how?Fingerprint scanner- Wow, brilliant idea. You probably mocked touch ID when it appeared on the 5S. Again, this would be nice to have I guess, but in no way impedes functionality of the tablet.Thunderbolt sync or usb3- I have no idea what thunderbolt sync means, and its pretty ridiculous you’re harping on a USB3 port. It will never happen, nor should it.Haptic feedback- Utterly useless gimmick, but heym why not, right?NFC- I have NFC on my Nexus 4, and not ONCE have I even run into an opportunity or a reason to use it. But yeah, I’m sure you honestly think it’s needed or useful on an iPad. Again, another meaningless bulletpoint you were desperate to add mindlessly.

Next time you want to baselessly accuse an author of being a liar, a shill, a sellout, and having no honesty or integrity, try to make a coherent post that actually contains some intelligent, well thought out information. Otherwise, by attacking the author you just embarrass yourself as you did now. Grow up.

ABR. Wednesday, October 30, 2013. link

Actually thunderbolt sync is one of the changes I’m really waiting for. Have you ever tried restoring even a 16GB iPad over USB? Slow agony. I can’t even imagine what someone w/a 64 or 128GB model must go through. Even ordinary everyday syncs are far slower than what they could or should be.

Howard Ellacott. Wednesday, October 30, 2013. link

You clearly don’t realise what thunderbolt is, which is why that’s such a stupid suggestion. Yes, faster syncs would be amazing, and restoring a 64gb iPhone is a right pain, but thunderbolt isn’t the way.

Kristian Vättö. Wednesday, October 30, 2013. link

USB 2.0 isn’t the real bottleneck there, it’s NAND. Most eMMC solutions can’t even saturate the USB 2.0 link with sequential writes, so Thunderbolt or USB 3.0 would do absolutely.

PIPELINE STORIES

Crucial X9 Pro and X10 Pro High-Performance Portable SSDs AnnouncedTSMC to Build 2.87 Billion Facility For Advanced Chip PackagingCadence Buys Memory and SerDes PHY Assets from Rambus

• AMD Launches Ryzen 5 7500F in China: Zen 4 With no Integrated Graphics
• TSMC: 3nm Chips for Smartphones and HPCs Coming This Year
• Ultra Ethernet Consortium Formed, Plans to Adapt Ethernet for AI and HPC Needs
• Cerebras to Enable ‘Condor Galaxy’ Network of AI Supercomputers: 36 ExaFLOPS for AI
• Solidigm Announces D5-P5336: 64 TB-Class Data Center SSD Sets NVMe Capacity Records
• TSMC Delays Arizona Fab Deployment to 2025, Citing Shortage of Skilled Workers
• Asus Signs Agreement to Continue Development and Support of Intel’s NUC Business
• Samsung Completes Initial GDDR7 Development: First Parts to Reach Up to 32Gbps/pin
• Logitech Acquires Loupedeck to Enhance Its Software Roadmap

Apple iPad Air (2019) Review

After a long time spread in between, Apple’s iPad Air 2 finally received a proper successor! Technically, the iPad Air (2019) arrives nearly 4.5 years after the iPad Air 2, which is a staggering amount of time in the world of tech. Until the arrival of the iPad Pro, the Air was largely considered the top of the line tablet in Apple’s stable, but if pricing dictates structure, the iPad Air (2019) is now classified as the mid-range offering – sitting in between the iPad (2018) at 350 and the 11-inch version of the iPad Pro (2018) priced at 800. The 500 sticker price of the iPad Air (2019) seems appropriate for any mainstream tablet, but where does it rank in the greater scheme of things?

• iPad Air (2019)
• USB Lightning Cable
• USB Power Adapter
• Quick Start, Safety Guide, and Stickers

Design

Borrowing the same aesthetics and design language of its predecessor in the 2014 released iPad Air 2, the new iPad Air (2019) doesn’t barely break from tradition. It can easily be mistaken for the iPad Air 2 unless you inspect them closely, seeing that the iPad Air (2019) is a smidgen longer and wider, but it’s still incredibly well-built, features a sleek aluminum body, rounded edges with a subtle beveled edge. Yes, it’s a recycled design that doesn’t bear anything terribly new or different, but it’s a signature design that stays true to Apple’s philosophy of being clean and simple.

Apple has chosen to keep the Touch ID fingerprint sensor. It would have been great if it had put Face ID here, but Touch ID is also very good and simple to use. The 3.5mm headphone jack is still intact here, which is surely a sight for sore eyes given that the newer iPad Pros don’t have them.

Looking elsewhere around the tablet, all of the same ports and buttons from before are located in their typical locations. On the bottom edge, we have its Lighting port and two speaker grills that flank it. To the right, we have dedicated volume up and down buttons – while the top houses the power button, headphone jack, and microphone.

But interestingly enough, the only new addition here are the three pin connectors on its left edge, which allows for the support of the Smart Keyboard for those who simply prefer a physical response when typing. over, it’s also worth noting the iPad Air (2019) also supports the Apple Pencil, which still incurs an additional 100 cost. There’s a catch though! It’s the first-generation Apple Pencil, and not the newer one.

Indeed, it’s been 4.5 years in between the two iPad Air models – so you’d think that this new model would be deserving of a new facelift. Apple doesn’t believe it needs one. And there’s very good reason for that because all you need to do is look at the competition. No one else sells more tablets than Apple, so this “old” design works because it has shown to all of us that it has aged nicely. It’s thin, lightweight, and solidly built. What more can we ask for in a design like that?

Display

Even though it may not seem dramatically different if the iPad Air (2019) were placed alongside the iPad Air 2, there are differences in the two displays. For starters, the new iPad Air (2019) features a larger, 10.5-inch 1668 x 2224 Retina Display that’s also fully laminated just like its predecessor for better outdoor visibility. Furthermore, it leverages Apple’s True Tone display technology to adapt colors to the ambient conditions around – while also throwing in support for the wider DCI-P3 color gamut.

All of this sounds fancy and enticing for this newer iPad Air, but we wouldn’t go beyond saying it’s leaps and bounds superior than the iPad Air 2’s display. Yes, it’s brighter by nearly 100 nits over the iPad Air 2 with its peak brightness output of 525 nits, but it still delivers the same crisp and accurate colors – in addition to the same accurate color tones. With True Tone on, the Retina Display of the iPad Air (2019) appears richer, skewing towards a slightly more saturated tone, but with the feature turned off, it achieves complete accuracy in the sRGB color gamut spectrum.

The CIE 1931 xy color gamut chart represents the set (area) of colors that a display can reproduce, with the sRGB colorspace (the highlighted triangle) serving as reference. The chart also provides a visual representation of a display’s color accuracy. The small squares across the boundaries of the triangle are the reference points for the various colors, while the small dots are the actual measurements. Ideally, each dot should be positioned on top of its respective square. The ‘x: CIE31’ and ‘y: CIE31’ values in the table below the chart indicate the position of each measurement on the chart. ‘Y’ shows the luminance (in nits) of each measured color, while ‘Target Y’ is the desired luminance level for that color. Finally, ‘ΔE 2000’ is the Delta E value of the measured color. Delta E values of below 2 are ideal.

The Color accuracy chart gives an idea of how close a display’s measured colors are to their referential values. The first line holds the measured (actual) colors, while the second line holds the reference (target) colors. The closer the actual colors are to the target ones, the better.

The Grayscale accuracy chart shows whether a display has a correct white balance (balance between red, green and blue) across different levels of grey (from dark to bright). The closer the Actual colors are to the Target ones, the better.

Just like the design, there’s not a whole lot new or drastically different with the Retina Display here. At the end of the day, it’s effective in allowing us to handle the tablet for reading, watching videos, and getting work done.

Interface and Functionality

We’ll cut to the chase here. If you’ve held onto the iPad Air 2 and have continually updated its software to the most up-to-date version of iOS, version 12.2 to be specific, then you won’t notice anything different with the iPad Air (2019). In fact, it’s the same experience that you’ll find with other iPads! Don’t be too shocked by this, seeing that continuity with the experience has always been a characteristic among Apple’s tablets.

You’ll find a gesture-based interface here, which won’t be a total surprise for any iPad users. Naturally, they’re practical and effective in making iOS 12.2 a versatile tablet platform. The same swipes and multi-finger gestures are in play here, allowing us to access the control center by swiping down from the top-right corner of the UI, switching from app-to-app by using four finger swipes, and even getting back to the home screen at any time with a five-finger pinch gesture. These gestures aren’t new, seeing that we’ve seen them previously before.

While veteran users of the iPad will feel at home right from the onset, anyone new to the iPad may feel a slight learning curve getting to know the ins-and-outs of the navigational experience. After some time, however, these gestures become second nature. And the beauty of iOS is that it favors simplicity in both how the interface is presented, as well as in the feature set of the experience. We’re big fans of being able to have two apps running simultaneously side-by-side to one another. Technically, though, on limited basis because we’re able to run one of four native apps – iMessage, Safari Browser, iTunes, Mail, and Files – which can then be combined with another app. There are different combinations available here, but not all of them will work. Despite that, it’s nice to know that there’s a level of productivity that’s available now with the experience, as opposed to having to constantly switch between apps.

In terms of tablet experiences, Apple has evolved its iOS experience through the various iterations over the years – with this one being obviously more complete. Whether you’re looking to casually doing some work, or just killing time by enjoying a flick or game, iOS 12.2 here on the iPad Air (2019) has everything we need for a tablet.

UPDATE: Apple officially announced iPadOS 17 during the annual WWDC 2023 event, and the new OS will be coming to the iPad Air this autumn. You can check the official announcement news for a deep dive, but some of the new features include interactive widgets, new home screen customization, and the Health app redesigned and adapted for iPad devices.

Processor, Memory, and Performance

Apple’s iPads have always been notoriously responsive, so don’t expect that to change anytime soon either. Powered by Apple’s latest A12 Bionic chipset coupled with 3GB of RAM, the new iPad Air is what you’d expect it to be with its performance – exceptionally responsive! We honestly can’t complain about its performance, as it blows its predecessor out of the water with the synthetic benchmarks. Then again, we should expect it to mop the floor with its performance given the significantly updated chipset it’s packing!

On the surface, your typical operations such navigating around the interface and running apps seem buttery responsive. But the aging iPad Air 2 still delivers buttery results as well with the same tasks. Even though it may be tough to discern the improvements brought along with the new iPad Air, the area where you’ll see the most improvement will be gaming and other processor-heavy functions. In our time using the new iPad Air, it never once showed any indication of stuttering or slowing down with its performance.

AnTuTu is a multi-layered, comprehensive mobile benchmark app that assesses various aspects of a device, including CPU, GPU, RAM, I/O, and UX performance. A higher score means an overall faster device.

Apple iPad Air 5th generation review (2022): a top-quality package

When we reviewed it 18 months ago we loved the 4th-gen iPad Air, which was like getting an iPad Pro on the cheap. Since then, the iPad Pro further cemented its lead, the iPad Mini turned into an iPad Air that’s been through a hot wash – but with added features – and even the standard iPad got a selfie camera system to embarrass the Air’s. Ouch.

Now the iPad Air is back. Hold the latest model in your mitts and you’d be forgiven for confusing it with its predecessor. But appearances can be deceptive, because this latest Air isn’t just more of the same, and it packs a real punch. Let’s dig in.

Design: Copy and paste

Outwardly, you’d not pick the 5th-gen Air out of a line-up otherwise containing last year’s model. Fortunately, this tablet’s design was sleek and modern in 2020, and it hasn’t really dated.

It’s good in the hand. At 461g (462g with cellular), the Air is fractionally lighter than the iPad Pro and iPad, and the construction is solid. On the front, Apple’s confident enough to omit a logo, and so it’s all screen, surrounded by a black bezel.

There’s no change to the 10.9in display. It’s bright, laminated (and so doesn’t turn into a mirror) and has great colour repro. You don’t get ProMotion, so scrolling isn’t quite as smooth as on the Pro. And if your eyes clock jelly scrolling after folks pointed it out on the iPad Mini, you might spot some in landscape. (Don’t look for it, though; it affects all 60Hz displays and can’t be unseen.)

Audio output from the stereo speakers is impressive in landscape. In portrait, it’s a bit odd, with the system flipping right-hand output to the top and left-hand output to the bottom. An option for a mono mix in portrait would have been welcome.

Performance: M1 of the pros

We expected Apple to have this Air match the Mini with an A15, and leave clear space between it and the Pro’s M1. Instead, the iPad Air is now based around the same chip that’s found in the iPad Pro – and also a bunch of Macs.

For a mid-range Apple tablet – or any tablet at this price point – this provides serious clout. With 8GB of RAM also stuffed inside, you won’t want for power with any task you’re likely to perform on this tablet, be that office drudgery, gaming, or creative work in the likes of Procreate, LumaFusion, Affinity Designer, or Korg Gadget.

During testing, the Air deftly dealt with everything we threw at it. And even if your needs are more moderate, a chip with this much raw power means your investment will be safe for years, with the tablet remaining responsive when new apps and OS updates arrive.

Cameras: Under the spotlight

The rear camera is nothing fancy in the modern scheme of things: a 12MP snapper that aligns with the wide camera on the Pro and Mini and is also essentially what you get with an iPhone 11. There’s no ultra wide, no LiDAR, and no True Tone flash.

It’s capable, mind. If you’re the sort of person who marches about taking photos with a tablet, you’ll get solid results from the Air, and can shoot 4K video as well.

What’s around front is more interesting. Like the rest of the iPad line, the Air now has a 12MP ultra wide selfie cam, which supports Apple’s fancy Centre Stage tech that can (optionally) follow you around when you’re on video calls. Even if you disable that, you’ll be happy with the noticeable boost in quality over the previous generation’s 7MP equivalent; you don’t get the Pro’s TrueDepth functionality though, so won’t be snapping advanced bokeh selfies with your Air.

Connectivity: The need for speed

Connectivity isn’t sexy, unless you’ve got a thing for 5G towers, perhaps to counteract all the nutcases trying to tear them down. But in a modern world packed with impatience, we do want everything to be faster – and the Air duly obliges.

The least surprising new feature is 5G – although note that going for a cellular unit raids your wallet to the tune of 150 quid. All models get latest-generation Wi-Fi support, though, and Apple also lobbed revamped USB-C into the mix. This doesn’t match the iPad Pro’s Thunderbolt port, but nonetheless speeds up data transfer to connected devices – handy if you have a 64GB Air and regularly offload large media files to an external drive.

Ecosystem: You couldn’t Mac it up

The iPad app ecosystem is deeply impressive. It marries convenience, FOCUS and ambition, although you might need a keyboard and an Apple Pencil to make the most of your device, depending on what you’re trying to achieve. Android has nothing to compare. But also, while people scoff at the idea of an iPad as a desktop replacement, for specific use cases it can effectively boost productivity and reduce reliance on more traditional machines.

Holes remain in iPadOS. File management has improved, but we find that slow compared to a desktop OS. Multitasking is less awkward but comes across like a work in progress. And although Apple should be rightly pleased with Universal Control, where you can seamlessly drag content between an iPad and a Mac, that does require you own a Mac.

If you want to use your iPad Air with an external display, for a larger canvas and ergonomic reasons – something the hardware is easily capable of – Apple’s software cynically makes the experience sub-optimal, even with its shiny new Studio Display. A pity.

Random observations

• When you rotate the Air, the volume controls switch, which irks. This is optional on the Pro (Settings Sound Fixed Position Volume Controls) but not on the Air.
• 64GB for the entry-level unit feels miserly in an era where Apple banged on about its entire iPhone 13 line starting at 128GB.
• The Magic Keyboard for iPad remains superb – and the Air snaps to it and connects instantly. Although in this 11in incarnation, do be mindful you might bang your fingers against the tablet’s bottom edge when tapping away at the number row.
• Touch ID remains a solid means to confirm your ID on an iPad and is more reliable than Face ID in portrait on the iPad Pro.

Verdict: Apple iPad Air 5th generation

The new Air catches up where it needed to – Centre Stage; 5G – and blazes ahead with that unexpected M1. It’s powerful, Smart, sleek and great to use.

If your onboard storage needs are relatively low – with you streaming, having the system intelligently offload games, and saving files to the Cloud – the 64GB model represents good value. Where things become more complicated is when you opt for 256GB. At that point, you’re 30 quid away from the 11in iPad Pro – albeit with half the storage. But the Pro nets you ProMotion, Thunderbolt, a LiDAR and four-speaker audio. At that point, we’d GoPro.

At 64GB, though – or if you prize storage over all else and go for that 256GB model – the Air won’t disappoint. It’s a top-notch tablet, supported by an ecosystem that makes it highly versatile for an increasingly wide range of users.

Stuff Says…

ProMotion and more storage would have been nice, but this new Air is a top-quality package – not least because of that M1 chip.

Vastly improved front camera

Rich app and hardware ecosystem

Only 64GB entry-level storage

Poor external display support

iPad Air 4 vs iPad Air 5: is Apple’s latest tablet worth getting?

Thinking of whether you should get the iPad Air 4 vs iPad Air 5? Our guide will answer your questions.

If you’re wondering if you should buy the iPhone Air 4 vs the iPad Air 5, then we can help. Apple‘s mid-range tablet got a new model, the iPad Air 5, in March 2022, but with dropping for the iPad Air 4, which remains an excellent tablet, which one should you buy?

Now that the iPad Air 5 has been out for a few months, and Black Friday is here in a few days, we should see some good price cuts on the newer model. However, if there’s stock of the iPad Air 4 going, we imagine that will likely sell for even less.

To help with your choice, we’ve put both iPads head-to-head to find a winner. Just like when we compared the iPad vs the iPad mini, we’ve examined every aspect of these tablets, from the design and display to performance and price, to help you work out which device deserves your hard-earned cash.

For more on the different iterations of Apple’s tablet, see our iPad generations guide, or learn all about the Apple Pencil, with our Apple Pencil vs Apple Pencil 2 comparison.

And if you just want to FOCUS on the latest iPad Air, then check out our full iPad Air 5 review.

iPad Air 4 vs iPad Air 5: design

Design-wise, both iPad Air models share an almost identical all-screen chassis. Both measure 247.6 x 178.5 x 6.1mm. There are very slight weight differences – the iPad Air 5 weighs 461g (Wi-Fi) or 462g (Wi-Fi Cellular) while the iPad Air 4 is 458g or 460g.

The latest iPad Air comes in space grey, starlight, pink, purple, and blue colours, while the iPad Air 4 offers silver, space grey, rose gold, green, and sky blue.

iPad Air 4 vs iPad Air 5: display

The similarities don’t end there, with both devices getting a fully laminated, fingerprint-resistant coating and low 1.8% reflectivity. In other words, you don’t necessarily need to spend more on the iPad Air 5 if the display is your primary concern.

Since the chassis designs are so similar, it’s unsurprising that both iPad Air models come with a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display. You get the same 2360×1640 pixel resolution with 264 pixels per inch, the same P3 colour gamut and True Tone technology, and the same 500 nits of brightness.

iPad Air 4 vs iPad Air 5: battery life

Apple says the battery life on both the iPad Air 4 and iPad Air 5 is identical. The 28.6-watt hour battery that powers each device should get you 10 hours of video playback or web browsing on Wi-Fi, and nine hours of web browsing while using a cellular network.

In our iPad Air 4 review, we were very impressed with the all-day battery life that Apple managed to maintain despite adding tons of new features over the device’s predecessor. In our iPad Air 5 review, we were similarly impressed, although we did notice heavier battery drain when we ran more intensive tasks, like pushing its M1 chip in benchmarking apps. Streaming Apple TV content also dropped the battery significantly, so be aware of that.

iPad Air 4 vs iPad Air 5: features

One of Apple’s flagship features is Touch ID (and, more recently, Face ID). These iPads lack Face ID, but they offer Touch ID for securely logging into accounts and verifying purchases; it’s located in the lock button. Both the iPad Air 4 and iPad Air 5 have a Smart Connector for quickly hooking up external cases and keyboards, both come with either 64GB or 256GB of storage, and both work with the second-generation Apple Pencil.

There is a key difference, though. While each product has a USB-C port, the one on the iPad Air 5 is much faster, hitting 10Gbps to the iPad Air 4’s 5Gbps. If you like to connect external devices – a camera or SD card reader, for instance – you’ll appreciate the extra speed of the iPad Air 5’s port.

iPad Air 4 vs iPad Air 5: camera

The rear-facing camera on both models is the same 12MP lens. However, that’s where the camera similarities end, and the front-facing shooter tells a different story.

With the iPad Air 5, Apple upgraded this camera from the 7MP lens found on the iPad Air 4 to a new 12MP lens. Not only that, but the front-facing camera works with Apple’s Centre Stage tech. In compatible apps, this automatically crops you into the picture and adjusts the frame if you move or someone else enters the shot (we found this feature a bit creepy, as we explain in our iPad Pro 11-inch M1 review).

As well as that, the iPad Air 5’s new 12MP camera has an improved f/2.4 aperture over the iPad Air 4’s f/2.2 aperture, and can zoom out 2x where its predecessor couldn’t zoom out at all. Both the front and back camera also have more extensive video shooting options, including extra frame rate choices.

iPad Air 4 vs iPad Air 5: performance

So far, the iPad Air 5 has pulled ahead in small but noticeable ways when it comes to features and its cameras. However, performance is one area where it really extends its lead in a big way. That’s due to its much more powerful chip.

While the iPad Air 4 has a mobile-class A14 Bionic chip, the iPad Air 5 is outfitted with the same desktop M1 chip that until recently graced the MacBook Pro. In creative apps like Affinity Photo and LumaFusion, it’s incredibly fast. The A14 was already a superb chip – and you might not need the extra power of the M1 – but there’s no doubting it’s a huge step up.

Another thing to note is that the iPad Air 5 brings 5G connectivity to the table. While 5G isn’t yet available to everyone, we’re certainly not complaining about its inclusion. It’s certainly getting more popular these days, and the improved speeds will be welcome for anyone who likes to browse the internet on their iPad while out and about.

iPad Air 4 vs iPad Air 5: price

Since the iPad Air 5 launched in March 2022, Apple stopped selling the iPad Air 4 online or in-store. That doesn’t mean you can’t get it anywhere, though, and plenty of third-party retailers are still listing it for sale. Now is a great time to buy if you want the previous-generation tablet, and we’ve seen some impressive discounts.

As for the iPad Air 5, Apple lists the 64GB option for 599 (£569) for the Wi-Fi model and 749 (£719) for the Wi-Fi Cellular version. When you bump the storage up to 256GB, those increase to 749 (£719) and 899 (£869) respectively.

If you’re thinking about buying either of these tablets, be sure to check out our round-up of the best iPad Air deals to see how much money you could save.

iPad Air 4 vs iPad Air 5: the verdict

In some ways, the iPad Air 4 and iPad Air 5 are very similar. They share the same chassis design (albeit with some different colours), come with the same display, and provide more or less similar battery life.

However, there’s no doubting the iPad Air 5 is the more advanced device. It is leaps and bounds ahead in terms of performance, has a faster USB-C port, and a more feature-rich camera setup. It will cost you more, but if you really need those extra features, it’s your best bet and is absolutely worth it.

That said, don’t ignore the iPad Air 4 completely. Its own A14 Bionic chip is still excellent for all but the most demanding tasks, and now is a great time to grab a bargain. If you’re not a super high-end user, it might be the better choice.

iPad Pro (2022) vs. iPad Air (2022): Which Apple tablet is right for you?

Email icon An envelope. It indicates the ability to send an email.

Email icon A stylized bird with an open mouth, tweeting.

LinkedIn icon The word in.

When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.

• The iPad Air and iPad Pro are ideal options for users with intensive workloads.
• Despite the iPad Pro’s newer and more powerful processor, the iPad Air’s performance isn’t too far behind.
• Buying the iPad Pro makes sense if you need more storage or are a frequent second- generation Apple Pencil user, thanks to Apple’s Hover feature.

In early 2022, Apple unveiled the fifth-generation iPad Air, a value Champion for power users. A few months later, the company introduced the sixth-generation iPad Pro, which stands as the most powerful and responsive tablet in Apple’s current lineup.

Despite costing significantly less than the 799 11-inch iPad Pro and 1,099 12.9-inch model, the 599 iPad Air is still very much a high-end tablet, and demanding users will be satisfied with its balance of price, performance, and feature-set. The latest iPad Pro models run on Apple’s M2 processor, which offers a performance bump over the iPad Air’s M1 processor that will be mostly felt in long-term ownership.

What really sets the iPad Pro apart is Apple’s new Hover feature for the second-generation Apple Pencil, which brings next-level accuracy in using the stylus. On top of that, the iPad Pro includes Apple’s ProMotion high-refresh-rate display for a silky smooth experience when navigating and working on the tablet.

When deciding between the iPad Air or iPad Pro, there are additional details to consider, like Face ID versus Touch ID, storage options, cameras, and USB-C data transfer speed. Whatever you choose, it’s worth noting that both come recommended as the best iPads you can buy. Let’s dive in.

iPad Air (2022) vs. iPad Pro (2022): Specs compared

11-inch Liquid Retina with ProMotion (2,388 x 1,668)

Performance

Apple’s M-series processors are serious hardware — they’re the same chips you’ll find in a range of Apple computers. That kind of power makes iPads ideal portable companions to desktop workstations, or even as primary creation devices.

While both iPads were released in 2022, the iPad Air’s M1 processor debuted toward the end of 2020, so it’s older than the iPad Pro’s M2 processor, which Apple released in June 2022. That age gap is reflected in benchmark results, but the M1 chip is still a workhorse that should please anyone who needs a mobile powerhouse.

In fact, the iPad Air renders a short 10-minute 4K video with light editing in Premiere Rush in the same amount of time as the iPad Pro.

However, if peak performance for more complex editing is necessary and your budget allows for it, the iPad Pro is the iPad of choice. Plus, the iPad Pro will keep up with power-hungry workloads for a year longer than the iPad Air, if not longer.

Display

Apple reserved its excellent 120Hz ProMotion display technology for the iPad Pro models, which delivers an ultra-premium smooth visual experience while navigating around iPadOS. Meanwhile, the iPad Air’s display is a more moderate and standard 60Hz, which should be familiar if you’ve used standard iPads and non-Pro iPhones in the past.

As far as display quality, the iPad Air and 11-inch iPad Pros share the same Liquid Retina Display and just about the same screen size. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro has a Liquid Retina XDR display based on Mini-LED backlighting, which provides a brighter, accurate, and crisp visual experience.

Storage

While the base iPad Air offers tempting value, one its biggest drawbacks is its paltry 64GB of storage, which can be a disadvantage for those working with big content files, like high-resolution video.

If you need more storage, you’ll have to upgrade to the 749 256GB iPad Air — a price that’s mighty close to the base 128GB iPad Pro. If you know that 128GB is all you need, spending the extra 50 on the base iPad Pro can be easily justified.

External storage devices are another option to add space to an iPad Air or iPad Pro, but they’re not ideal for casual, everyday usage. Rather, they’re best used for projects. Both models differ in transfer speeds via their USB-C ports, with the iPad Air peaking at 10Gb/s (USB Gen 3.1 Gen 2), and the iPad Pros can muster up to 40Gb/s (Thunderbolt 3/USB 4).

The iPad Air’s 10Gb/s USB-C transfer rates should suffice for most projects — theoretically, it should transfer a huge 10 gigabyte file to and from an external drive in one second. If you’re working with even larger, nay, humongous files, you’ll feel the benefits of the iPad Pro’s 40Gb/s second transfer rate.

Touch ID, Face ID, and cameras

You unlock the iPad Air with a Touch ID sensor on the power button located on the edge of the tablet. Apple makes it easy to find with an on-screen prompt to show you where to lay your finger, but I’ve found it somewhat temperamental with finger placement and unresponsive to damp or excessively dry fingers. I have to tap my PIN code more often than I’d like because the Touch ID sensor doesn’t properly register my fingerprint.

The iPad Pros use Face ID for unlocking, which works significantly better. Plus, the iPad Pros don’t have a notch like the iPhones do. It’s not a good enough reason on its own to spend more on the iPad Pro, but it’s still something to consider when looking at the overall picture.

The iPad Pros also include a dual camera that actually produces decent photos and videos compared to the iPad Air’s single, serviceable camera. Still, the iPad Pro’s superior cameras aren’t clinchers — most people use their phones for photos and videos, and transferring from an iPhone to an iPad is incredibly easy with AirDrop. And professionals may opt for professional gear depending on the project. I suppose it can be handy to have an all-in-one camera and workstation.

The iPad Pro cameras include a LiDAR scanner, which captures photos of objects or spaces (like a room) in 3D so you can navigate around the object or space. It’s pretty neat, and it could be useful to have on hand if you work in some kind of designing role. These 3D images could even be used in augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR).

Both the iPad Air and iPad Pro’s front-facing cameras are on the short side of the tablet, which is a shame for video calls. It means your video feed will always show your face at a slight angle instead of directly in front. Still, at least both tablets support Center Stage, which keeps the FOCUS on you, even when you’re moving around.

Apple Pencil support

Both the iPad Air and iPad Pros support Apple’s second-generation Apple Pencil, but only the iPad Pro supports Apple’s new Hover feature thanks to the M2 processor. Whether you use a second-generation Apple Pencil for intricate drawings or taking simple notes, the Hover feature can be the hook to go for the iPad Pro.

Hover gives you a preview of exactly where the second generation Apple Pencil’s tip will land on the iPad Pro’s screen when you hover it from 12mm above. If you’ve ever wished you the Apple Pencil had more precision, Hover is the fix.

Beyond added precision, Hover also enables shortcuts when you hover and linger the second generation Apple Pencil’s tip above certain on-screen items. It can even preview how a color will blend with another color on your artwork.

The bottom line

Your budget should easily decide which iPad to go for, whether it’s the iPad Air or the iPad Pro. If 600 is your limit, the iPad Air won’t disappoint. From a sheer value standpoint, the iPad Air should satisfy most people.

But if your budget allows, is it worth spending at least 200 more for the iPad Pro? It’s a similar conundrum when deciding between the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro — both are great, but you have to consider whether the Pro’s extra features are worth it.

The M2 processor’s performance gains aren’t massive, but the iPad Pro should maintain usable performance for longer than the iPad Air. You’ll also appreciate the smooth ProMotion display and Face ID. And if you frequently use a second-generation Apple Pencil, the iPad Pro’s Hover feature could be enough reason to opt for the iPad Pro.

Storage requirement also dictates which model you should go for. If you need up to 128GB of storage, you’re better off spending the extra 50 on the base 11-inch iPad Pro. That way, you’ll get the newer processor, ProMotion display, and other iPad Pro goodies like Face ID and Hover for Apple Pencil.

If you need more storage, you could save 150 by going for the 749 256GB iPad Air rather than the 899 256GB iPad Pro, but you won’t be disappointed by upgrading to the Pro. Storage options for the iPad Air halt at 256GB, so the iPad Pro is your only option if you need even more space.