So, after months of speculation, Apple finally unveiled the next generation of iPad Air at the peek performance event. The iPad Air used to set a balance between budget iPad and Pro models, offering a mid-range performance. But now, with the new silicone chipset, it’s likely to shift towards the high-end iPad yet having the price of a mid-budget tablet. It sounds like a hefty deal, right?
However, you might not find a whole lot of differences from the outside, some notable upgrades have certainly made the device a worthy upgrade than its previous model. Featuring a powerful processor, next-generation neural engine, better camera quality, and faster connectivity, all packed into the same aluminum chassis. Let’s find out what more makes the iPad Air 5 stand out?
iPad Air 5 vs iPad Air 4
In this article, we will be showing you all the upgrades Apple has brought with the latest iPad Air compared to its predecessor. So, let’s dive in.
Design
Starting with the similarities, as we have already mentioned, there hasn’t been any change in the design. Both the iPad Air 4 and 5 come with flat edges with a pretty slim bezel around the screen that lacks a home button. But you still get the touch ID sensor that’s embedded into the top button. The display size also remains the same featuring a 10.9-inch liquid retina display that supports true tone for vivid colors. Though we were hoping to see an OLED screen for the iPad Air 5, Apple decided to ditch this idea to keep the cost low. You will also find the same USB C charging port as the iPad Air 4, but now with the thunderbolt support due to M1.
Chipset
Now let’s talk about the upgrades. And, the biggest of all is the all-new chipset. With the new iPad Air, you get to witness the power of Apple’s most powerful M1 processor. Instead of going for the conventional bionic chipset that has been used on the previous iPad Air model, Apple decided to push the limit of their iPad. So if we compare it with the A13 Bionic that’s been used on the iPad Air 4, the Geekbench result shows some hefty upgrades in both CPU and GPU performance. The iPad Air with m1 performs almost three times better than its predecessor with the A13 chip. So, not only can you cruise through heavy gaming, but also render videos with more efficiency. The iPad Air 5 can get you covered almost with any task. Besides, the next-generation neural engine can accelerate the machine learning tasks across the device for things like video analysis, voice recognition, image processing, and more. Moreover, for faster data transmission speed, the iPad Air 5 gets the 5G connectivity compared to the 4G of iPad Air 4.
Camera
Another great upgrade is the new 12-megapixel ultra-wide front camera lens that now supports center stage. With this being added to the iPad Air, all the iPads now can do centerstage for facetime calls. Meaning you will be able to accommodate more people in the frame. On the other hand, the iPad Air 4 comes with a 7-megapixel front camera which wasn’t good enough for video calls. As for the rear camera, there isn’t any upgrade.
Battery
The battery capacity also remains the same for both the iPad Air 4 and 5, as you get 7606 mAh of battery that can last for up to 10 hours on regular usage. Apple should have upgraded the battery capacity as 10 hours is never enough for this powerful device.
Final Verdict
The thing that makes the iPad Air 5 even more appealing is even with all the upgrades and powered by Apple silicone, you get to buy it at $599. The previous generation also had a similar price tag. Certainly, you would want your iPad to have the m1 chipset rather than the Bionic. So, how much did you like the latest iPad Air 5?
