The Power-Packed Apple iPad Air (5th Gen, 2022) Review
What can a small-time blogger and tech reviewer say about the new iPad Air that hasn’t already been said and covered on 20 different websites? What can I add to the sphere of iPad information on the interweb when there is no shortage of technical information out there?
Perspective, my dear reader, perspective.
Just like with my Xbox Series X review, I will not go into detail and lament about technical specs or anything like that. I will not go into a tangent about the current Apple iPad lineup, or how the 5th generation iPad Air compares to the 4th generation. I am a user, reviewing this wonder for other users, and that’s it.
Why choose the iPad Air over other models in the iPad lineup
My iPad, up to this point, I’m ashamed to say, has not been getting the amount of usage it is deserving of. This 5th-generation iPad Air is an incredible piece of engineering. In my average use, the iPad has proven to be a versatile device for watching content, browsing the internet, and creating graphics and doodles in Procreate.
The size of a notepad, yet arguably more powerful than any of my current Windows machines. What’s crazy is that they consider this a mid-range tablet from Apple.
Colors Available
- Space Gray
- Starlight
- Pink
- Purple
- Blue
When I was shopping for a new iPad, I looked at the iPad 10.2 as well. I glanced at the iPad Pro, but being a bit out of my price range and feeling like overkill for what my intended use was going to be, I opted for the mid-range models. After some comparative study (and checking out some of those wordier, more technical reviews I told you about) I went with the Air as the use of the Apple M1 chip brought it on par with some MacBooks. I mean, getting that much power with a $499 price tag (at the time of my purchase), it was hard to go with anything else.
A bit of the hardware stuff
Since I mentioned the M1 chip, I will at least go technical enough to mention that the iPad Air (5th gen) comes in two flavors: 64GB and 256 GB. Not exactly reaching new heights with that level of storage capacity, especially when you look over at the iPad Pro with up to 2TB of memory to tease you with.
Speaking of teasing, another element of the iPad Air that drew me in was its support of the Apple Pencil 2. Magnetically attaching to the iPad with wireless charging? Yes, please! Sign me up and give me a double.
Oh, and attaching the pencil to the side of the iPad instantly pairs it with the tablet. Snazzy and sexy.
If you can’t tell, I loves my Apple Pencil 2! Yes, this is an iPad Air review, not an Apple Pencil review, we must move on.
I said I would not harp on the specs of this device, and I’m not. I will say, The Apple Pencil moves so smoothly on this iPad. There is zero lag in the response in Procreate or any of the Affinity Suite apps.
Specs
- 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display with True Tone, P3 wide color, and an antireflective coating
- Apple M1 chip with Neural Engine
- 12MP Wide camera
- 12MP Ultra Wide front camera with Center Stage
- Up to 256GB of storage
- Available in blue, purple, pink, starlight, and space gray
- Stereo landscape speakers
Battery life and performance
Battery life is the pretty standard battery life for a product that has an apple on it. This unit is brand new, so of course the battery life is going to be awesome. Going back and forth between watching a game on YouTube TV, doing a quick doodle in Procreate, to even making a quick edit to a layout in Affinity Publisher, it keeps chugging without the need to charge it. Again though, this is Apple and what else do you expect from their new device’s battery? If you own any Apple devices, you know what to expect with battery health and retention. In 18 months, if I use this iPad as it deserves, I’m sure my battery’s health will be like 85%. It is what it is, no point in harping on it.
USB-C port: Exploring new possibilities
One thing I will point out, however, is that this model iPad uses a USB-C port instead of the lightning port. While I can’t speak to it just yet, the use of the USB-C port makes me excited as it opens up to door to a ton of options. You can use USB-C hubs, hard drives, and other accessories with the iPad Air (5th gen). I’m especially looking forward to exploring those possibilities soon!
One more hardware note; the iPad Air 5 has two cameras. One on the back and one front-facing camera. Unless you use that front-facing camera for Zoom meetings, I’m not sure how much that matters honestly.
And if you’re an iPad photographer using that 12MP camera, just quit reading now. I don’t need that kinda energy here.
The snappiness and speed of iPadOS on the iPad Air 5, it’s just nice. Yes, if you use resource-heavy apps that becomes apparent, but where you’ll notice it is when you take advantage of the iPad’s 10.9-inch screen, an Apple-compatible game controller, and enjoy a bit of the ole gaming.
Speaking of Apple-compatible game controllers, the iPad Air 5 has a ton of compatible accessories out there. Right now, I have the Apple Pencil 2. At some point; I hope to grab the Magic Keyboard and hope that forces me to use my iPad more than what I have been up to this point.
Conclusion: Should you buy the iPad Air 5th Generation?
If you’re looking to buy a new iPad, should you get the iPad Air 5th Generation? Well, I’ll just tell you, especially if you’re on an ole budget like moi, you absolutely should go with this iPad Air.
This device exceeded my expectations. I said, in the beginning, I was ashamed of how little I’ve been using it. I primarily blame that on the lack of a keyboard currently, because I plan on expanding my usage as soon as I can. I’m not saying it will become my primary daily device, but I’m also not saying it won’t be when the dust clears. If you’re familiar at all with Apple products, you know have to damn near sell a kidney to get the top-of-the-line devices. Well, the iPad Air 5 is a device that will make you feel you’re running with a top-of-the-line device but still have both kidneys
Price
| 64GB | Wi-Fi only | $499 |
| 256GB | Wi-Fi only | $649 |
| 64 GB | Wi-Fi + Cellular | $649 |
| 258GB | Wi-Fi + Cellular | $869 |
This tablet is so good, it drives me to want to use it more. It’s just that damn good
