iPad Air (2022): the ideal iPad Pro for the avid private user

Apple gave the iPad Air a much-needed upgrade in 2020 that brought the tablet a lot closer to the iPad Pro. Two years later, the American company takes the next step and the iPad Air (2022) is almost identical to last year’s impressive tablet.

In the past week I had a great time with the new iPad Air (2022) and I discovered that the choice for the consumer, at least in the tablet area, has become very easy.

iPad Air (2022) makes a familiar impression

The new iPad Air (2022) will look familiar to many people. Two years ago we got to know the previous model and that introduction was well received. So it makes sense that Apple chooses to build on that success.

The tablet again features an angular design with the Touch ID button integrated into the home button. On the front is a 10.9-inch Retina display with a resolution of 2360 x 1640 pixels and a pixel density of 264ppi. The iPad Air (2022) still manages at a 60Hz refresh rate, but generally delivers excellent image quality.

It’s actually quite easy to explain: the new iPad Air (2022) is about 90% the same as its predecessor. The other 10% only ensures that this tablet transforms into the model for the avid private user.

M1 makes a world of difference

Apple is doing a few things differently with this year’s model. The addition of the M1 chip, the much-discussed SoC that can also be found in the iPad Air and various MacBooks, is without a doubt the crown.

We don’t really need to explain the difference that Apple’s M1 chip makes, although specific examples for the iPad Air (2022) are not wrong. Thanks to the 8-core CPU, for example, the tablet is 60% faster than its predecessor. The 4 High-Power cores and 4 High-Efficiency cores ensure excellent performance. Combined with the 8-core GPU, playing heavy games, editing 4K videos or adjusting high-quality photos becomes a breeze.

The 16-core Neural Engine is good for excellent machine learning performance. We haven’t counted them all, but according to Apple, this means that the iPad Air (2022) can perform about 11 trillion commands per second.

As mentioned, Apple’s M1 chip means not only power, but also efficiency. The chip ensures that the battery of the iPad can last longer on a full charge. The actual number is of course dependent on several factors, but those who do their best could use the tablet for ten hours.

These things are also new

The iPad Air (2022) does, in addition to the introduction of the M1 chip, a number of small things different from its predecessor. The differences are not large, but they do mean that your tablet may use slightly different things.

For example, after the iPad Pro and iPad mini (2021), this model is ideal for video calls thanks to the addition of Center Stage. The functionality first appeared in 2021 and simply puts you in the center of the video at all times. The 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens follows you the moment you move, zooms in or zooms out when a second person appears in the frame. A functionality that, despite the fact that the selfie camera is still in an awkward place, is very pleasant.

In terms of specifications, the iPad Air (2022) is also equipped with 5G support this time. Logically an addition that can only be found in the Cellular model. However, both variants have an improved USB-C connection, which makes moving files faster. The new tablet is therefore able to perform transfers at a speed of up to 10Gbps.

The only difference on the outside of the tablet is the color options. This year you can get the iPad Air in the following colours:
– Space Gray
– Pink
– Purple
– Blue
– Starlight

iPad Air (2022) vs iPad Pro (2021)

I think it’s the first time for me to see such an overlap between two Apple products. Thanks to this upgrade, the iPad Air (2022) can easily be put away as a cheaper iPad Pro. But one where you don’t see the price difference in performance.

Last year’s iPad Pro is equipped with a ProMotion screen, has an extra camera lens, has a LIDAR scanner, offers the consumer Face ID and is equipped with stereo speakers. There really are reasons why people would switch, but you have to ask yourself whether these additions make it worth it.

The 11-inch iPad Pro (2021) with 128 storage capacity is for sale for €899, where the 11-inch iPad Air (2022) with 65GB will cost you €698.50. A difference of about €200 that you will only get out of it when you really think those Pro benefits are very important.

Isn’t that the case and are you mainly looking for an incredibly powerful tablet that offers the advantages of the M1 chip accessible? Then the new iPad Air (2022) is a really nice tablet for you.

Would you rather get away with an iPad Pro? Then it might be smart to have a little more patience. This year’s Air is so close to the Pro that the arrival of an M2 version of that tablet cannot be long in coming.