The latest iPad Air has received a major update. Mainly under the skin, yes, but the updates are very nice for those who want to do a lot of (heavy) work on a tablet. In fact, you almost get an iPad Pro for a lot less money, which makes the Apple iPad Air (2022) a very interesting model.
Apple iPad Air (2022)
Price
From €698.50 (64GB WiFi version) to €1038.50 (256GB WiFi + 5G version)
Colors
Grey, Pink, Purple, Blue, White
Screen
10.9-inch Liquid Retina (2360 x 1640 pixels)
Processor
Apple M1 with 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU
Random access memory
8GB
Storage
64GB or 256GB
Dimensions
247.6 x 178.5 x 6.1mm
Weight
461 grams (5G version 462 grams)
Other
Touch ID, USB-C port, Smart Connector, 2 speakers, 2 microphones, 2nd Gen Apple Pencil support.
Website www.apple.nl 8 Score 80 
- Pros
- Performance
- battery life
- ‘Cheap’ for an iPad Pro
- Negatives
- iPad OS Limitations
- Price of extensions
- Only 1 USB-C port
Nothing has changed on the outside. At first glance, there is no difference at all between the iPad Air 2022 and its predecessor, the iPad Air 2020. A big advantage is that all accessories can be used on both models. Such as an Apple Pencil 2 and the Magic Keyboard and Smart Keyboard Folio, which bring you very close to a laptop experience.
Those accessories also fit the iPad Pro 11-inch. And for that Pro model, the new iPad Air is immediately the biggest competitor because other manufacturers don’t release anything that comes even remotely close.
iPad with M1 processor
The most important innovation is the M1 processor. The previous iPad Air introduced in 2020 used Apple’s A14 Bionic chip. That was not a ‘wretch’ in terms of performance, but the M1 runs circles around it. As with the iPad Pros of 2021, the iPad Air now also gets the full M1 processor with 8 CPU and 8 GPU cores.
Then you have the same computing power as that of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro in your hand. Admittedly the entry-level versions, but still. According to Apple, the M1 is about 60 percent faster than the A14 and in graphics tasks even twice as fast.
Real-time video editing and heavy filters in your photo editing app are no problem. The same goes for heavy games with beautiful graphics and effects. You never have the idea that you are lacking in computing power. Quite special for a ‘middle class’ tablet and a pleasant thought because it will take years before this tablet feels sluggish.
The only limitation is actually the operating system of the iPads: iPadOS. With every (major) update of iPadOS, new useful functions are added for multitasking and office work, but you still miss the handyness and flexibility of a real desktop operating system.
The iPad Air is also an excellent office assistant, especially with the Magic Keyboard and the Apple Pencil 2. We recommend the Course bundle: Do everything with the iPad If you want to use your iPad as a laptop replacement as much as possible.
Housing and screen the same
Compared to the 2020 version of the iPad Air, nothing has changed in terms of housing and screen. The screen is fine, especially if you haven’t had the 12.9-inch iPad Pro in your hands. If you do, you’re screwed and every other tablet screen is inferior, so avoid that.
Apart from that, the iPad Air’s screen is excellent for office tasks and video watching in both dark environments and places with a lot of ambient light. The maximum brightness is 500 nits, the 11-inch iPad Pro has a slightly better screen that also has a slightly higher maximum brightness of 600 nits.
The difference between the screen of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro and the 11-inch iPad Pro is much greater than the difference between the iPad Air and the 11-inch iPad Pro. This is one of the reasons why the new iPad Air is so interesting as the ‘budget’ iPad Pro.
Especially now that the iPad Air has a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera in the front camera area. That gives a better image, plus with Center Stage, you also stay in the middle of the image if you move a little. Ideal during standing video conferencing.
In terms of connection, there is still the single USB port, which has gone from 5Gb/s to 10Gb/s and can drive an external monitor up to 6K.
Conclusion
If you quickly look over differences such as Touch ID instead of Face ID, two speakers instead of four, a slightly less beautiful screen, a little less storage, no ultra-wide-angle camera and a few other things, the iPad Air is a strong offer for a powerful tablet.
In key performance areas, it’s exactly the same as the iPad Pro, but for $200 less. That’s serious money, even if the iPad Air is still not a bargain at just under 700 euros. It’s a full-fledged office tablet that is fast and powerful enough for the toughest jobs for years to come.
â€