Clear Different Between iPad Air 5 & iPad Air 4

This new iPad Air will replace the outgoing iPad Air 4 that came out in late 2020, but is it worth the upgrade? And if you don’t have an iPad yet, should you buy the older model at a discounted price?

Here, we’ll compare the two models so that you can make an informed decision. So, let’s get started.

1. Price

Let’s start with the deciding factor for most people: the price. Apple launched the 2020 iPad Air for a starting price of $599. Fortunately, if you’re willing to pay that price, you’ll be pleased to know that Apple hasn’t changed the price for the iPad Air 5. Yes, it still costs $599 for the 64GB Wi-Fi model.

Now, you may be wondering: Has Apple slashed the prices for the iPad Air 2020?

Unfortunately, Apple doesn’t sell the older model on its site anymore. You won’t find it in Apple Stores across the country either. However, you can still manage to grab one from third-party retailers for a discounted price for as long as stocks last. But do remember that pricing may vary between these retailers.

All in all, you can expect to save roughly $100 by opting for the older model, but what features will you miss out on? Let’s take a look.

2. Performance

The biggest difference between these two models is the performance, and if you consider yourself a power user, the newer iPad Air 5 may be worth the $599 price tag.

The 2020 iPad Air packed the same A14 Bionic processor as the iPhone 12 that came out the same year. Sure, this is still a competent processor for almost any task you throw at it. But the iPad Air 5 sports the same breakthrough Apple M1 chip that powers the MacBook Air, the 13-inch MacBook Pro, and even the more expensive iPad Pro models.

So, if you want iPad Pro-like performance on a budget, the 2022 iPad Air is a no-brainer, offering 60 percent faster CPU performance than the outgoing model. As for graphics performance, the 8-core GPU in the M1 chip is twice as fast as the A14 Bionic in the iPad Air 2020.

Will you notice this 60 percent improvement in CPU performance? Probably not under regular use, but you should see some improvement in speed across CPU-intensive apps. However, games will benefit a lot, delivering double the frame rate as the iPad Air 2020.

The M1 chip isn’t the sole reason for the iPad Air 5’s performance gains, though, because Apple has also doubled the memory over the previous generation. Even though the company didn’t mention this at the event, the iPad Air 5 has 8GB of RAM compared to just 4GB in the 2020 model. We believe the company had to do this because of the addition of the M1 chip, but regardless, this should make the newer model a multitasking powerhouse, just like the costly iPad Pro models.

3. Camera

The camera department is a mixed bag because both the models sport the same 12MP primary camera that’s capable of 4K/60fps video recording. It’s nothing special and not really comparable to the dual-camera setup on the flagship iPad Pro models.

However, the front selfie camera on the 2022 iPad Air gets a significant upgrade for FaceTime video calls. While the 2020 model featured a standard 7MP front-facing camera, the newer iPad Air 5 packs a 12MP ultra-wide camera with an f/2.4 aperture. This is the same camera from the top-of-the-line iPad Pro models, and as a result, you get the Center Stage feature as well.

We’ve covered Center Stage in detail, but to keep things short here, it’s simply a software trick that Apple uses to automatically keep you in the frame as you move around during a video call. When enabled, the iPad shoots a cropped view from its ultra-wide sensor.

So, if you plan to make a lot of video calls with your new iPad, it’s worth spending the extra money on the newer model without a doubt.

4. Connectivity

Besides performance and camera setup, you’ll notice a big difference in connectivity, especially if you plan on buying the cellular variant. In 2020, when the iPad Air 4 came out, no Apple device featured 5G connectivity. Fast-forward to early 2022, and almost all Apple mobile devices have 5G in them, including the cheaper iPad mini.

Thankfully, the iPad Air 5 has 5G support for increased download speeds up to 3.5Gb/s in ideal conditions. Though most users will be lucky even to get a fraction of those speeds. When it comes to price, the 2022 iPad Air costs $749 for the 64GB cellular variant, which is a $20 premium for the 5G chip over the iPad Air 4’s cellular price at launch.

Even if you’re settling for the Wi-Fi-only model, you’ll get improvements in the connectivity department. Data transfer is now twice as fast over the USB-C port, with speeds up to 10Gb/s. You can thank the USB 3.1 Gen 2 standard for this speed boost.

So, if you’re planning to travel with your iPad Air or transfer files locally on the regular, the 2022 model may be worth considering.

5. Color Options

This comes down to personal preference, but regardless, both the models come in five different colors. You can grab the older iPad Air 4 in Silver, Space Gray, Rose Gold, Green, and Sky Blue. Fortunately, three of these color options have made it to the iPad Air 5 with different names: Starlight, Pink, and Space Gray.

However, Apple has swapped the Green variant for a new Purple color option. Yes, there’s still a Blue variant, but it isn’t as muted as the Sky Blue offering from 2020.

6. Design, Display, and Battery Life

If you’re still interested in saving money by buying the iPad Air 4, you’ll be ecstatic to know there are absolutely no changes in the design, display, and battery departments. Both the models feature the same 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display, but unlike the more expensive 11-inch iPad Pro, this display maxes out at 500 nits of brightness instead of 600 nits.

Despite the 0.1-inch difference in screen size between the iPad Air and iPad Pro, they both have the same footprint and perfectly fit the same accessories such as the Magic Keyboard. This is because the iPad Air has slightly thicker bezels. Apple hasn’t trimmed these bezels on the newer iPad Air 5, but you won’t really notice it unless you put it next to the iPad Pro.

Apple claims the new iPad Air 5 has “all-day battery life,” just like the 2020 model. So, regardless of which iPad Air you buy, you can expect up to 10 hours of web browsing over Wi-Fi and 9 hours over cellular.

The iPad Air 5 Brings Pro Performance to the Average User

Apple’s latest iPad Air is a giant leap in performance over the previous generation. While it has no perceivable difference outside, the changes under the hood make it worth the asking price.

If you’re short on cash, we won’t blame you for sacrificing some performance in exchange for a hundred dollars which could go towards an Apple Pencil or any other accessory. But if you can afford it, the iPad Air 5 is undoubtedly the better buy.