Apple unveils its new iPad Air: heading for power with the M1 processor and 5G

The iPad Air does not offer a real revolution but a technical update that places the apple tablet
at the level of its competitors, andiPad mini
released a few weeks ago.

The iPad Air 2020 was an opportunity for Apple to overhaul its iconic touchscreen tablet and offer a new, more modern design, with flat edges and no home button on the front.

An identical design (apart from a few colors)

For this iPad Air 2022, Apple plays it safe and does not change its device by one millimeter, which retains a similar format with a 10.9-inch IPS LED screen. The refresh rate remains stuck at 60 Hz and the tablet still does not take advantage of the dynamic ProMotion system of the iPad Pro.

The TouchID button is once again placed on the upper edge of the device and Apple has not bothered to add to this new version to integrate Face ID facial recognition either. Here again, sales of the iPad Pro had to be preserved by making certain technologies exclusive to it.

The device still offers two stereo speakers as well as compatibility with the Apple Pencil 2, which charges wirelessly thanks to a magnetic area on the right side of the tablet and a Smart Connector port to connect it to a keyboard. .

Only the colors are changing this year with the addition of five new shades including a new blue and purple seen on the iPad mini last year.

A modernized technical sheet with the addition of 5G

As often in the ranges of Apple, it is inside that we find the novelties. The iPad Air benefits from a new M1 processor, identical to that present in the iPad Pro or in the 13-inch MacBook Pro unveiled at the end of 2020. If the iPad Air of 2020 was not deserving, quite the contrary , this new iteration should deliver class-leading performance for all software, even the most demanding professional applications.

The photo part has also been revised, in particular with the addition of the frame mode centered on the 12-megapixel front lens. This feature, present on all iPads released in 2021, allows the user’s face to be tracked during a videoconference to remain perfectly centered even if they move during the call.

For those who wish to use the iPad on the move, Apple now offers a version of the iPad Air compatible with 5G, which should offer higher speeds and reduced latency, particularly appreciable in video games. Autonomy has finally been improved on this new device according to the manufacturer.

The iPad Air will be available for pre-order from March 11 for a launch scheduled for a few days later, on March 18. You will have to pay €699 for the basic version including 64 GB of storage and €869 for the same model in its 5G version.

Source: Apple Keynote