Apple's iPad Air (2022) Review: The iPad to Buy

Should you buy the new Apple's iPad Air for the year 2022? Read the following review to help you decide.

If you are like me searching high and low for a high-performance tablet that is equally good for work and play, then the latest Apple iPad Air is high on my list of recommendations. Then you will love the "air" that comes with this iPad.  This is definitely the best option for you. That is especially true now that Apple has endowed the mid-range device with a more powerful engine. The supercharged M1 CPU that now powers this slate has logged miles on the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and iPad Pro over the last year and a half.

Is This The Best Apple iPad in 2022?

The M1 is certainly a head-turner of the show this year, but there are a few other tasty treats to enjoy. For starters, the MacBook Air now comes in a variety of different colours, including the stunning blue of my review model. In addition, 5G compatibility is available as an option for faster mobile speeds than 4G LTE. Best of all, Apple isn't charging anything extra: the iPad Air remains RM2,599, keeping it competitive with other iPads and non-Apple rivals in this sector.

Ridiculous Storage Options, Same Old Price

Apple deserves credit for keeping the iPad Air's pricing despite swapping out an A-series chip for the M1 processor. The Air is much less expensive than the iPad Pro models and Samsung's higher-end tablets at this pricing. However, keep in mind that the standard iPad Air only offers 64GB of storage.

Apple omits a 128GB storage variant, forcing you to spend an additional RM600 to upgrade to 256GB. Still, at RM3,199, the high-end Air is RM850 cheaper than the iPad Pro with the same storage, albeit the iPad Pro 11 with 128GB is only RM200 more expensive than the 256GB iPad Air.

In terms of how it compares to Samsung's options, the iPad Air costs the same as the regular Galaxy Tab S8, but Samsung has twice the capacity. The price of the Galaxy Tab S8+ with 128GB storage starts at RM3,799.

iPad Air Is Beautiful in Blue

The new iPad Air colour is a stunning metallic gunmetal blue that shimmers in the proper light. It's a unique colour that I am sure you have not seen before If you do not fancy the latest colourway, Apple had some fun this year by releasing the iPad Air in Pink, Purple, and Starlight (a metallic white hue), in addition to the iconic Space Grey.

This iPad appears to be the same as the prior model. It's a thin metal slab with a single round camera module on the back atop a chrome Apple logo in the centre. Thin bezels assist to refresh a design that keeps to Apple's basic approach across the board. A magnetic stripe on the side for charging and holding the optional Apple Pencil, as well as a Touch ID fingerprint sensor embedded into the power button, are other nice convenience features. Unfortunately, the Air lacks Face ID, a speedier, hands-free login technique seen on the iPad Pro.

Unlike the larger iPad Pro 12.9 and several of Samsung's new Galaxy Tab S8 tablets, the iPad Air can be held aloft comfortably without straining your arms. The Air is roughly the same size and weight as the iPad Pro 11, measuring 0.23 inches thick and weighing 1.02 pounds. Without the keyboard, the Surface Pro 8 weighs around 2 pounds.

iPad Air's Display is Simple but Effective

The 10.9-inch, 2360 x 1640-pixel display on the iPad Air is indistinguishable from the 11-inch display on the iPad Pro. Of course, it is dwarfed by the iPad Pro 12.9 and Samsung's Galaxy Tab S8 and S8 Ultra. Despite the fact that the number of large-screen tablets on the market is expanding, the iPad Air's display does not feel cramped.

It was really fun to watch movies on Netflix and videos on YouTube on the iPad Air; the panel delivers realistic, vivid colours, text appears sharp, and the screen is bright enough to view outdoors on a beautiful spring day, despite our colourimeter registering a peak of 427 nits, considerably below the 500-nit rating.

This is a regular LCD panel, not an OLED display like the Galaxy Tab S8+/Ultra or a mini-LED display like the iPad Pro 12.9. As a result, you won't receive the same brilliant colours or excellent black levels. The bezels on Samsung's slate are slimmer, and the colours are more vibrant. Short of best-in-class display quality, you make a compromise with the iPad Air, which is regrettable given that it's best suited for content consumption. Remember that the iPad Air is approximately RM1,200 cheaper than the Tab S8+.

The iPad Air's refresh rate of 60hz is also outdated. Most people won't notice, but switching from a 120Hz display to the iPad Air may be unsettling given how fast-moving objects appear much smoother on a high-refresh-rate screen. Another feature lost when downsizing from the iPad Pro, which has an adaptive 120Hz display which is also known as ProMotion.

Minor Enhancements That Add Up

The iPad Air only features two speakers, but they are placed on opposing sides of the tablet to produce a stereo experience. Despite the numerical disadvantage, the audio quality is outstanding. The speakers are powerful enough for single listening and can fill a small space with clear sound. The sounds and voices remained clear and there was no distortion even if you crank up the volume. Impressive I would say!

One minor change was made to the USB-C charging connector on the device's bottom. Nope! iPad Pro’s Thunderbolt 4 input is not available with the iPad Air but it is twice as fast as its predecessor. With 10GBps, you can transfer data faster or connect to up to one 6K monitor. However, the Air still requires a dongle or a Bluetooth device for private listening.

The iPad Air's enhanced 12MP ultra-wide-angle front-facing lens, which produces more detailed photos than the previous 7MP selfie cam, works in tandem with a single 12-megapixel rear-facing camera. You will be delighted that Apple prioritised the front-facing camera because it will be used more on tablets. I'm also happy that its 12MP lens doesn't have the same flaws as Apple Studio Display's webcam. Picture quality is comparable to that of an iPhone's front-facing camera, and it is capable of catching fine details and correct skin tones under suitable lighting.

Center Stage makes its iPad Air debut on this 5th generation model as well. During video conversations, Apple's clever software keeps you and other close participants centred within the frame. I've tried the feature on a MacBook, the Studio Display, and an iPad Air, and it's always detected my movements correctly, seamlessly panning to keep my head centred on the screen. One disadvantage of the Air is that the camera is located on the narrow end of the tablet rather than the horizontal edge. Center Stage will keep you centred, but it will not change the angle of the lens, so you will appear to be staring off aimlessly while you are actually looking at others on the screen.

iPad Air Accessories: Beautiful but Expensive

Thanks to its relatively huge size, the iPad Air is best utilised as a normal tablet for web surfing, usage of apps, and content consumption. However, with such a powerful chip, the Air has the potential to do much more. If you want to use the iPad Air as a laptop replacement or as a supplement to your work machine, Apple's keyboard and stylus attachments are worth considering.

They're good, but they're pricey. The Apple Pencil 2 costs RM599, but it's a worthy investment for artists, designers, or anyone who likes writing or sketching with a stylus. It's comfortable in the hand, didn't have any trouble tracking my rapid sketching, and the magnetic charging is a blessing for individuals who lose stuff.

If you need the Air to function as a laptop, the Magic Keyboard comes close. You will fall in love with the cosy keyboard especially the  "floating" design that allows for a variety of viewing angles. It is, however, far from ideal. The adapter is bulky and pricey (RM1,299), and you must remove the iPad to return to tablet mode. For RM759, you can also get the Smart Keyboard Folio, which fixes some of the Magic Keyboard's issues but isn't the most pleasant to text on.

Desktop-quality Performance

While the improved front-facing camera, faster USB-C connection, and stunning blue colour option are great additions this year, the M1 CPU and 5G capability are the key improvements to the iPad Air. The same desktop-grade M1 chip seen in the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro 13, and iPad Pro versions replaces the A14. The CPU has four performance cores and four efficiency cores, which gives it a two-core advantage over the A15 in the current iPhone 13.

If we just look at raw performance, the iPad Air scored 7,252 on the Geekbench 5 overall performance tests, which is just about the same as the iPad Pro (7,292). The iPad Air now outperforms the smaller iPad mini (4,525) with its A15 Bionic chip. It is also worth noting that it outguns the Galaxy Tab S8+ (3,230) with its Qualcomm Snapdragon Gen 1 SoC with the M1.

In practice, the 5th Generation iPad Air is lightning fast at loading apps, navigating numerous browser tabs, and streaming movies. But it's always been that way. Unless you're dealing with demanding processes or playing more graphics-intensive games, you won't notice the M1's influence. Even so, you're unlikely to encounter anything that the previous iPad Air couldn't handle, but this latest version will do it faster for longer. I know I am super ecstatic to discover that the year 2022 version of the Apple iPad Air will reach its performance limit only after many years of use. In other words, it is kinda future-proof.

For better or worse, the new processor appears to have little effect on battery life. The iPad Air lasted 10 hours and 2 minutes in our battery test, which included playback of videos with the display adjusted to 200 nits of brightness. That's a slight decrease from the previous edition (10:30), but it'll get you through a full day of use.

If you currently own a more recent model, the M1 processor isn't enough to justify upgrading to the iPad Air. However, depending on your requirements, optional 5G support may be available. You can add sub-6Ghz 5G compatibility to the iPad Air for an additional RM600, giving it the quickest mobile speeds available, which, depending on your carrier, might be a substantial step up to 4G LTE. You miss out on mmWave 5G, the ultra-fast variety, but given how frustratingly elusive it remains, it's scarcely worth mentioning.

Should you get the new Apple iPad Air in 2022?

Simply put, the iPad Air is the greatest tablet for the majority of people. It is undeniable that the unveil of the iPad Air has certainly made it more difficult for potential buyers to choose. It has got a few noteworthy upgrades over the base iPad, thanks to its modern design, portable chassis, and M1-powered performance.

The iPad Air falls short as a viable laptop replacement. It's adequate for basic tasks, but the 10.9-inch screen is too small for multitasking. If you require a tablet/laptop hybrid, the iPad Pro 12.9 or Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra are better choices (though I'm not a big fan of "tablet as a laptop" in the first place).

That gets me to the conclusion: if you need a new tablet, get the iPad Air. While the latest improvements don't move the needle enough for me to suggest it to people who already possess a more current model, they do extend the iPad Air's advantage over the competition–making it the safe decision in the sub-RM3500 bracket. For more information, head over to Apple's official website.