- Design in these two iPad Air models it is key, in fact it is one of the main attractions that they present since Apple decided to give the Air range the all-screen design.
- compatibility with the main Apple accessories is an advantage over other iPad models. Again, both have this advantage, and that is that both are compatible with the same accessories as their older brothers, the iPad Pro. This, together with the presence of the USB-C they provide users of these two computers with tremendous potential.
- The power It is also a point that you have to take into account, and here surely lies the great difference between the two generations. While the iPad Air 4 has the A14 Bionic chip, the iPad Air 5 uses the popular M1 chip. This in terms of power makes the difference, although we will see later if this is really usable.
- If you are a user who uses the iPad away from home and, in addition, with mobile data, the presence of 5G on the iPad Air 5 will surely be differential for your choice. This connection, despite not being fully developed in all parts of the world, provides a much higher speed, and betting on a long-term device is essential.
Main differences
We have already told you what the main characteristics of these two iPad models are, we have also told you what the most outstanding aspects are from our point of view. Well, now it’s time to focus fully on the differences, which is surely what can tip your balance towards one device or another if you are thinking of purchasing one of the two models.
Power
As we mentioned in the introduction to this post, power is surely the differentiating point between the iPad Air 4 and the iPad Air 5. The former has the A14 Bionic chipwhich in its day was the one presented by the iPhone 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max, while the iPad Air 5 has taken a tremendous leap in this regard, since it has adopted the chip M1 which, in fact, carry both the Pro models and some of the Macs, such as the Mac mini, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and iMac.
The A14 chip is obviously a processor that works like a charm, in fact for undemanding use of the iPad, it is more than enough. However, the inclusion of the M1 in the 5th generation iPad Air makes this team can be opened to a somewhat larger public since, obviously, it has enormous power to be able to carry out really heavy tasks.
Now, and here comes the typical reflection on the iPad and the power that many of its models have, as is the case with the iPad Air 5. Is the presence of the M1 chip really used in this team? Does the iPad Air 5 really need that much power? The reality is that iPadOS limits the possibilities that, due to hardware, this equipment has. However, it is clear that many tasks will be carried out more smoothly and quickly on the iPad Air 5th generation than on the iPad Air 4th generation, something that for those professionals who want to use this device for certain tasks is a advantage to consider.
Frontal camera
One of the changes that has also drawn attention from one model to another is the presence of a ultra wide angle lens on the front, but be careful, this lens also has the characteristic, or rather, it provides the characteristic of centered framing. This function consists of the iPad, whenever you use the front camera to make a video call, it has the advantage of, first, capturing a much wider field of vision and, therefore, being able to make the subject always be in the center of the camera. image, in fact, if you move you can see how the iPad is able to follow you and always keep you in the center. In the same way, when another person enters the scene, the optics are enlarged so that both of you can be seen in the best possible way.
Bearing in mind that the iPad Air 5 is a device that will be acquired by many students and users who hold daily meetings through different video call services, having a 12MP cameradue to the 7 Mpx that the iPad Air 4 has, and that it also has this attractive and functional function, is an advantage and an aspect that must be valued and taken into account, since it will considerably improve the experience.
5G comes to iPad Air
One of the main advantages that the iPad Air presents, both the 4 and the 5, is its size and the opportunity, as far as possible, to become an ideal device to be able to work in mobility. To do this, many users need to have a Internet connection stable and fast, so Apple has made 5G present in the iPad Air 5.
In addition, it is not only important today, since despite the fact that 5G is not fully developed in all parts of the planet, for those users who see the iPad Air 5 as their main or secondary equipment to work for several years, have this technology will make a difference in a relatively short period of time.
Common aspects
As you have been able to verify, there are not many differences between the iPad Air 4 and the iPad Air 5, however, they are cables in some cases. However, it is clear that we also have to talk about other important points that mark the experience that both teams offer and that, in this case, are common in the models.
Design
In this sense, the two teams are exactly the same, since the 5th generation iPad Air has completely inherited the design that the 4th generation iPad Air already acquired. An all screen that makes it very attractive for all users, which was one of the reasons why, until the arrival of the 4th generation, many users opted for one of the Pro models. However, where there is a small The difference is the finishes, below we will tell you which ones both models have.
- iPad Air 4
- space gray
- Silver.
- Pink gold.
- Sky Blue.
- Green.
- iPad Air 5
- space gray
- star white
- Pink.
- Purple.
- Blue.
Within the design section, mention must be made of the way in which Apple has implemented the unlock method. Although they have the same design as the iPad Pro, which enjoys Face ID, These two iPad Air models keep Touch ID in order to unlock the device. To do this, the Cupertino company has introduced the sensor on the side button that has always been used to lock and unlock the computer.
Screen
Surely the most important section of an iPad is the screen it presents, well, in this case it is exactly the same in both models. They have a 10.9 inch size, which makes it ideal for these teams to be used both for the productivity section to which they are focused, and the leisure section. Apple has found in these dimensions a perfect standard for both purposes, making both audiences feel comfortable with it.
It is a Liquid Retina True Tone displayLED-backlit with Multi-Touch and IPS technology, 2360 x 1640 resolution at 264 ppi. In addition, they have a 500 nits maximum brightness, something that is more than enough to not have any problem when carrying out tasks when you go out of the house and you have to use the iPad outside with natural light. It really is not a super outstanding screen, in this aspect the difference with the Pro range is notable, however, it is a screen that at the level of user experience delights practically all users. Of course, it has a downside, and that is that the refresh rate stays at 60 Hz.
Accessory Compatibility
The iPad, in general, would not be what it is today were it not for the accessories around you and that, without a doubt, make this team reach all the potential it has, or at least, it can reach taking into account the limitations at the software level that it presents. In this case we return to the repetitive speech in this post, and that is that there are no differences between the iPad Air 4 and the iPad Air 5.
Both models are fully compatible with the same accessories, which are the vast majority, but above all you have to focus on two, which from our point of view are the most important. First of all, the Apple Pencil that users of these two iPad models have to use is the Apple Pencil 2nd generation, an accessory that brings a variety of tremendous possibilities. Second, we have to talk about Magic Keyboard, which ensures that those users who want to use these devices as if they were a computer, can do so without any problems. Also, of course, all accessories that are compatible with the iPad Air 4 will be compatible with the iPad Air 5 and vice versa.
Price and availability
Here comes one of the great differences between the two teams, and that is that although, naturally, you can buy the iPad Air 5 through the Apple Store, the iPad Air 4 cannot. As usual in the Cupertino company, when a new version of a device is released, the previous one is eliminated as a purchase option. Therefore, all users who want to purchase the iPad Air 4 will have to do so through an external store.
The official price of the iPad Air 5 is 679 euros, maintaining the price at which the iPad Air 4 was before its launch. On the other hand, the price of the latter can vary significantly depending on the trade or store where you want to buy it, obviously taking into account its availability, which is scarce.
Which one is more worth it?
Finally we come to the reflection that we always do from the writing team of La Manzana Mordida. Which one is more worth it? well, for everyone those users who do not currently have either of these two models and are considering the purchase of one of them, we believe that the most interesting option is to acquire the iPad Air 5, since the price difference is not very great between the two and the difference in the processor is great, especially looking at several years onwards.
On the other hand, all those users who currently have the iPad Air 4, of course it is not worth making the leap to the next generation, since the differences between them are not important enough to change one for another. Now, all those users who come from a device prior to the iPad Air 4, without a doubt it is worth moving to the iPad Air 5, both for the power and for the design and everything that this implies in terms of compatibility with accessories and the possibilities it offers.
