lightning fast and affordable (forget the iPad Pro)

The iPad Air 2022 has been given a super-fast M1 chip, which makes it just as fast as the iPad Pro. iPhoned tells you everything you need to know about the iPad Air 2022 in this review!

iPad Air 2022 review

We had to wait a year and a half for it, but the new iPad Air 2022 (also called iPad Air 5) is here. The new tablet was announced at the ‘Peek Performance’ event on March 8 this year.

Apple has given the iPad Air 5 some cool upgrades, but a lot has also stayed with the old. We can already tell you one thing right away: the new iPad Air is secretly a small iPad Pro and you get a lot of value for money. You can read all about it in this review of the iPad Air 2022!

Design iPad Air 2022: much is the same

At first glance, Apple hasn’t changed much in the design. The iPad Air 2022 still has the same look with a nearly borderless screen and Touch ID in the power button. Face ID is still not found on this tablet.

Provided you choose a good color, you will see that you have a new iPad Air in your hands. The iPad Air 5 comes in space gray, starlight, pink, purple and blue. But otherwise it looks like two drops of water on the iPad Air 2020.

Smoother internet with 5G

The iPad Pro 2021 and iPad mini 2021 had already received support for 5G, but the iPad Air 2020 did not yet have it. The latest generation is now changing that. Like the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 models, the iPad Air 2022 can now connect to sub-6GHz 5G networks. This makes mobile internet a bit faster and more stable.

Fast, faster, fastest with the M1 chip

By far the biggest innovation in the iPad Air 2022 is the new chip. The fifth generation of the Air has a super-fast M1 chip under the hood. This chip is also in the iPad Pro 2021 and in the MacBook Air. This makes the iPad Air 2022 a smaller iPad Pro without Face ID.

If you look closely, there are some more differences between the iPad Air 2022 and the iPad Pro 2021. For example, the iPad Air has an LCD screen and the Pro has a Liquid Retina XDR screen with ProMotion. However, both screens look fine for everyday iPad use. Keep in mind that the iPad Pro is also a lot more expensive than the iPad Air 2022.

To be very honest, you don’t really need all that computing power of the M1 chip right now. All apps respond smoothly on the iPad Air 5, but that was also the case with the previous generation. The big advantage is that with the M1 you are also well prepared for future updates and the new generation of (heavy) apps.

iPad Air 2022: with USB-C

The iPad Air 2022 has a USB-C port. The specifications of this have been jacked up a bit compared to the predecessor. The iPad Air 2022 has support for USB 3.1 Gen 2 and this has a maximum speed of 10 Gb/s (the iPad Air 2020 came to 5 Gb/s). That makes the iPad Air 2022 just a bit faster if you use peripherals and, for example, copy files to an external drive.

However, it is not yet as fast as the Thunderbolt connection of the iPad Pro (40Gb/s). But do you need that speed…? What we also found out during this iPad Air 2022 review: you can now connect the 5K Studio Display screen to the tablet. The previous generation of the Air and the iPad mini 6 can only drive the Studio Display at a lower resolution (1440p).

More working memory

The iPad Air 2022 has received a major upgrade in the working memory, which is now 8 GB. Handy when you have many apps open at the same time and use demanding programs.

At the moment it is still a bit ‘overkill’, but due to increasingly demanding apps, you will benefit from this a lot more in the future. But it’s also nice that apps have to be opened all over again less often when you start them again.

Big upgrade for the front camera

Something has also changed with the front camera. The ultrawide selfie camera has an improved 12-megapixel camera. Furthermore, the iPad Air 2022 has also taken over a function of the iPad mini 2021. This is the Center Stage. With this you always stay in the picture during video calling, even when you walk through the room for a while.

This even works when you’re sitting in front of the iPad Air 2022 with your friends. The camera automatically zooms out to keep everyone in the picture. In addition to FaceTime, Midpoint also works with other video apps, such as Zoom. There are also some upgrades when making videos with the selfie camera. It is now possible to choose for 25, 30 or 60 frames per second when recording.

And what about the rear camera on the iPad Air 2022? That is also a 12 megapixel camera. Good enough for photos, but with a single lens, the recent iPhones hold up better here. Striking detail: the iPad Air 2022 does not have a flash, which the iPad mini 2021 does.

Conclusion iPad Air 2022 review

There is no escaping it: the iPad Air 2022 is the tablet with the best price-quality ratio. You get a tablet with the super-fast performance and looks of an iPad Pro 2021.

The iPad Air 2022 does not contain all the functions of the iPad Pro, but you really won’t miss them (very much). Face ID is nice, but Touch ID on the iPad Air works just as well. In addition, the Air ‘only’ has an LCD screen without ProMotion, but that is also fine. We would always opt for the iPad Air 5 at this point.

Do you really want the top-of-the-line iPad and do you think Face ID, ProMotion (and maybe a larger screen) would be useful additions? Then you can consider buying the iPad Pro. But even then, it’s better to wait a while, because according to rumors, an iPad Pro 2022 will be released this year.

Are you looking for a new tablet, but do you think the iPad Air 2022 is a bit too expensive? Then check out its predecessor, the iPad Air 2020. Thanks to the A14 chip, you can also use it for a few more years.

Want to spend a little less? Then consider the iPad 2021. It looks a bit less modern and has a slightly older A13 chip. But it is still good enough for all common iPad cases. And if you just want the smallest iPad, then of course you go for the mini.

Buy iPad Air 2022

Do you want to buy an iPad Air 2022 immediately after reading our review? Then think about how much storage space you want and need. The iPad Air 2022 is available with 64GB and 256GB storage. 64GB is not enough in 2022 and we therefore recommend going for the 256GB model. Then you can definitely move forward for the time being!

The version with 64GB storage memory is available from Apple for 698.50 euros† The 256GB variant costs 868.50 euros† Also important: of course you also have to choose a nice color!

Also check the iPhoned price comparison for the iPad Air 2022. Then you can be sure that you always have the best price!

Did you like this review of the iPad Air 2022? And do you want to read more about the iPad Air 2022 (or any other Apple product)? Then keep a close eye on this website. You can also follow us via the free iPhoned app and the newsletter.