Tablets · 2022 · Apple

Apple iPad Air (5th generation) Wi‑Fi

The iPad Air (5th generation) is Apple’s 2022 model that brought the M1 chip and 8 GB of memory to its mid-range tablet. It has a 10.9-inch 60 Hz Liquid Retina IPS display, Touch ID in the top button, a 12 MP ultra wide front camera with Centre Stage and a 10 Gb/s USB-C port. The design and display stayed the same as the 2020 Air.

iPad Air (5th generation, 2022), Wi‑Fi model; 64 GB or 256 GB. The Wi‑Fi + Cellular version (such as A2589) adds 5G and nano-SIM/eSIM and is 1 g heavier. The 4th generation (A14) and the M2 6th generation are separate models.

Apple iPad Air (5th generation) Wi‑Fi — Apple image of the iPad Air (5th generation) in Space Grey, Starlight, Pink, Blue and Purple.
Apple image of the iPad Air (5th generation) in Space Grey, Starlight, Pink, Blue and Purple.

Specifications

SpecificationValue
Display10.9-inch Liquid Retina, LED-backlit IPS; 2360 × 1640 pixels, 264 ppi; P3 wide colour, True Tone; 500 nits

Full lamination and the anti-reflective coating (1.8% reflectivity) remove the gap between glass and panel and reduce reflections. The spec page does not list a refresh rate and there is no ProMotion. Because of the rounded corners, the screen measures 10.86 inches as a rectangle.

ChipApple M1: 8-core CPU (4 performance + 4 efficiency), 8-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine; 8 GB RAM

The same chip was used in 2020–2021 Macs; the tablet runs iPadOS and cannot install macOS apps. The media engine accelerates H.264 and HEVC decode/encode in hardware.

Storage64 GB or 256 GB

There is no 128 GB option and no memory card slot.

Rear camera and video12 MP Wide, ƒ/1.8, autofocus with Focus Pixels; 4K video at 24/25/30/60 fps, 1080p slo-mo at 120/240 fps

There is no flash; Smart HDR 3 and extended dynamic range video up to 30 fps are supported.

Front camera12 MP Ultra Wide, 122° field of view, ƒ/2.4; Centre Stage

Centre Stage automatically pans and zooms the frame as people move during video calls.

USB-C and external displayUSB-C: charging, DisplayPort, USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10 Gb/s); one external display up to 6K at 60 Hz

Thunderbolt is not supported; transfers from external drives and card readers are limited to 10 Gb/s.

AccessoriesApple Pencil (2nd generation) and Apple Pencil (USB-C); Smart Connector (Magic Keyboard, Smart Keyboard Folio)

The 2nd-generation Pencil attaches magnetically to the side edge and charges there.

AuthenticationTouch ID in the top button

There is no Face ID.

WirelessWi‑Fi 6 (802.11ax), simultaneous dual band, HT80 with MIMO; Bluetooth 5.0
AudioStereo speakers; dual microphones

There is no headphone jack.

Battery28.6 Wh built-in lithium-polymer; up to 10 hours of web or video on Wi‑Fi

A 20 W USB-C adapter and a 1 metre USB-C cable are in the box.

SensorsTouch ID, three-axis gyro, accelerometer, barometer, ambient light sensor
Size and weight247.6 × 178.5 × 6.1 mm; 461 g

From the manufacturer

Apple presents the fifth-generation iPad Air with the M1 chip, a front camera with Centre Stage and a 5G option. Apple Support

Strengths and limitations

  • According to Trusted Reviews, the M1 nearly doubles the Geekbench 5 multi-core score of the previous A14 Air; importing 100 RAW files in Lightroom finished about 25% faster, though the difference is hard to notice day to day. The display exceeded 500 nits in the lab; staying at 60 Hz is a drawback for those used to 120 Hz Pros. After 10 hours of video streaming the battery was at 3%; with the Magic Keyboard in a heavy workday it fell from 100% to 15%. A full charge took 2 hours 20 minutes. On the test unit a cracking noise came from what was assumed to be the battery area when the tablet was twisted slightly; the front camera sitting off to the side in landscape and the lack of anything between 64 and 256 GB were criticised.

    Trusted Reviews review (2022); a single blue 5G test unit.

    Trusted Reviews: iPad Air 2022 review

Owner experiences and issues

  • Owners most often praise the M1’s speed, smooth multitasking, Touch ID, the large screen and sound quality, and find it suitable for note-taking and schoolwork. One owner finds the 64 GB base storage too small and the step to 256 GB too expensive. No faults were reported in the reviews read, but the pool is small and this does not show the model is problem-free.

    Eleven reviews on Best Buy Canada listing 16004373 (64 GB Wi‑Fi); reviews about store service were set aside.

    Best Buy Canada: iPad Air 10.9-inch 64 GB Wi‑Fi (5th generation) reviews

Tags

2022APPLEIPADIPADOSM1USB-CTOUCH-ID

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Sources

  1. Apple Support: iPad Air (5th generation) tech specs (UK)
  2. Trusted Reviews: iPad Air 2022 review
  3. Best Buy Canada: iPad Air 10.9-inch 64 GB Wi‑Fi (5th generation) reviews