iPad Air 4 vs iPad Air 5: is the newer model better?

Thinking of whether you should get the iPad Air 4 vs iPad Air 5? Our guide will answer your questions.

iPad Air 4 vs iPad Air 5

The iPad Air is the mid-range tablet in Apple’s iPad line-up, combining top-end features that are perfect for creative content creators with a more affordable price than the iPad Pro. Apple updated it to the iPad Air 5 at its Peek Performance event in March 2022, but the main question is, should you buy it?

Design

When is comes to the Design, both iPad Air models share an almost identical all-screen body. The latest iPad Air comes in space grey, starlight, pink, purple, and blue colours, while the iPad Air 4 offers silver, space grey, rose gold, green, and sky blue.

Display

In terms of display, the new iPad is much like the previous model. The similarities don’t end there, both device have fully laminated, fingerprint-resistant coating and low 1.8% reflectivity. In other words, you don’t really need to spend more on the iPad Air 5 if the display is your primary concern.

Since the body designs are so similar, both iPad Air models come with a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display. You get the same 2360x1640 pixel resolution with 264 pixels per inch, the same P3 colour gamut and True Tone technology, and the same 500 nits of brightness.

Battery life

Battery life is impressive in both models, though it does depend what you're doing. Apple says the battery life on both the iPad Air 4 and iPad Air 5 is identical. The 28.6-watt hour battery that powers each device should get you 10 hours of video playback or web browsing on Wi-Fi, and nine hours of web browsing while using a cellular network.

Features

One of Apple’s iPad Pro features is Face ID. These iPads lack Face ID, but they offer Touch ID for securely logging into accounts and verifying purchases; it’s located in the lock button. Both the iPad Air 4 and iPad Air 5 have a Smart Connector for quickly connecting external cases and keyboards, both come with either 64GB or 256GB of storage, and both work with the second-generation Apple Pencil.

There is a key difference, though. While each product has a USB-C port, the one on the iPad Air 5 is much faster, reaching 10Gbps to the iPad Air 4’s 5Gbps. If you like to connect external devices like a camera or SD card reader, you’ll appreciate the extra speed of the iPad Air 5’s port.

Camera

The rear-facing camera on both models is the same 12MP lens. However, that’s where the camera similarities end, and the front-facing shooter tells a different story.

With the iPad Air 5, Apple upgraded this camera from the 7MP lens found on the iPad Air 4 to a new 12MP lens. Not only that, but the front-facing camera works with Apple’s Centre Stage tech. In compatible apps, this automatically crops you into the picture and adjusts the frame if you move.

Performance

Performance is one area where it really extends the iPad air 4 in a big way. That’s due to its much more powerful chip and the iPad Air 5 also brings 5G connectivity.

While the iPad Air 4 has a mobile-class A14 Bionic chip, the iPad Air 5 is outfitted with the same desktop M1 chip that until recently graced the MacBook Pro. In creative apps it’s incredibly fast. The A14 was already an amazing chip and you might not need the extra power of the M1 but its indeed a huge step.

Price

Now that the iPad Air 5 has launched, Apple has stopped selling the iPad Air 4 online or in-store. That doesn’t mean you can’t get it anywhere, though, and plenty of third-party retailers are still selling it.

In some ways, the iPad Air 4 and iPad Air 5 are very similar. They share the same chassis design, come with the same display, and provide more or less similar battery life.

However, the iPad Air 5 is the more advanced device. It is ahead in terms of performance, has a faster USB-C port, and camera setup with more features. It will cost you more, but if you really need those extra features, it’s absolutely worth it.