Apple has announced the iPad Air (2022) today at its 'Peek Performance' event.
A new iPad to replace the fantastic iPad Air (2020), the iPad Air (2022) is said to improve upon its processor across the board, though this refresh still appears to be much more evolutionary than revolutionary. If you're looking for a new Apple tablet, the iPad Air (2022) is likely to be an excellent choice, but if you're looking for a big upgrade over the last iPad Air, you might be disappointed.
The biggest change in the iPad Air (2022) is its new 8-core M1 processor, the likes of which has been used in iPad Pro and Apple M1 Macs. The iPad Air (2020) uses Apple's A14 Bionic chip, and in comparison, Apple's M1 chip is approximately 60 percent faster. The iPad Air (2022)'s GPU is an even bigger upgrade over its predecessor, offering twice the performance.
Apple reports the iPad Air (2022) is much more powerful than its tablet competitors and even has twice the performance of much heavier, much larger Windows laptops for the same price.
iPad Air (2022) also comes outfitted with 5G and an updated 12MP Ultra Wide front-facing camera with Center Stage support, which allows the camera to follow you during FaceTime calls. The iPad Air (2022) also comes packed with a Liquid Retina True Tone display with a peak brightness of 500 nits and an anti-reflective coating.
The design of the iPad Pro (2022) is mostly the same as that of the iPad Air (2020), and just as the iPad Air (2020) took some design cues from the iPhone 12, the iPad Air (2022) takes some design cues from the iPhone 13. Flat sides and crisp edges define the sleek, luxurious look of the iPad Air (2022), making it yet another gorgeous piece of tech from Apple.
You can order an iPad Air (2022) from Friday 11th March for an 18th March release date in these colours: Space Gray, Starlight, Pink, Purple, and the all-new Blue. Prices start at £579 / $599 / AU$929 for the 64GB WiFi-only model, the same as the iPad Air (2020). A 256GB model alongside WiFi/Cellular options are also available.
We at What Hi-Fi? loved the iPad Air (2020), giving it five-stars in our review, and the iPad Air (2022) looks to be a solid upgrade over an already excellent tablet. Stay tuned for our review.
MORE:
Check out our review of the iPad Air (2020)
Read our guide on the best iPads 2022
And our guide on the best tablets 2022
