Apple iPad Air 2022 Review: Performance and Budget in one Product

Apple iPad Air 2022 Review: The 2022 iPad Air from Apple gives you mixed feelings. On the one hand, it’s budget-friendly and has incredible performance but on the other hand, its base storage option does not quite meet up with the 2022 standard. However, whichever way you look at it, the Apple iPad Air 2022 is well placed in the Apple iPad lineup and one of the best tablets you can buy in 2022.

First look at this phone and you’ll love the sleek and beautiful design. However, you’ll love this device more as you start using it. There are just so many things you can do with this device on the go without it lagging behind. This Apple iPad Air 2022 Review will show you how Apple managed to bring performance and budget into one product.

Note: The Apple iPad Air 2022 is also known as Apple iPad Air 5, Apple iPad Air 2022 5th generation, and Apple iPad Air M1. But for this article, I’ll be calling it by the year of its release (iPad Air 2022).

Apple iPad Air 2022 Review

Apple iPad Air 2022 Review: Display, Design, and Build

The Apple iPad Air 2022 has a 10.9-inch display, 1640 x 2360 resolution, a Liquid Retina IPS LCD panel, and up to 500 nits of peak brightness. It has a big notch, a big chin, and big bezels with a Touch ID or fingerprint scanner button on one side of the phone. At the rear is a single camera bump that houses the same 12MP camera sensor from the iPad Pro 2021.

The display does not have support for Pro Motion or any high refresh rate which means it uses the standard 60Hz. The build materials of the iPad Air 2022 are Glass front, aluminum back, and aluminum frame. It uses Scratch-resistant glass and features an oleophobic coating. The device has support for Apple Stylus Pen (2nd gen) and can use the same magic keyboard as the Apple iPad Pro.

While the lack of a high refresh rate is a bummer for the iPad Air 2022, you won’t miss it thanks to the powerful chipset inside. The big bezels, notch, and chin make it possible for your hands to not accidentally interface when using the display. Also, the build materials for this device are rock solid even though it has no certified IP water and dust resistant rating. Overall, the build, display, and design of the iPad Air 2022 are really good.

Apple iPad Air 2022 Review: Camera

When it comes to photography and videography, Apple is always at the top of the game. But Apple iPad (or any tablet device) is not a camera-centric device. If you need a camera device, check out our top best camera phones of 2022. With that said, the iPad Air 2022 uses the same 12MP main camera and a 12MP ultra-wide front camera.

For stability, the rear camera comes with a dual-pixel PDAF feature and can also record steady video in 4K resolution. The 12MP ultra-wide camera at the front comes with the center stage feature. This feature makes it possible for the camera to adjust the angles and focus on the objects as they move. The center stage feature also tries to accommodate all the faces present when making a video call.

The quality of the photos and videos from the cameras of the iPad Air 2022 is really good. If you need to take photos and make video calls, you can be sure to get very good output from the cameras.

Apple iPad Air 2022 Review: Chipset and Performance

The performance of the iPad Air 2022 is the major selling point of the phone (well coupled with the price). It uses the Apple M1 chip which is the same chipset used in the Apple Mac and Apple iPad Pro 2021. The performance and battery efficiency of this chipset are well-optimized.

You can play games, render graphics, import/export high-resolution files, and even do high-quality photo editing without breaking a sweat. There is just no lagging behind with this chipset but sometimes you’ll miss the high refresh rate that is not available. On very few occasions you’ll notice that the screen responds slowly and scrolling is not that smooth (only those who have used 102Hz refresh rate will notice this often).

Just so you understand the level of performance you’re getting with the iPad Air 2022. The Apple M1 chipset is a chip used inside Apple’s laptops and desktops. So, Apple is bringing laptop performance to an iPad. To further help you understand, the Apple iPad Air 2022 is way ahead of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 when it comes to performance (it’s a good thing that performance alone does not make a good tablet).

Apple iPad Air 2022 Review: RAM & Storage

The iPad Air 2022 comes with 8GB of RAM paired with two storage options: 64GB and 256GB storage. There is no room for storage expansion via a microSD card and there is no 3.5mm jack port also.

The RAM is enough for multi-tasking but the 64GB base model might not be enough storage for most users. There are Apps/Games that can take up to 15GB or 20GB of storage on installation. So, you might want to add some extra 150 bucks and buy the 256GB storage model if you need more storage.

Apple iPad Air 2022 Review: Battery

The iPad Air 2022 is powered by a 28.6Wh battery with support for a 20W charge. You can charge the iPad Air 2022 from 0 to 100% in a little above one and a half hours. It has no wireless charge but it comes with two speakers on either side of the battery.

The battery inside the iPad Air 2022 is really good and can last you for a very long time. This is because it has no high refresh rate to drain the battery and it features a well-optimized powerful chipset inside.

Apple iPad Air 2022 Review: Software

The Apple iPad Air 2022 boots Apple iPadOS 15 out of the box. Apple is promising years of major software updates and years of monthly security patches for this iPad. You can download updates, apps, and games from the Apple App Store.

Other sensor features are Fingerprint or Touch ID (top-mounted on the power button), A-GPS, magnetic connector, DisplayPort, etc. Apple iPad Air 2022 comes in the following colors: Space Gray, Starlight, Pink, Purple, and Blue.

Apple iPad Air 2022 Review: Conclusion

The Apple iPad Air 2022 is a well-priced tablet for users who needs a powerful and budget tablet. With a starting price of $599 and the introduction of the Apple M1 chipset inside, Apple managed to make the iPad Air 2022 have incredible performance and be budget-friendly.

Why some won’t like to buy the iPad Air 2022

The display has no high refresh rate
No microSD card and no 3.5mm jack port
The base model starts at just 64GB storage and the 256GB storage cost an extra $150

Why you should buy the iPad Air 2022

Powerful chipset with fast CPU and GPU cores
Gives really good value for the money
High-quality build materials
Good software update plan
Nice battery life
Supports Apple Pen (2nd gen), magnetic keyboard, and magic keyboard.

Alternatives of the Apple iPad Air 2022

There are very few options to recommend as alternatives to the iPad Air 2022. The only downside of this device is that its base model starts at 64GB of storage which is a little small for most users. And this means you’ll have to add an extra $150 to buy the 256GB storage model of the iPad Air 2022 or add $200 to get all the goodies inside the Apple iPad Pro 2021.

If you’re not an Apple fan but need a good-performing android tablet at a good price, then check out the Samsung Galaxy tab S8 series.

Apple iPad Air 2022 Review: Price

The starting price of the Apple iPad Air 2022 is $599 for 8GB + 64GB storage. The model with 8GB + 256GB storage is priced at $749. You can buy the device using any of the links in the table below.

Buy Apple iPad Air 2022

iPad Air 2022	Prices
Buy on Amazon	$449.00
Buy on Amazon (EUR)	€689.00
Buy on Amazon (UK)	£569.00

Images: Dave Lee