You know what, the new iPad Air can make a wanderer out of its user. If the pandemic has taught the world anything, one definitely involves freedom from the desk. Work from anywhere, anytime, as long as you have the right device. The new iPad Air (5th Generation) is a surprisingly good addition to Apple’s iPad line-up which is perfect for a world in which we hopefully won’t need to work in silos much longer.
Superpower acquired: M1 chipset
Obviously the big question — M1-size question — is why a M1 chipset in the iPad Air. Apple M1 is the company’s very own system on a chip, which has quickly earned the speedy-speediest performer reputation, finding itself in MacBooks and even the iPad Pro. This is the Air, so wouldn’t it be foolish of Apple to give such a speedy performer on an iPad Air, because this is literally future-proofing a device for the user?
Apple’s reputation is about giving users long-term mileage. The company is using a scalable architecture approach to design single chips that can be used in as many devices as possible. For example, the A15 Bionic in the iPhone 13 and iPad Mini. Now we have the M1 in the iPad Air. Apple wanted to provide more cores for the baseline iPad, faster experience for anyone who works with videos and other creative pursuits. At the same time, the company has ensured that its bigger product — iPad Pro — doesn’t get cannibalised.
The target group is different for the iPad Pro and the iPad Air. The Pro is slightly more expensive for three big reasons — ProMotion technology, Face ID unlocking and dual rear cameras (plus LiDAR scanner). Those are things not everyone needs. These are costly. It’s not just about having ProMotion engine, you need to add mini-LED panel that displays it. It’s not just about having a neural engine with face-matching algorithms, there needs to be a TrueDepth camera for Face ID. These add to the retail price, which not everyone likes to pay. Yet, there are people who want to get pro-level work done without having to pay pro-level prices. Apple gives them the power, minus the bells and whistles that usually come with power.
Ask yourself if you really need ProMotion technology, which is about having 120Hz display refresh rate. Ask yourself if a rear dual camera set-up is at all needed? Are you okay with USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10 Gbps) over Thunderbolt 3 (up to 40 Gbps)? These are things most people don’t need. Other than that, you can use any title on the App Store flawlessly. Having M1 also helps developers because their apps can work to the full potential on a far wider range of products.
For professional creators on budget, having more cores — 8-core CPU and 8-core graphics — with Apple Neural Engine and 8GB RAM matters. From multi-layer painting to video editing to audio processing to higher-end gaming, it’s a win all the way. By now you must be wondering if all this is leading to real-world improvements.
The power of the Apple Pencil can be felt with apps like Procreate
From a creator’s perspective
There are a few important things in there for me and perhaps you will be able to relate to it. While editing photographs or heavy digital illustrations, it can be annoying when the machine slows down or simple operations take seconds to complete. There is none of that here. Any kind of heavy photo editing works smoothly. Try techniques like masking on heavy files and it works as smoothly as it would on a MacBook.
Second, while video editing with LumaFusion, I can keep stacking layers yet come away with the job done effortlessly. The same goes for podcast, which may not be a system-draining task but you can easily edit files in minutes. Using the Apple Pencil I could easily slice and dice and in a matter of minutes a podcast can be ready for uploading.
Third, I didn’t know Pokémon Unite is such a fantastic game. And playing it on the iPad improves the experience exponentially. As for Genshin Impact, it remains an iPad darling. For some games, I need a controller, which can be easily paired with the iPad Air. To a quibble. What you get are stereo speakers which on the iPad Pro are quad speakers. That’s not the issue. The speakers are just brilliant here as long as you listen to music or watch films. When you are playing a game using the on-screen controller, you tend to squeeze the sides of the iPad and and your palm sort of embraces the speakers, muffling the sound.
What I am looking forward to is the app Capture One, which allows image editing and cataloguing, complete with tethered shooting with a DSLR or mirrorless camera.
From the perspective of students
Two popular apps among college-going students are Notability and GoodNotes, which form a lifeline for them. Be it taking notes or making annotations, these are handy apps to have. While reading a book, you simply highlight the text and it gets added to the notes, complete with hyperlinks, clicking which directly takes one to the page where the original text is. The advantage Notability has over GoodNotes is that it can record. While attending a lecture, not only do you take notes but also record the lecture. In case you miss something in the notes, you can go back to the lecture.
Though not just for students, Procreate is one of the world’s most intuitive digital illustration apps. You can come up with stunning artworks by combining the power of the Apple Pencil and the app. Even though ProMotion technology is not here, the Apple Pencil works absolutely fine. With ProMotion, things get more professional and hence iPad Pro. In other words, the good gets better.
Reading obviously is a big part of a student’s life, which is as always easy to do on the iPad Air with a 10.9-inch LED-backlit screen with IPS technology.
Nitpicking — the base variant of 64GB is just about enough while 256GB can be too much for some people. A 128GB variant could have been a bonus.
Add the Magic Keyboard (needs to be bought seperately) to make it a device for all seasons
Should you get it?
There’s an easy answer. If you are new to the iPad or haven’t updated in a few years and you have wanted something more than the entry-level iPad but at the same time don’t need a bigger display, the Air will breathe life into your workflow.
If you are leading an unanchored existence and working out of a number of addresses every month, I suggest you get the Magic Keyboard because it makes work effortless and brings the device closer to the Mac. In fact, this is what I like most about the iPad Air. With a feature called Continuity, you can, say, preview a PDF on the MacBook while markup on the iPad with the Apple Pencil. Or, use the Universal Control feature, that is, use the keyboard, mouse, or trackpad of your Mac to control up to two other nearby Mac or iPad devices, and work seamlessly between them.
With M1 becoming another element that binds the Apple universe, the definition of the computer has changed. The upgrades have become meaningful. For example, Centre Stage is now supported on the front camera of the iPad Air, which means you will always be in the frame during video conferences and as more people join in with you, the framing will remain perfect.
We set out to make the most of our workday. The iPad Air (5th Generation) plays an important role in making sure that happens.
At a glance
Playing the most power-hungry games doesn’t slow down the machine at all
Device: iPad Air (5th Generation)
Price: Upwards of Rs 54,900
High notes
• M1 chip boosts performance and future proofs the device
• Excellent display
• Solid battery life
• Centre Stage feature on the front camera
• Crisp audio
Muffled notes
• A 128GB variant was needed