Apple iPad Air (5th Generation): with M1 chip, 10.9-inch Liquid Retina Display, 256GB, Wi-Fi 6, 12MP front/12MP Back Camera, Touch ID, All-Day Battery Life – Space Gray

This iPad is compatible with the Apple Pencil (2nd generation) which I strongly preferred over all the other pencils, so it was important to me to find an iPad that was compatible with that particular pencil. That pencil will magnetically attach to the iPad and will charge from the iPad rather than having to connect a charger to the pencil, so I thought that was neat. I use this iPad mainly for digital art, note taking, and writing books. It gets used for a 3-6 hours everyday and I always leave it turned on 24/7 and I only end up having to charge it every 3-4 days. I take it everywhere with me because while it’s not very small, it’s still smaller than any laptop and will fit in a large purse or tote that I carry around daily lol. It’s great for graphic designers, digital artists, and/or students who need to take notes, study, do projects, or write papers (get a keyboard case for typing) and so much more. When drawing and making my digital art, the pencil glides across the screen so smoothly like an ink pen on paper, there is no LAG, no funky looking results or anything when drawing, everything comes out the exact same way that I draw it on the screen. And this is way better than buying a graphic tablet and having to hook it up to a laptop or PC. I haven’t had a laggy experience with doing anything on the iPad at all so far. Everything loads up and syncs up quite quickly I just love it soooo much. I got the wifi+cellular one but I don’t use the cellular connection, only the wifi connection. But I got cellular anyway in case I change my mind one day if I find that relying heavily on wifi everywhere I go, just to use my iPad, is no longer an option. But I probably won’t though since my phone has a hotspot and majority of the time I just connect it to that if I’m not at home to use wifi, still works like a charm. I am very pleased with my purchase and this was 100% worth the money. I do wish I had more storage though, I got the 256GB one but I wish they made this model with 1TB or 2TB storage.. But I’m not complaining because I haven’t nearly run out of storage or anything, I’m just afraid that I will create so many files or download so many apps that one day I MIGHT actually run 🏃‍♂️ out 😅 but that day is probably a long way away.

Performance is phenomenal. Thanks to the M1 chip, this tablet handles everything from heavy photo editing to intensive gaming with ease, offering Pro-level power in a lighter body. It’s incredibly fast and completely future-proof. The 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display is vibrant and sharp, perfect for media and creativity. It fully supports the Apple Pencil 2 and accessories like the Magic Keyboard, transforming it into a versatile work or study tool. An upgraded 12MP front camera with Center Stage makes video calls excellent. If you want a powerful, modern, and high-quality tablet without paying the price for an iPad Pro, the iPad Air 5 is the clear choice. It’s simply the best value iPad available.

I recently purchased the iPad Air 5, and it has quickly become an essential part of my daily routine. Here’s why this device stands out: **Design and Build Quality:** The iPad Air 5 is a masterpiece of design. It’s ultra-thin and lightweight, with a premium aluminum body that feels solid and elegant. The 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display is breathtaking, offering vibrant colors and sharp details. The addition of Touch ID in the top button is both convenient and secure. **Performance:** With the powerful M1 chip, the iPad Air 5 handles everything I throw at it with ease. Whether it’s multitasking, gaming, or running demanding apps, the performance is smooth and fast. I’ve experienced zero lag, even with intensive tasks like video editing. **Software and Features:** Running on iPadOS, the iPad Air 5 offers a seamless and intuitive user experience. The wide range of apps available on the App Store means I have all the tools I need for work and play. Compatibility with the Apple Pencil (2nd generation) and Magic Keyboard turns this tablet into a versatile powerhouse, perfect for both creativity and productivity. **Battery Life:** The battery life is excellent, easily lasting a full day of heavy use. Whether I’m working, streaming, or browsing, I rarely worry about running out of power. **Storage:** The 64GB model provides sufficient storage for everyday use. With cloud storage options like iCloud, Google Drive, and Dropbox, managing files and space is convenient. However, if you plan to store a lot of media or large apps, you might want to consider a higher storage option. **Connectivity:** Featuring Wi-Fi 6 and optional 5G connectivity, the iPad Air 5 ensures fast and reliable internet access. The USB-C port is a fantastic addition, allowing for faster charging and data transfer. **Value:** The iPad Air 5 offers incredible value for its price. It bridges the gap between the standard iPad and the more expensive Pro models, delivering high-end features at a more accessible price point. It’s an excellent choice for students, professionals, and anyone looking for a premium tablet experience. In conclusion, the iPad Air 5 is a phenomenal device that excels in design, performance, and functionality. It has exceeded my expectations in every way and is an ideal choice for anyone in the market for a new tablet. Highly recommended!

This iPad Air is an absolute powerhouse and is able to accomplish so many of the things that you would typically do in your day to day that the Pro model almost doesn't seem worth it. To start, this iPad is thin, light, and takes up virtually no space in most work bags and backpacks. It is easy to take on the go, and the battery life is incredible. This iPad is also compatible with the Apple Pencil, which makes sketching and taking notes a simple task. For me, however, the best part about this iPad is the power under the hood. The M1 chip is capable of running virtually any iOS app flawlessly, and honestly makes the MacBook feel like an accessory. I've used this to play multiple mobile games with high frame rates, edit videos on the go, and for watching videos when sitting in waiting rooms. I haven't had any issues with apps slowing down or freezing, and it is capable of doing anything I need. When using it with an add-on keyboard, it really does make the MacBook and other computing devices feel obsolete as it has so much processing power even in 2024. The iPad also has a built-in front and rear camera for taking photos, recording videos or to FaceTime your coworkers or family. The quality of these cameras are not the greatest, but are still nice to have. The speakers also get very loud and sound good overall but there is a bit of thinness to some details in various movie scenes and songs. The only real complaint I have is the limited storage space, but as long as you aren't taking too many photos or working on too many projects at a time, the storage is more than enough. Overall, this iPad still holds its own in 2024, as when it is on sale, it is an absolute steal. I would highly recommend getting this for those uncertain on what to choose, and I must say I have been very happy with it!

The iPad 2 was my first iPad, I moved on to the original iPad Air and then the iPad mini. I'm not crazy to upgrade to the latest iPad so I have to base my experience off some older devices. Other iOS devices include the Apple Pencil 2, iPhone XR and I also own a 2019 Mac Book Pro. It seems every time I open a new Apple device I always find myself smiling simply by unboxing the item. Definitely held true with this device. Before making this purchase I balanced the features and functions of this iPad Air Gen5 with the iPad Pro and the latest iPad mini offered in May 2022. Balancing the performance and features, I found the iPad Air to be the best compromise. I liked that it has the same processor as the iPad pro and I wanted a larger display than my previous iPad Mini. I opted for the 256 GB version which when comparing price, the 128 GB pro isn't much more but I was trying to stay in a budget as this was going to be used as a study tool and if I decided I didn't like my experience, I'd pass the device along to a family member. What I do with my iPad device: * Read * Take notes * Web browse * YouTube Everything on this device is very snappy, as things always are with new iOS devices. The screen is quite vibrant and extremely responsive. Reading: I have not made this my daily driver for reading, but I am an Amazon Comixology subscriber and I find this experience is really nice. I generally read on my iPhone XR, as it is very easy to hold and always on me. I've read on the new iPad a few times, but still find myself reading books on my phone still as I don't worry about falling asleep in bed with it and dropping it on the floor. Taking notes: Wow, this is my first time using the Apple Pencil, but what a great experience. I used the built-in notes app for a couple days but then downloaded GoodNotes 5. What a great combination for taking notes. My only possible gripe is a noticeable shadow appears around the tip of the Apple Pencil when moving it around, not sure if that's a feature or an artifact of the LCD, but it annoys me on a rare occasion. Web browsing: Great experience as it is on other iPad devices. A really great feature I've found is taking a screenshot of a web page in reader view and capturing the full website and then importing into GoodNotes5 for markup. YouTube: I can have YouTube open to the side and take notes while watching an instructional video, very handy. Overall, it's a great device. I didn't need a better camera (iPad Pro), as I don't take many pictures with any of my devices. The iPad Pro offers a better screen resolution and a higher frame rate, I don't think I need it for my use though. The Mini would be a little more portable, but I'd still have to put it in a bag to carry it around so I think for the price the iPad Air 5th gen is the overall best choice for me.

I received this iPad Air as my Christmas gift and have been using it for about two weeks. First, this new version of iPad is very impressive and has many upgrades that my older iPad does not have. It has been awhile since I had a new iPad so this was new to me on how to transfer info from the old to the new. The transfer process was quick. I merely set the two devices side by side. Followed some prompts and the machines began to talk to each other and transfer info automatically. The iPad Air charges fast and the battery life is also great. My older iPad was constantly on charge but the new device holds its charge for a long time. Another item I love is having the ability to use a pen to write items on the iPad and to point to text, material or games quickly. It saves a lot of time and keeps notes, too. Sadly, the cover I purchased is larger and a bit heavier to carry since there is a space to hold the pen. While it protects the iPad it is bulky and does not fit in my carry case. There are some cons. I’m still learning other features and have not mastered the ability to delete prior viewed documents. Wish there was an online training manual I could read to show me all of the options that this new machine can complete. I also miss some of the features that my old ipad offered, such as the separate button found by itself on the side of the screen. I sometimes accidentally hit the online dash at bottom of screen to go back to the homepage. I am sure I will get used to all of the new features but I still find myself comparing the old to the new. Overall, this is a nice iPad Air and I love the color blue.

Coming from an iPad 6th generation to the iPad Air 5th generation is night and day but to be honest.... that six year old iPad 6 has better battery life than this new iPad Air 5. I purchased my iPad 6 back in 2018 shortly after the books were announced by Apple ( by book I mean iPad ... i call them books) and its battery life has been stellar since then.... yes, today in 2024, i charge my iPad 6 to 100% and use it for almost everything, for three weeks ... yes! 3-weeks! before I can charge it again. I decided to upgrade to the iPad Air 5 because the iPad 6 while still more than capable to smoothly run apps, it struggles when multiple apps are open because its memory subsystem is limited to 2GB. Buying the iPad Air 5 i thought would be a great upgrade because the book has an M1 processor and 8GB of RAM memory, enough to handle and accommodate heavy tasks.... and it does this exceptionally well. The iPad Air 5 is an amazing book with a gorgeous screen and amazing writing experience.... but what a battery drainer that M1 chipset is! My iPad 6 is stuck at 75% since last night and I have been heavily using it, steaming sirius xm, watching youtube,, reading books, surfing the internet etc.... still showing 75% battery. The iPad Air 5, same tasks, lost more than 40% battery life since last night having charged it to 100%... what a cow! Ugh! If you are upgrading from any of these older books, iPad 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 ... upgrade to the iPad 9 or chance the 10 (Remember, iPad 10 is a tamed iPad Air 4). I also doubt the newer iPads will be any better with battery life because Apple has shifted to using its M-series processors in the upcoming books and the M- series processors are battery guzzlers compared to the Fusion and Bionic chipsets which sip battery. The larger sharper screens too will affect battery life. I wish it were easy to upgrade the memory subsystem in my iPad 6... wouldn't need to upgrade the entire book as its A10 Fusion chipset still is powerful and capable of accomplishing all my usage needs but for the limited RAM at 2GB I regret this purchase.

I have been a Mac person since 2007 when I got my first iMac. Over the last few years I have been using a 2012 Mac mini and a 2012 MacBook Pro both running on an SSD. I knew that eventually I would need a new laptop and I cringed at the price of that prospect. When the iPad Air came out with the new M1 chip I decided to take the leap and I’m so glad I did. I use this iPad all the time. I thought I would need a keyboard and mouse (which really adds to the price) for typing but that’s not the case at all. I just put it in the typing position and use the on screen keyboard. I am not the fastest typist in the world and I have small hands so it works just as well as a regular keyboard for me. I really enjoy video editing and LumaFusion works great on this iPad. If you are concerned about hard drives space you can plug in an external SSD. I enjoy using LumaFusion ($30) so much more so than Final Cut ($300) so praise God for that. I would definitely recommend getting a data hub. I ended up with Plugable USB-C for $29 which provides you with severable USB ports as well as an hdmi outlet for viewing your iPad on a larger screen or TV. I also really like being able to use all the apps that I previously could only use on my phone. I have older parents so I can now see them on the parent cam as well as seeing the cameras in my house while I’m away. I was so attached to my laptop before I got this and since the iPad arrived I haven’t touched my laptop. I even take and make calls from my iPad whenever I’m home. I absolutely love center stage as well. I FaceTime my parents every every morning to help them through their meds and I sometimes have to get up to open the door or get something and the camera follows me. That’s creepy and cool at the same time. What else can I say. I believe this iPad Air along with a data hub is all that you need in a computer for a fraction of the cost of a laptop and it’s much more portable.