iPad Air Air 5 coming from an Air 4

[Markgnyc2]

The iPad Air 5 is a powerful device that can perform most computing tasks that people will need it for. But do you need to upgrade from the iPad Air 4?

Admittedly in my day to day use, I haven’t seen much of a performance difference with the M1 chip in the Air 5. The Air 4 was speedy and never slow. So….why did I upgrade?

- My Air 4 was wifi only, and I wanted to upgrade to the cellular model.
- The M1 basically guarantees that this iPad will receive updates and remain speedy for probably 5+ years.
- I traded my Air 4 and got $335 towards the Air 5.
- I do a lot of video calls both for business and personal reasons, and the center stage camera, upgraded to 12MP, is an upgrade over the previous 7MP camera.

In my opinion Apple has future plans for iPads with the M1 chip, perhaps optimizing iPadOS for iPads with M1. But thats down the road. For now, I am enjoying my new iPad and have no regrets in upgrading or choosing the Air 5 over the Pro. This is a powerful device that should last many years to come. So are you upgrading from the Air 4? Why or why not?

 

[Jsaltz]

Because of limitations with iPad os I’ve heard the M1 chip can not be used to
It’s full advantage in iPad Air 5 Unlike then the M1 chip in a Mac. I have an air 4 and think it’s fine for where iPad
iOS is now. Air 6 should have OLED. That’s what I’m waiting for. Don’t wNt Wi-Fi so 5 g on iPad Air 5 is not important to me. Nor do I use it for video or pictures so improved camera not important. OLED would be the big change for
Me

 

[Username-already-in-use]

You didn’t “need” to upgrade per se, but you wanted to for the features - which is fine. You get a faster iPad, with a bigger chip, bigger memory, cellular, possibly in a swanky new colour.

Upgrading from Air 4 to 5 is probably not for everyone, but if the Air 5 has a compelling feature for you - then why not upgrade.

 

[snipr125]

I do plan on upgrading from my Air 4 to the Air 5. Apple will give me £200 for my Air 4 as trade in, and will have to then pay £369 outstanding which is not bad. Main reasons are for the 8 GB RAM and centre stage, but the serious horsepower from the M1 is an obvious big deal. But ill do this in a couple of months time, as getting the iphone SE3 first.

 

[SkiHound2]

If you really want or need cellular that's a reason to upgrade. And the camera is probably a real advantage if you do lots of video calls. That said, unless someone has specific reasons for upgrading from the Air 4 to Air 5, I'd generally say it's not worth it. The 5 is basically the 4 with upgraded specs. The A14 to M1 upgrade will likely be unnoticeable for the vast majority of users. Single core speed of the A14 is really fast.

 

[iZollo]

I recent bought a iPad Air 4 cellular 64gb for $534.00 should I return it why I still can for a iPad Air 5? Do you think it’s worth paying $216.00 dollars more?

 

[satchmo]

Ask again after WWDC.
Unless there is a major upgrade in iPadOS that requires additional power, my iPad Air 4 more than meets my needs.

However, if and when that happens, I’ll likely move to the iPad Pro though as I want to move to the larger 12.9” size.

 

[Yebubbleman]

- My Air 4 was wifi only, and I wanted to upgrade to the cellular model.

This is honestly the best reason to do the upgrade.

- The M1 basically guarantees that this iPad will receive updates and remain speedy for probably 5+ years.

Honestly, there probably isn't much practical logic to this. The cores in the M1 family are A14 based. So, basically, that generation of Apple Silicon, in order of smallest to largest is A14, M1, M1 Pro, M1 Max, M1 Ultra. So, if you're talking about anything generational in the cores themselves, it's the same generation. Going from A14 to M1 is basically like going from M1 to M1 Pro. If the lower-tiered SoC is plenty fast for you, you'll gain nothing from the higher-tiered one. The only place where I'd grant you future-proofing from one generation to the other is in going from 4GB of RAM to 8GB of RAM. But that's it.

- I traded my Air 4 and got $335 towards the Air 5.

I have the Air 4; $335 is a lot to move to an iPad that is functionally identical. Though, in all fairness, $130 of that is the bump to cellular, making it a $205 bump. For $205, going from one generation to the next makes sense. For $335, I'd argue it's not worth it.

In my opinion Apple has future plans for iPads with the M1 chip, perhaps optimizing iPadOS for iPads with M1. But thats down the road.

There's no evidence to support this. Though, iPadOS seems to evolve at a snail's pace, with iOS getting all the newer features first.

For now, I am enjoying my new iPad and have no regrets in upgrading or choosing the Air 5 over the Pro. This is a powerful device that should last many years to come.

Right, but the same could've been said of the previous model. It's okay to get upgrade fever when what you have isn't the newest.

So are you upgrading from the Air 4? Why or why not?

No. Because iPadOS doesn't do anything with what the M1 has over the standard A14. Also, my iPad Air 4 works perfectly well.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

As an Air 4 user myself, there’s no reasons for me to upgrade. I’ve had the device since January 2021 so not long enough to warrant upgrading so soon. It’s more powerful than I need and next i’ll probably go back up the entry level iPads as browsing the web and watching YouTube is about as demanding as I need. I tend to keep iPads 4-5 years too. Everybody has different needs and wants.

 

[Bethanie21]

I’m upgrading from Air 4 to Air 5. I’ve only had the 4 just over a year but I saw the 5s announced and decided to upgrade. Hoping to get near £400 for my 4 as it’s immaculate.

 

[snipr125]

I’m upgrading from Air 4 to Air 5. I’ve only had the 4 just over a year but I saw the 5s announced and decided to upgrade. Hoping to get near £400 for my 4 as it’s immaculate.

I want to do the same, but Apple are offering £200 trade in for the Air 4, which is annoying as it was £250 when I checked about a month ago. CeX are offering £208 . I guess the value has dropped a bit since the Air 5th gen was released.