iPad Air Is it worth buying an Air 4 in 2022?

[1BadManVan]

Maybe I need to use it more and in real life usage. I still do believe it's worth the extra money for the Pro 11 2021 over the Air 4 because of double the ram, M1 over the A14, 0.75" larger display, 100 higher nits in brightness, double the storage and likely a better battery too. I would pay more just for double the ram and the M1 alone (though M1 is overkill on ipad but it makes the 2021 Pro more future proof than the Air 4.

Storage speed on the M1 pro is also significantly faster as well. I was actually super impressed when I did a speed test on it. As fast as the ssd in my wife’s 2020 blade 15.

And you are correct on the battery, quite a few battery test videos out there and the air 4 shockingly places last among all the new iPads, even the mini 6 beat it.

 

[rui no onna]

Storage speed on the M1 pro is also significantly faster as well. I was actually super impressed when I did a speed test on it. As fast as the ssd in my wife’s 2020 blade 15.

And you are correct on the battery, quite a few battery test videos out there and the air 4 shockingly places last among all the new iPads, even the mini 6 beat it.

In fairness, SSD speed on normal A-series chips have gotten quite decent. Not as fast as M1 but I believe comparable to A12X/Z and to more mainstream/inexpensive NVMe SSDs.

As for battery life, that probably depends on usage. Personally, with similar settings and usage, I get the same onscreen time from both Air 4 and M1 Pro 11. It was a pleasant surprise since I expected the M1 to at least have greater standby drain compared to A14.

 

[lybentius]

It’s a great device but if you don’t need it this moment then I’d probably wait and see what’s new.

 

[1BadManVan]

In fairness, SSD speed on normal A-series chips have gotten quite decent. Not as fast as M1 but I believe comparable to A12X/Z and to more mainstream/inexpensive NVMe SSDs.

As for battery life, that probably depends on usage. Personally, with similar settings and usage, I get the same onscreen time from both Air 4 and M1 Pro 11. It was a pleasant surprise since I expected the M1 to at least have greater standby drain compared to A14.

I’m seeing 2800-3000 on my 256 M1

 

[ApplesAreSweet&Sour]

No, you should not get an iPad Air. Not the current one or the one that might soon hit stores. They are just there to fill the mid-tier and make you appreciate how much extra you get with iPads Pro.

All the Airs are bad deals, style over substance(specs), imho. The 64GB iPad 9th Gen is also a bad deal -very inexpensive but 64GB is not enough.

The fact that there's only a 64GB and 256GB Air really underlines what Apple made it for -To get you to spend $50 more for the way(!) better 11" 128GB iPad Pro M1.

A good option is iPad 9th Gen 256GB, which is the perfect iPad for the vast majority of people including most who own an iPad Pro. It's also often on sale.

Or go for 128GB M1 or 2020(A12z) iPads Pro, 11" or 12.9".

However, you probably don't need a Pro: What people don't realise is that you get the exact same user experience using iPadOS on all contemporary iPads.

iPads are not fully fledged laptops no matter how many Smart Keyboards or Thunderbolt ports they get, or how much RAM it has available or how many inches the display is.

The hardware is amazing but Apple is very deliberately making sure iPads cannot be used as a MacBook no matter how much you spend on it.

Only the components are better on iPads Pro and Air over the 10.2" models. But since there are no nest to Pro apps by Apple in the AppStore(are there any?), you're only rarely if ever going to be using all that power.

Yes, you are going to use your iPad in ways that you would never use a smartphone. But, because of the limitations of iPadOS, an iPad will never be more than a very big iPhone with a phenomenal battery life and a superb stylus for digital artists.

An iPad Air would only be a good deal if it's the 256GB version and you get it for $479-$500.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

No, you should not get an iPad Air. Not the current one or the one that might soon hit stores. They are just there to fill the mid-tier and make you appreciate how much extra you get with iPads Pro.

All the Airs are bad deals, style over substance(specs), imho. The 64GB iPad 9th Gen is also a bad deal -very inexpensive but 64GB is not enough.

A good option is iPad 9th Gen 256GB, which is the perfect iPad for the vast majority of people including most who own an iPad Pro. It's also often on sale.

Or go for 128GB M1 or 2020(A12z) iPads Pro, 11" or 12.9".

What people don't realise is that you get the exact same user experience using iPadOS on all contemporary iPads.

iPads are not fully fledged laptops no matter how many Smart Keyboards or Thunderbolt ports they get.

The hardware is amazing but Apple is very deliberately making sure iPads cannot be used as a MacBook no matter how much you spend on it.

Yes, you are going to use your iPad in ways that you would never use a smartphone. But, because of the limitations of iPadOS, an iPad will never be more than a very big iPhone with a phenomenal battery life and a superb stylus for digital artists.

An iPad Air would only be a good deal if it's the 256GB version and you get it for $479-$500.

But your advice dismisses what a person plans to do with it. I have a 9th Gen iPad and it's an overkill for my needs. All I do are the basics and it's a great tablet. Why would I want to spend $799 minimum for something that a $329 does just as good? And my 9th Gen iPad, I purchased it for $269 brand new. At the time Walmart had discounted the 9th Gen at $299 and I took advantage of my 10% employee discount.

However this late in the product cycle I would wait for the next Air.

 

[DeepSix]

I

Storage speed on the M1 pro is also significantly faster as well. I was actually super impressed when I did a speed test on it. As fast as the ssd in my wife’s 2020 blade 15.

And you are correct on the battery, quite a few battery test videos out there and the air 4 shockingly places last among all the new iPads, even the mini 6 beat it.

I decided if I get the Pro, I may as well just get the 12.9 2021. Compared it in the store and it's really not that much larger and heavier than the 11 but it will give the superior experience when using it as a notepad on a desk. Plus the mini-LED and the 1200 nits brightness are huge perks for me (especially the 1200 nits) since I would use this as a take with me everywhere device and the 1200 nits brightness would make it usable in the car or outside in bright sunlight (the 11 would not). My Surface Pro is 400 nits in brightness to compare and it was usable in bright sunlight but it wasn't pleasant with the glare so the 12.9 Pro with 1200 nights would blow it away. This is one reason why I'm actually thinking of just sticking with a 12.9 Pro and selling my mini 6 when I get a brand new one back from Apple warranty.

Also I think people here saying how it's too big and heavy to be portable, I would have to disagree with that. I've been using the Surface Pros for the past 8 years and I literally took it with me everywhere. I had no issues with it's portability and I think many tend to exxeragate the weight of the 12.9 ipad. Maybe i just got used to it but it was king for the computer on the go. I see the ipad 12.9 being the same for the ultimate tablet on the go that's still very portable and it's still 0.2lb lighter than the Surface Pro 7 I have.

I may pick up a 12.9 to try out for 2 weeks to see how I like it. I'm guessing the battery life on it would be quite a bit better than the mini 6? Mini 6 battery is pretty good but not amazing and definitely not as good as the mini 1 batttery when I had it like 9 years ago.

 

[XIO[-]OIX]

No, you should not get an iPad Air. Not the current one or the one that might soon hit stores. They are just there to fill the mid-tier and make you appreciate how much extra you get with iPads Pro.

All the Airs are bad deals, style over substance(specs), imho. The 64GB iPad 9th Gen is also a bad deal -very inexpensive but 64GB is not enough.

The fact that there's only a 64GB and 256GB Air really underlines what Apple made it for -To get you to spend $50 more for the way(!) better 11" 128GB iPad Pro M1.

A good option is iPad 9th Gen 256GB, which is the perfect iPad for the vast majority of people including most who own an iPad Pro. It's also often on sale.

Or go for 128GB M1 or 2020(A12z) iPads Pro, 11" or 12.9".

However, you probably don't need a Pro: What people don't realise is that you get the exact same user experience using iPadOS on all contemporary iPads.

iPads are not fully fledged laptops no matter how many Smart Keyboards or Thunderbolt ports they get, or how much RAM it has available or how many inches the display is.

The hardware is amazing but Apple is very deliberately making sure iPads cannot be used as a MacBook no matter how much you spend on it.

Only the components are better on iPads Pro and Air over the 10.2" models. But since there are no nest to Pro apps by Apple in the AppStore(are there any?), you're only rarely if ever going to be using all that power.

Yes, you are going to use your iPad in ways that you would never use a smartphone. But, because of the limitations of iPadOS, an iPad will never be more than a very big iPhone with a phenomenal battery life and a superb stylus for digital artists.

An iPad Air would only be a good deal if it's the 256GB version and you get it for $479-$500.

Man… I couldnt agree less with you.
Pretty much everything you wrote is either false, or wrong, or both ??

__

Airs are the last year Pros with a discounted price and a newer processor. For all that are interested. The 256Gb Air is by far the ‘best bang for the buck’ iPad purchace, if you want a Pro device. Pro iPads are for those that want to go all the way, and dont mind spending.

## In a way ‘Pro’ means Exclusive, and Air is the real all round iPad as a Professional Tool.

 

[rui no onna]

However, you probably don't need a Pro: What people don't realise is that you get the exact same user experience using iPadOS on all contemporary iPads.

iPads are not fully fledged laptops no matter how many Smart Keyboards or Thunderbolt ports they get, or how much RAM it has available or how many inches the display is.

I disagree about user experience being the same. All iPads may be able to run the same firmware and all the same apps but at least for me, more RAM means smoother operation.

I've had Safari and webcomic apps outright crash multiple times a day on 4GB RAM or lower iPads. Gmail desktop website is also one that has frequently crashed on me with low RAM. I can see memory utilization jump from 20-50MB free to 800MB-1GB free when that happens. No such crashing on 16GB.

For me, I want 1TB storage anyway so the extra RAM is a much appreciated bonus. Others have different use-cases or may be more tolerant of the occasional crash if it means spending less.

As for laptops, not everyone buys an iPad because they want to fully replace their laptops. I have a ThinkPad X1 Nano, ThinkPad E15 G2 AMD and M1 MacBook Air. The E15, I only use on the rare occasions I work from home while someone else is using the shared desktop. The X1 Nano and M1 MBA, I use maybe 2-3x a year and often, that's just to install OS and software updates. Meanwhile, all of my primary iPads are used 3-4 hours a day on average.

 

[XIO[-]OIX]

Safari shouldnt crash for you. Its a software bug if it does, or hardware malfunction.

I had 500 tabs open on my air and it didnt even studder. Everything works flawlessly, and flies.

__

But yes, more ram means less refreshes, and bigger disk means more data on the device.
In my opinion 11”iPadPro M2 XDR 512GB is the sweetspot alongisde the MagicKeyboard and Pencil2. Perfect laptop.

##for some reason I dont like the 1TB model. I dont want to have 1TB of storadge on my portable. But 16 gigs would be sweet with 512Gb. Wonder if Apple would put it on 512Gb with the next model..

 

[DeepSix]

Speaking of constant refreshes that people are mentioning. Would this happen on the mini 6 too? I don't even know how to tell or what to look for to see if it's do daily refreshing.

 

[XIO[-]OIX]

Its not as big of a deal as it might seem. Basically it means that when you start an app it - Loads first. If your device has more ram, it just remains active, so when you start it - its just there.

Most apps save what you were doing so they just reopen at the exact place you were before, but, you gotta wait a milisecond od two . Certainly preffered to just have everything open at all times.

 

[DeepSix]

Thought about it some more. For my use case I just can't justify the price of the 12.9 Pro. Its way overkill for my uses since the main purpose of it for me is a digital notepad. For writing, I can't tell any difference with pro motion on.

Leaning more towards the Air + mini 6 since that would be the same cost as the 12.9 Pro and it would offer me more flexibility. I already have 3 computers (that all serve a specific purpose) so iPads are just notepads and media browsers for me lol. If I was made of money, I would get the 12.9. But it just wouldn't be money well spent.

I just went back to the Apple store to get a replacement mini 6 and should have it within a week. The big question for me is whether I open it and keep it or sell it as brand new since it will be brand new (getting more money back).

I'm not even sure I can justify having a mini 6 since my phone is just 1.5" smaller (but in 16:9 so it makes a bigger difference). The Air seems to be making more sense for me. P
The last time I had iPads was Air 1 and Mini 1. I much preferred the screen size of the Air but the form factor of the mini, but I was able to get used to the size of the Air. That was with the air having a 9.7 screen, now that it's 10.5 in essentially the same size chassis, it's a game changer I felt yesterday when trying it out.

I should mention that my iPads are handheld use only and desk too (as a notepad) but no keyboard on it ever since I have much better, more comfortable stuff at home. Even thumbtyping in portrait (how I plan on typing on them) on the 11 Pro was noticeably less comfortable than the Air 4 because of the added size and my thumbs had more strain when reaching for the center keys.

 

[DcGamer05]

Another vote for the 11. I voted on the last page. I’m gonna double my ballot and cast another vote for the 11. I’m registered to vote on this page too. Sssh?

 

[chrfr]

Even thumbtyping in portrait (how I plan on typing on them) on the 11 Pro was noticeably less comfortable than the Air 4 because of the added size and my thumbs had more strain when reaching for the center keys.

The 11 Pro and the Air 4 enclosures are exactly the same height and width and the Pro is 0.2mm thinner, so I don't understand what difference you were feeling.
With that said, I'm a happy Air 4 owner, and when you factor in the difference in price of AppleCare, if buying that with the iPad the price difference is larger than some seem to think it is.
I would not buy an Air 4 today, however, given that a new Air 5 seems likely inside of a month from now.

 

[rui no onna]

The 11 Pro and the Air 4 enclosures are exactly the same height and width and the Pro is 0.2mm thinner, so I don't understand what difference you were feeling.
With that said, I'm a happy Air 4 owner, and when you factor in the difference in price of AppleCare, if buying that with the iPad the price difference is larger than some seem to think it is.
I would not buy an Air 4 today, however, given that a new Air 5 seems likely inside of a month from now.

I would normally feel the same but if the mini 6 is any indication, the Air 5 doesn't seem like it would offer any noticeable improvement in performance or longevity over the Air 4. If there is no RAM or storage increase, the Air 5 is just like a sidegrade and wouldn't be worth paying full MSRP.

 

[sublunar]

Probably a small point but alongside the A15 CPU don't forget the centre stage camera for FaceTime calls. It's only missing from the range because everything else got upgraded more recently.

The fact that even the base iPad 9 (and the iPad mini 6) has a centre stage camera should tell you that a new model Air is coming.

However, I don't think intrinsically that the iPad Air is that great of a deal when you count in the lack of pro-motion display and the awkward storage tiers (no 128Gb model).

Discounts will inevitably at some point bring an M1 iPad Pro 11" (which starts with a more usable 128Gb storage where 256Gb is not necessarily required) down to competitive prices.

So unless you only need a 64Gb iPad Air you can be fairly positive that a logical upgrade is coming which will bring the iPad Air back in line with the rest of the iPad range.

 

[DeepSix]

Another vote for the 11. I voted on the last page. I’m gonna double my ballot and cast another vote for the 11. I’m registered to vote on this page too. Sssh?

I'm going to get the 11 Pro for sure. Even with Air 5 coming, there's no doubt the 11 Pro is worth the extra money. It's not that much more and if the 2022 11 Pro has mini-LED and 1200 nits like the 12.9 then I'm willing to wait for that even if it has a price hike. The 1200 nits is a huge feature for me, basically makes the ipad the same brightness as my phone, so it would be completely useable in bright sunlight. I'm a sucker for picture quality on screens but 1200 nits on the 2022 11 Pro would instantly make it a purchase for me. I can wait 10 months for it, I have the mini 6 to tie me over.

Almost gauranteed Air 5 won't have promotion or 8GB ram.

Unless we see a blowout sale on the 2021 11 Pro sometime this year. Then I'll wait to see what Apple announces at their AGM this March.

 

[DeepSix]

The 11 Pro and the Air 4 enclosures are exactly the same height and width and the Pro is 0.2mm thinner, so I don't understand what difference you were feeling.
With that said, I'm a happy Air 4 owner, and when you factor in the difference in price of AppleCare, if buying that with the iPad the price difference is larger than some seem to think it is.
I would not buy an Air 4 today, however, given that a new Air 5 seems likely inside of a month from now.

The 11 Pro seemed to made me stretch my thumbs a bit more when thumb typing in portrait mode when reaching for the center keys. The Air 4 was noticeably more comfortable when thumb typing in portrait mode. Of course if Apple never disabled the split keyboard function, it would make it better though. So if the 11 Pro and the Air 4 have the exact same size chasis, then that would mean the bezels on the 11 Pro are slimmer.

How much was Apple care for your Air 4?

I just added it to my mini 6 today, was $79cdn for 2 years.

 

[rui no onna]

The 11 Pro seemed to made me stretch my thumbs a bit more when thumb typing in portrait mode when reaching for the center keys. The Air 4 was noticeably more comfortable when thumb typing in portrait mode. Of course if Apple never disabled the split keyboard function, it would make it better though. So if the 11 Pro and the Air 4 have the exact same size chasis, then that would mean the bezels on the 11 Pro are slimmer.

How much was Apple care for your Air 4?

I just added it to my mini 6 today, was $79cdn for 2 years.

AC+ costs the same for iPad, mini and Air.

AC+ for the iPad Pro is more expensive. I dunno about CDN but in the US, AC+ for iPP 11 costs almost double versus Air.

 

[chrfr]

How much was Apple care for your Air 4?

In the US, it's $69 for non-Pro iPads and $129 for Pros, so for a 256GB model, which is what I bought, it's $1028 for an 11 inch Pro with AppleCare, and $818 for the Air with AppleCare. It's not as small a price gap as some would have us believe.

 

[DeepSix]

In the US, it's $69 for non-Pro iPads and $129 for Pros, so for a 256GB model, which is what I bought, it's $1028 for an 11 inch Pro with AppleCare, and $818 for the Air with AppleCare. It's not as small a price gap as some would have us believe.

True. Ya in Canada with AC+ on both devices, it works out to be a $300cdn plus tax difference going from the 64GB air to the 128GB 11 Pro. That's about a 37% price increase for the Pro. Do I need a Pro? Of course not but I will agree than the Pro 11 is better value than the Air 4, unless Apple really bumps up the specs on the Air 5. Double the ram alone is something I would pay a good chunk of change more for since it makes the device more future proof.

Will see if Apple bumps up the specs in the Air 5. Like I said, I only use my ipads as digital notepads and handheld portable web browsers.

If the 9th gen ipad accepted Pencil 2 I would be more than happy using that as my digital notepad that lives on my desk. A $429 hit is a lot more convincing than a $1000 or $1400 for the Pros.

 

[iPad Bro]

I'm going to get the 11 Pro for sure. Even with Air 5 coming, there's no doubt the 11 Pro is worth the extra money. It's not that much more and if the 2022 11 Pro has mini-LED and 1200 nits like the 12.9 then I'm willing to wait for that even if it has a price hike. The 1200 nits is a huge feature for me, basically makes the ipad the same brightness as my phone, so it would be completely useable in bright sunlight. I'm a sucker for picture quality on screens but 1200 nits on the 2022 11 Pro would instantly make it a purchase for me. I can wait 10 months for it, I have the mini 6 to tie me over.

Almost gauranteed Air 5 won't have promotion or 8GB ram.

Unless we see a blowout sale on the 2021 11 Pro sometime this year. Then I'll wait to see what Apple announces at their AGM this March.

I hope you realize that huge increase in nits is only when HDR content is being played. Otherwise it’s at the same 600 nits it’s been at for years now.

 

[DeepSix]

I hope you realize that huge increase in nits is only when HDR content is being played. Otherwise it’s at the same 600 nits it’s been at for years now.

Oh ya, right. That sucks, then the 1200 nits feature is no good for me.

 

[MartyvH]

If the 9th gen ipad accepted Pencil 2 I would be more than happy using that as my digital notepad that lives on my desk.

Oh yeah, this is a real shame about the otherwise excellent value 9th gen iPad. I work in schools so I notice this. I’ve never liked the way it plugs into the Lightning port. At least provide a little M-F Lightning dongle so it’s flexible in case of accidents. It’s so vulnerable, especially in the context of its target audience of school students.

The 11 Pro seemed to made me stretch my thumbs a bit more when thumb typing in portrait mode when reaching for the center keys. The Air 4 was noticeably more comfortable when thumb typing in portrait mode

I got the hang of touch typing in landscape on my 11 Pro. Doing it right now. I’ve become fast at it. Though I realise not everyone can touch type. Keyboard Skills was a school subject twice a week in Years 8, 9 and 10 in Australia in the 90s.

On the iPad Air, at the time when I had to buy, 64GB was not nearly enough for me so the 256GB was it. But then that put me just US$100 away from the 11 Pro, when I was already spending over US$700 on the Air, with the 11 Pro’s ProMotion, better speakers and all round better specs for an even longer useful life. If the Air gets 128GB base storage a few weeks from now, that would have complicated it. I may have stuck with the Air. But ProMotion is so nice on an iPad, more of a benefit than on a phone.

I thought about the 12.9 Pro but in my opinion, it is that much bigger and heavier than the 11. I personally really need the portability. If I had a more relaxed routine it may be alright. Two people I know have them and it feels like a liability moving them around. Also, I believe you need to have the 12.9 side by side with an 11 to appreciate the mini-LED. There’s not a lot of difference in the store. The colours pop and are so pretty and balanced on this 11. Plus I decided beforehand that I was fine with Apple’s LCDs. They have an excellent reputation.