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iPad Air (5th generation)
M1 power and 5G in the colorful Air.
Overview
Apple left the iPad Air 5's design untouched and focused on what was inside. The M1 chip, the same silicon that powered the 2021 Pro and Apple's Macs, brought roughly 60 percent faster CPU performance than the A14 and made the Air capable of professional-class creative and gaming workloads.
The 12-megapixel front camera was upgraded to an ultra wide sensor with Center Stage, and cellular models gained 5G. The USB-C port now transferred data at up to 10 Gb/s, double the earlier speed, helping with external drives and monitors.
A fresh palette replaced the older shades, with space gray, starlight, pink, purple and blue. The 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display, Touch ID top button and second-generation Apple Pencil support remained unchanged from the Air 4.
Why it mattered
Delivered Pro-grade processing power to the mid-range tablet and made M-series chips mainstream in iPad.
At a glance
- Announced
- March 8, 2022
- Released
- March 18, 2022
- Discontinued
- May 7, 2024
- Launch price
- $599
- Chip
- Apple M1
- Display
- 10.9"
- Storage
- 64GB, 256GB
- Status
- Discontinued
Highlights
- Apple M1 chip with 8 GB RAM
- 5G and 12 MP Center Stage front camera
- USB-C at up to 10 Gb/s
- Five new colors
Tech specs
Specifications as published at launch. Some values (like battery life) are manufacturer estimates.
Display
- Size
- 10.9-inch
- Type
- Liquid Retina IPS, laminated, True Tone, wide color (P3)
- Resolution
- 2360 x 1640 (264 ppi)
- Refresh rate
- 60 Hz
- Brightness
- 500 nits
Chip
- Chip
- Apple M1, 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU
- Coprocessor
- 16-core Neural Engine
Memory
- RAM
- 8 GB
- Storage options
- 64GB, 256GB
Camera
- Rear camera
- 12 MP f/1.8, 4K video at 60 fps
- Front camera
- 12 MP ultra wide, Center Stage
Battery
- Battery life
- Up to 10 hours of web, video or music
- Capacity
- About 28.6 Wh
Connectivity
- Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
- Cellular
- Optional 5G sub-6 GHz model
- Connector
- USB-C (up to 10 Gb/s)
- Bluetooth
- Bluetooth 5.0
Accessories
- Apple Pencil
- Apple Pencil (2nd generation)
- Keyboard
- Magic Keyboard, Smart Keyboard Folio
Design
- Dimensions
- 247.6 x 178.5 x 6.1 mm
- Weight
- 461 g (Wi-Fi), 462 g (cellular)
Security
- Authentication
- Touch ID in the top button
Software
- Launch OS
- iPadOS 15.4
- Latest supported OS
- iPadOS 27 (still supported)
How it compares
More in the iPad Air family
iPad Air
A radical slimming that made the full-size iPad feel new.
iPad Air 2
Barely 6 mm thick, with three CPU cores and 2 GB of RAM.
iPad Air (3rd generation)
The Air returns with a 10.5-inch screen and a Pro-inspired body.
iPad Air (4th generation)
The Air goes all-screen, with Touch ID in the power button and five colors.
iPad Air 11-inch (M2)
An Air with M2 power, a landscape camera and Apple Pencil Pro.
iPad Air 13-inch (M2)
A bigger-screen Air arrives for the first time.
iPad Air 11-inch (M3)
M3 power and Apple Intelligence in the unchanged Air body.
iPad Air 13-inch (M3)
The large Air gets M3 speed and Apple Intelligence.
iPad Air 11-inch (M4)
M4, 12 GB of memory and Wi-Fi 7 for the same $599.
iPad Air 13-inch (M4)
The big Air steps up to M4 and 12 GB of memory.