iPad Happier than ever with my M1 iPad Air 5th gen!

[Technerd108]

So I got my first iPad and I was considering all the options. When Apple was having the student sale with gift cards I decided to get a 5th gen iPad Air. I was worried. I have a Samsung Tab S8 and it has a 120hz display. I got it cheap with a trade in deal and it was also on sale.

I like the integration of Apple software and iPad OS is just a bit more reliable for me than Android. Also considering the M1 chip in an iPad was too much to resist. I have an iPhone 13 and MBA so the iPad just fits in nicely. I don't use my tablets for anything other than very light games and media streaming. So the base storage on the base model wasn't an issue for me.

My biggest concern was the speakers and lack of ProMotion but I have noticed on my S8 the LCD screen is no where near as smooth as OLED. When I compare the iPad and S8 side by side the difference is not as huge as I thought. I bought a previous iPad Air 5th gen on Amazon but I returned it because the speakers were low. The one I got from Apple is almost double the volume which I don't understand-maybe I got lucky but the speakers are perfect on the air.

I was also considering the 11" iPP but I just can't spend $800 plus tax for a tablet. I saw that Walmart had the 2021 IPP 11" for $599 but I missed it. I probably would sell my air for the 2021 Pro if it went on sale again. That is if it didn't sell out again before I could buy one. However I am still not sure. I really like the light weight of the air. The speed would be pretty much the same but a brighter screen would be nice and quad speakers.

When the new iPad 10 came out I looked at it and at first I got a little upset because it looked almost the same and even more saturated colors which I like but no purple which is my favorite. Then I saw it still has an air gapped screen, slower usb, and a14 is NO M1!

With the price of the 10 I feel like the 5th gen air is a better value than ever. I basically paid $449 for it which is the same price as the ten. I just don't know what Apple was thinking with the pricing on the 10. For the price they are charging it should at least have a laminated screen. But no laminated screen and no anti-reflective coating are a big deal to me. I hate the feeling of tapping on the air gapped screens and at angles the gap just bothers me.

So I know on this forum the Pro model gets all the love and it is a great tablet for sure but I think the air 5 is a bit of an underdog and is pretty great too. It is screaming fast. Sure Stage Manager is a mess but I will never use it. I really like the purple too which is another hesitation even if the Pro went on sale. I know it is not a functional thing but I just like looking at it. I kind of hate the space grey and silver colors. I know a lot of people like the classic colors and I am not knocking that but I really enjoy the saturated colors of the air models like the blue and purple.

Of course the new iPP with the M2 also looks pretty cool and although it is not a huge update Apple didn't raise the price and you still get the fastest Tablet on Earth!! Lol.

 

[russell_314]

I’m a little confused by your post. You said you use it for very light games and media streaming but then talk about how it was screaming fast. I can’t imagine there’s that much difference with watching a movie or playing a game when it comes to speed? Am I missing something when it comes to these new iPads with M1? From what I’ve read very few apps use that much processing power and it doesn’t make a difference for light usage. Maybe I need to try one out in person.


Also, you said “I have noticed on my S8 the LCD screen is no where near as smooth as OLED”. Did you mean the iPad isn’t as smooth with as the S8 with an OLED screen?


I have the iPad Air fourth generation with A14 and it’s pretty awesome. I use it to watch movies and mostly browse the web. I’ve never messed with games on it. I guess that’s something I should look into because with that big screen, it would make games more fun.

 

[sunking101]

If all you do is light games and video streaming then the Tab S8 is a better device IME. Nicer display, 120hz and better speakers.

 

[chikorita157]

If all you do is light games and video streaming then the Tab S8 is a better device IME. Nicer display, 120hz and better speakers.

Android tablets will always be inferior, mostly because Google gave up on tablets a long time ago, thus the lack of tablet optimized apps. Blown up android smartphone apps don’t give a good experience compared to iPad.

The iPad 10 is just a bad value product and I think Apple screwed up big time not only pricing the iPad 10 $120 more, but also gimping it to push people to get a more expensive iPad. Everything about the iPad 10 is incoherent such as the non-laminated display, gimped USB/Wifi speeds, a keyboard case that only works with the iPad 10, and the most egregious of them all, not supporting the Apple Pencil 2, but only the 1 and it needs an adapter to work. If it was $329 or 349, it wouldn’t be bad, but at $449, it’s easily by far the worst value iPad currently when you can get a Air 5 on sale or a refurbished 4 or iPad Pro 2018/2020 for around the same price as the 10. Sure, some will defend it, but I see it as it is, nobody should really be buying the 10 when there are better options for around the same price or a little more.

 

[callihan_44]

the ipad air 5 is a great device, I love the blue color version. The only reason I would pick the pro 11 over the air is the display refresh rate, the air with the m1 chip will have enough power to push through several years into the future

 

[FeliApple]

I agree, I have the Air 5 as well and I love it! Wasn’t my first iPad though, I’ve had two more. I have two concurrently now, for the first time ever.

The Air’s speakers are good, but I compared them to my 9.7-inch iPad Pro and they’re nowhere close. Some forum members have said that there isn’t a huge difference between the latest 11-inch and the 1st-gen 9.7-inch iPad Pro, and it shows how good the original small iPad quad speakers are. That said, I don’t use them much, so they aren’t too relevant for me. The Air’s speakers are good enough for when I use them (like I said, almost never). As good as the 9.7-inch iPad Pro’s speakers are, they’re no match for my bluetooth speakers, so they’ve been a completely underutilised feature.

ProMotion is cool but I’ve never used it, so I don’t know what I’m missing.

The iPad 10 isn’t a good value. At all. The Air 4 is better, and the price point isn’t appealing. That odd Apple Pencil adapter issue - and the drawbacks of a base iPad whilst costing more than the rest - make it, imo, the worst value iPad on Apple’s lineup today.

I think it’s either: iPad 9, Air 4, Air 5, or Pro M1 or M2. I wouldn't even consider the iPad 10.

The Pro always gets the love here, and of course it is cool, but the Air 5 has always been considered strong by the forum in general, great value. Almost an M1 Pro for cheaper. Should you not really mind (or be able to live without) about the features of the M1 Pro, the Air is definitely worth it.