With each iPad launch, Apple tries to convince that many activities traditionally done on computers can be performed on the tablet. Creating presentations, writing texts, playing games and editing photos and videos are all possible practices. But is a tablet already capable of replacing a notebook for good?
From my experience with the newest iPad Air of 2022, announced in March of this year, I say yes. But that’s not something that goes for everyone just yet, as it largely depends on what you’re going to do with the device.
At first glance, the new iPad Air is a tablet like any other. What makes it special is what’s inside: the M1 processor, a chip designed by Apple and which has been equipping the brand’s main Macs and MacBooks since 2020.
After a few weeks of testing the 5th generation iPad Air with the M1 chip, I can say that this is the best and most recommendable tablet at the moment considering its set and price: from R$ 4,999, in the cheapest version and in sight at retail stores, and from R$6,697, at the Apple store.
With the power of a computer and the simple usability of a cell phone, there are few competitors that can do what this device does.
However, he is not perfect. What bothers him is precisely this mixture of elements from computers and cell phones. The iPadOS operating system is not as intuitive as macOS (or Windows) and iOS (or Android), so not every task you do on a PC or iPhone can be done on the iPad.
What I liked: performance and multimedia
After testing the giant 12.9-inch screen of an iPad Pro (2021) and the lean dimensions of an iPad mini (8.3-inch screen), I can say that the iPad Air 2022 is just the right size: 10, 9 inches (27.6 centimeters diagonally from corner to corner) combine good viewing and practicality.
The LCD panel is big enough to watch videos, series and movies while traveling, for example, but not too big to get in the way when holding it with one hand.
Image: Lucas Carvalho/Tilt
The edges are thin enough to expand the screen view as much as possible, but not so thin as to allow accidental touches. You can comfortably hold the screen, and the physical Home button on a “normal” iPad, traditionally located at the bottom of the screen, is not needed here.
Despite not having a button, the iPad Air 2022 does not have Face ID — the facial recognition of newer iPhones and the iPad Pro. To unlock the tablet, you have to use your fingerprint: Touch ID is located on the on and off button on the screen, on the top side.
Fortunately, Touch ID can recognize your finger whether you’re holding the tablet vertically or horizontally — just register the two positions of your fingerprint when you first set up the device.
In terms of performance, there’s nothing to complain about: the 5th generation iPad Air flies to edit photos in Photoshop and videos in iMovie — programs I’ve tested.
It also smoothly runs the heaviest games, from NBA 2K to Call of Duty Mobile, with no frame rate drops or any stuttering; and runs any social network and websites with the same peace of mind as a modern iPhone.
In terms of battery, the performance is also high quality: about 10 hours of screen on in my tests, on an average of 5 hours of use per day.
Using the iPad Air to browse the web, listen to music, watch series, videos and occasionally make a video call or play a game, at the end of the day it still had about 50% charge.
Porta USB-C do iPad Air 2022
Image: Lucas Carvalho/Tilt
The sound from the horizontal stereo speakers is loud and even at maximum volume it is hardly distorted, which guarantees good hours of video playback. The maximum resolution is also more than enough for this screen size: 2,360 x 1,640 pixels.
In video calls, the iPad Air is also cool: with the Center Stage feature, the 12 MP ultra-wide front camera can follow you wherever you go within the frame. The frame is a little slow, but nothing to worry about, and it works with FaceTime, Google Meet, Zoom and Microsoft Teams.
But is it really light as the name suggests? At 462 grams (the version I tested is with 5G), it is certainly the lightest model among the tablets of this size that Apple sells today. It’s just not lighter than previous generations — a 3rd generation iPad Air, for example, weighs 456 grams in the Wi-Fi-only version.
What I didn’t like: connection and system
The screen, despite the good resolution and well-calibrated colors, suffers from the same problem as other Apple LCD displays: excess reflection and fingerprints, which hinder the visualization of some darker scenes of movies and series, for example.
Touch ID, while fast, isn’t as intuitive as Face ID if you leave your iPad sitting there as a second screen, or tilted with a backing cover. In addition, the sensor is narrow and sometimes requires more than one scan to recognize your fingerprint and unlock the screen.
Image: Lucas Carvalho/Tilt
If you’re “buried” in the Apple ecosystem and only have Lightning cables at home, you’ll struggle to adapt to the only USB-C port on this iPad — which comes with a charger in the box, unlike newer iPhones.
Getting a charger is easier (Android ones work here, for example), but headphones with this connection aren’t so easy to find, nor so cheap.
The cameras, on the other hand, are just okay. For photos and videos, the result is lower than an iPhone or an Android phone in the same price range — but better than a cheap Android tablet, at least.
On the other hand, the front camera is much better for video calling than any PC’s webcam. The side position captures a bit of an awkward angle, so anyone who calls will realize you’re on an iPad or cell phone, but I still prefer that to suffering from low-res webcams.
Finally, iPadOS still needs to improve. At times, it works well as a PC: browsing in Safari is the same as on a notebook, for example. But at other times, it bothers: not every app works well with the big screen (like Instagram and some shopping apps).
Image: Lucas Carvalho/Tilt
There are a plethora of gesture actions that I haven’t been able to memorize, and multitasking isn’t as versatile as viewing windows on a computer.
Perhaps with the arrival of the “Stage Manager” mode of the upcoming iPadOS 16 things will improve, but today you may still have to suffer to adapt.
Who is it worth?
There are many other features in the iPad Air 2022, but I haven’t tested them. An example is making illustrations using the Apple Pencil. Or have a usability similar to a notebook using covers with keyboard and even mouse. Accessories that you must buy separately if you are interested and have the money to shell out.
The tested model also has a 5G connection, but as the new internet is not yet available in São Paulo, it was not possible to try it out. Even so, it was possible to get an idea of who could benefit from an iPad Air with an M1 chip.
First: if you’re looking for a tablet to work with, there are few better competitors than this one. Performance is top notch, as is the display and sound.
There are cheaper Android tablets, but they are usually more for media consumption, or for entertaining less demanding people, such as children or those who don’t need as much power in a device of this type.
The iPad Air 2022 is so good it can even replace a laptop, depending on what kind of tasks you need to do on it — for web browsing, design and image editing, it does just fine.
For any task more complex than that, make no mistake: a PC is still more complete than an iPad. The iPadOS operating system doesn’t have the versatility of a macOS or Windows for really heavy programs like Adobe Premiere for example (the mobile version is limited).
Now, is the iPad Air or iPad Pro better (the most advanced of the moment)?
Well, they both run the same processor. In terms of performance, the experience will be similar. The differences are mostly due to the iPad Air model’s lack of a main camera and storage capacity. This year’s model is only 64GB or 256GB, while an iPad Pro can have up to 2TB.
Again, it all depends on your usage profile: if you’re going to work with a lot of images, save series, movies, games, comics and books, you might miss a wider memory.
In summary, the iPad Air 2022 does well as a computer for different functions — if you can connect it to a keyboard and mouse, even better. But it was not this time that a powerful chip and a dedicated operating system turned the iPad into a complete desktop. Maybe next time?
