iPad Air (5th Generation)
Apple today introduced the new iPad Air with the Apple-designed M1 chip, delivering a massive leap in performance. Available in a new array of colors, iPad Air also features the new Ultra Wide front camera with Center Stage for a more natural video conferencing experience, a USB-C port with up to 2x faster transfer speeds, and blazing-fast 5G on cellular models — starting at the same affordable price. Advanced cameras and compatibility with the latest accessories enable users, including content creators, gamers, and students, to push the boundaries of creativity, productivity, and self expression.
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Loved for its thin and light design, the new iPad Air comes in a gorgeous array of colors: space gray, starlight, pink, purple, and a stunning new blue. iPad Air features a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display for an immersive visual experience, with 3.8 million pixels and advanced technologies, including 500 nits of brightness, full lamination, a P3 wide color gamut, True Tone, and an anti-reflective screen coating.
The base configuration is $599 (unchanged) for 64 GB of storage and Wi-Fi.
Previously:
Update (2022-03-16): See also: Federico Viticci, Rene Ritchie, Jason Snell, MacRumors, Nick Heer, John Gruber.
Update (2022-03-23): Hartley Charlton:
The complaints claim that the iPad Air has a noticeably thinner aluminum enclosure, resulting in creaking, a hollow sensation in the hand, and light pressure on the back of the device warping the display. A thread on Reddit (via iMore) contains a large number of complaints from iPad Air users who say they have build quality concerns about the device.
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@Jon Maybe the next iPad Pro will go big?
The iPad Air exists to hit another price point. The name has become meaningless, just as in the Mac line when the 12 inch appeared.
It just means iPad Default.
But why would they throw away a valuable brand name and create customer confusion at the same time by changing it?
I'm not sure why the iPad Air still exists.
Is .05" of thickness and .05 pounds of weight enough of a difference to justify calling it a "thin and light" model?