Customer Ratings & Reviews

For this review I am comparing the iPad Air 5 to my Samsung TabS7 that I have used for about 1 year. I am also new to the Apple eco system (I will never give up my Pixel). I have been using the iPad Air 5 with 256GB for a little over one week. I had to purchase the Apple Pencil with it (a must for my needs) and a simple leather folio case from Torro to protect it. The case has a nice flap that keeps the Pencil secure in my work bag so I don't have to worry about losing it. Inside the box there is the iPad Air, a USB C cable, and a power brick. There is no micro sd slot and one USB C connection. The iPad Air is a beautiful device. The build quality is very nice. The aluminum body is cool to the touch and feels good in my hands. Amazingly it is both lighter and larger than the S7, and the squared sides are smoother, more refined to the touch. I also like that the power button is on the Top/Left side of the tablet. I don't have to worry about pressing the power button instead of the volume rocker. The case that I purchased does interfere slightly with the fingerprint sensor, but I have got used to it in a couple of days. I have recently heard that people are complaining about the build quality. They say Apple made the aluminum case thinner and the tablet creaks and flexes when people use it. I have not experienced this while taking notes, drawing on the tablet, or when holding it and watching content. I have not attempted to bend or flex it (why would anyone) and I have to wonder what people are doing with this tablet to get it to do that. The M1 chip handles every task and nothing slows this tablet down. The screen is beautiful. Colors are warm and rich. Text is easy to read and content watching is great. The bezels are there but minimal. There is a slight glare like on most tablets and you will want to keep a microfiber cloth handy to remove fingerprints. There are four speaker grills in the body of the iPad Air, but it only has two speakers. The sound quality is slightly tinny and not as rich or full when I compare it to the S7. Because it is shown as a device to be used for content creation and consumption I would have expected a better experience from the iPad. The sound isn't bad, but at this price point it should be much better. The camera is another area where the iPad is lacking. Both front and rear cameras are much better on the Tab S7 than the iPad. While the iPad does produce a picture that is better than it initially looks on the screen, it is just ok. It tends to produce pictures that are warmer (more yellow). The camera placement also takes some getting used to. The selfie camera is best in portrait mode and really takes some getting used to when used in landscape. Also, when taking a selfie, the image flips so that the picture is not a true representation. Again, for a tablet that is shown being used to create content I expected more. Using the iPad Air to take notes or draw on is an enjoyable experience. I use Sketchbook and Adobe and the apps seem to work and perform better on the iPad. I like the Apple Pencil more as an input device. It definitely feels more like a pencil or pen because of its' size, but is heavier than what I am used to using. I wish that Apple had made the texture more like the rubberized feeling S pen, but for size and screen contact, the iPad wins. The Pencil also has stronger magnets that hold it to the tablet more securely. I also like that the Pencil attaches to the top of the top/right side of the tablet. The double tap feature is another thing that I really like about the Pencil. The Pencil is not included with the iPad Air, so I had to spend an extra $130.00. As someone who needs the functionality the Pencil provide this was not an option. While there are less expensive pencil options, the mixed reviews caused me to pass on them. Battery life is also good. In the limited time I have been using the iPad Air I have not been able to deplete the battery. I can listen to music or podcasts while taking notes or drawing and still end up with a 40% charge at the end of the day. Something else I really like is the size of the widgets. The space required for each of the ones I use allows for better placement on the screen. I never thought I would have said that Apple allows for better customization, but it does on this tablet. I really like the iPad Air. It syncs flawlessly with my Mac Mini and MacBook Air. I can use it as an extra screen via Sidecar. It also functions as a drawing tablet while I work in Photoshop or Lightroom. These are benefits I cannot have with a non Apple tablet so I have to take that into consideration when reviewing this device. The initial cost plus the added cost needed to allow it to function for my needs made me want look at the iPad Air more critically. And to an extent I have. The added functionality though make it a great value for me. One final thing. If I did not need the integration I would have happily stayed with the Tab S7.

I am liking the iPad Air (5th generation) a lot. I was wanting a replacement for my iPad Pro 9.7” and this is a good option. I like the blue color. The picture and sound quality are good. Size is similar and the biggest difference is Touch ID is now on the power button and the charging port is USB-C. The onscreen touch keyboard is slightly different and more like a computer keyboard with words instead of arrows for caps lock and backspace/delete. The camera is perfectly fine for an iPad, but I don’t use my iPad for taking photos, which is a main reason why I went with the Air instead of one of the Pro models. The battery life has been great, which was another reason why I got a new iPad. The price might seem a bit steep, but most people keep their tablets a lot longer than smartphones, so if you keep a 256GB iPad Air 5 for 3+ years then it’s not so bad. So far, I recommend this iPad if you don’t need the top of the line camera or extra large screen for graphics work.

Great Price for Apple through Best Buy. Needed for portability, battery life exceptional and screen vivid and sharp. Needed wiFi and connection excellent - processor speed very good. Compared to the 11" and did not need the enhanced camera options on other models. Mostly used for light streaming and light general business applications.

No it’s not the best Apple has to offer. However it does come close to it. The reality is that the only things that separate this iPad Air from the iPad Pro is it has a USB-C port vs a thunderbolt port, it’s 60 Hz refresh rate bs 120Hz on the Pro, and the camera is a single lens 12mp instaead of triple lenses with the Pro. I weighed these differences before I made this purchase and while the Pro does offer some nice upgrades the loss of these really doesn’t affect me much at all. I really don’t use the camera on my iPad, I use my iPhone which is much better to use. I’m really not a gamer to the extent that the 120Hz refresh rate would be of much benefit and this iPad works just fine without it. And I don’t transfer large files that need to be quickly moved. In essence Insaved allot of money by going with the Air, especially buying it on sale. And the M1 chip is way more power and efficient than one could ever imagine and is the same M1 chip as was Putin the Pro. It’s fast in all the tasks I perform even some video editing. The screen is fantastic with the True Tone and P3 Color Gamut. And the size of it is the sweet spot when it comes to tablets. Id definitely recommend this tablet to anyone.

Amazingly fast M2 processor is massive overkill for a tablet running a mobile OS. Superb build quality. No headphone jack still annoys me - bluetooth sound quality can't match wired and I shouldn't have to carry a ridiculous dongle to get proper high fidelity. Camera should be better for the price.

Love this iPad I have a pro in the family and this one and there’s really no difference in speed in. The only difference I’ve noticed of course is the face ID and the cameras but we seldom use the cameras on the iPads anyway so if you really want to save some bucks I would buy this one just as nice.

The IPad Air is honestly amazing. The camera isn’t as good as an iPhone camera, but the 10.9 size is perfect. I use the notability app to manage crochet patterns and work schedule. I love the light purple color and the vase I got along side it.

Performs as advertised, first tablet I have owned, fast, plenty of storage, great picture, camera isn’t as good as my 13 pro but it’s not terrible either, overall I am extremely satisfied with my purchasr

Overall solid tablet with the performance near to a pro, missing a couple features ( not necessary for most) , also would of been nice if this tablet had a flash for the camera … maybe next year apple maybe next year ….

Fantastic device! All the power of a Pro at the price point of an Air. This thing is perfect for all my creative projects. The only thing really missing is the Pro motion display and maybe an upgraded camera

It is what you expect from Apple, and it connects really well with my phone and computer. So far so good with all the apps and connectivity. I did not need the camera, thus I thought it was a better option than the pro.

Fantastic product. The shade is a little lighter than shown in the image. Am not a power user, but works great so far. The camera is not that great but that's not the key feature of this product.

Better than expected product but the autocorrect with apple is really annoying and the camera is subpar.

I’m happy with my IPad. I was given the wrong color but left it alone. Had a had someone else selling it to me, I may have chosen the IPad Pro for the better camera.

Too good. A good alternate for iPad pro with M1 chip, if you don’t use the camera much.

I know when you buy an iPad. The main thing isn’t about the camera, but that is a big turn off when I got this one and the pro. The cameras just aren’t up to par.