The speed at which Apple iPads have improved over the years is nothing short of incredible. Apple has taken the performance of the iPad to a level that far exceeds what any flagship Android tablet has ever offered. In other words, the only tablet that can beat an iPad is another iPad. Apple currently offers a range of iPads that starts at Rs 45,000 and goes up to Rs 1,28,000. Right now, you can’t go wrong with choosing any iPad model. Last year, the iPad Air 2022 with the M1 chip was easily the best iPad for most people. But is it still the best iPad for most people in 2023?
Launching in March 2022, the iPad Air (5th generation) is the perfect middle-ground for those looking for a pro-grade tablet without shelling out big bucks. I managed to pick up the iPad Air just before it got the price hike in India. While the current starting price of the tablet is around Rs 59,900, you can buy it for around Rs 52,000 during the festive season sale. I’ve had a good five months with the Air and it’s easily the best tech purchase I’ve made in 2022.
What I like about iPad Air 2022
All iPad models now look more or less the same. You won’t be able to tell the difference between the 10.9-inch entry-level iPad and the 11-inch iPad Pro, at least from the front. it’s great because it Makes you feel less jealous than more expensive Pro models, So, with the 10.9-inch iPad Air, you get a design that’s not only identical to the 11-inch iPad Pro model, but also a few grams lighter (it is an Air, after all).
I really like the ergonomic design of the 2022 iPad Air. Its 10.9-inch display is just the right kind of big and bezel-less to make watching videos a pleasure. Pair this with clear and loud stereo speakers and you have the perfect travel entertainment device. The overall form factor and weight of the tablet is perfect to hold in your hand without any strain. it’s a device convenient to carry on the go And a space saver in any bag you carry.
My confidence in taking the iPad Air while traveling stems from the fact that it has a solid battery life Which manages to last for two days on intensive usage. Although more often than not, I do not use the iPad for intensive workloads. I use it to stream movies/shows, answer emails, edit on WordPress, etc. while on the go. None of these tasks drain the battery in a major way, which means I can easily get 3-5 days on a single charge.
I do not need to stress the fact that The M1 chipset is absolutely stellar when it comes to performing day-to-day tasks. There was never any doubt about it. If it can power Apple’s MacBook laptops, then powering an iPad is a walk in the park for it. Everything runs very smoothly on the iPad Air, multitasking is a breeze, and it can run even the most graphically challenging games available on the App Store without breaking a sweat (though gaming does consume a lot of battery and can run a bit hot now). does). There’s no slowdown even after a year, and I can safely say the M1 iPad Air has a few more years before it shows signs of ageing.
What I don’t like about the iPad Air 2022
The iPad Air M1 holds up pretty well after a year but it’s not fair to say that. There are few things I can think of that stop it from being the go-to tablet for everyone. First of all, its Starting price in India (Rs 59,900) is high For the average tablet buyer. To make matters worse, you only get 64GB of internal storage for that base price. This is clearly not enough for professional users who like to save lots of heavy files on their devices.
The 256GB variant costs Rs 74,900, which is just Rs 7,000 less than the 128GB iPad Pro 11-inch with the better M2 processor. You see the dilemma here, don’t you? The cost of owning the iPad Air M1 goes up far more if you go for accessories like the keyboard and Apple Pencil. You are talking about spending around Rs 1 lakh in that case, and hence the MacBook Air becomes more attractive.
The other problem with the iPad Air M1 is iPadOS still limits it to tablets rather than computers. While Apple is slowly trying to make the iPad feel more like a computer, iPadOS pretty much reminds you that you don’t have the freedom to resize windows, or keep multiple apps open smoothly in the background, or run macOS apps. (which it ideally should be able to do since the hardware is practically identical to the MacBook Air M1).
We are entering the second quarter of 2023 and rumors suggest that Apple will launch some new iPad Pro models later this year and possibly a new iPad mini as well. Until these new devices come out, it’s safe to say that the iPad Air M1 that launched a year ago remains the best iPad for most people.
