Apple “iPad Air (5th generation)” (Prices from 74,800 yen. Type cover and pen sold separately)
On March 18, Apple released the “iPad Air (5th Gen)” equipped with the “Apple M1 chip” in the SoC. This is the second iPad series with Apple M1 after the iPad Pro.
The cheapest model of the iPad Pro is 94,800 yen, the cheapest model of the “Mac mini” is 79,800 yen, and the cheapest model of the “MacBook Air” is 115,280 yen, so the cheapest model is 74,800 yen. The cheapest Apple M1 powered device.
This time, let’s see how the ease of use is different from the iPad Pro, and whether there is a difference in performance.
iPad Air Specifications
iPad Air uses iPad OS 15 as OS and Apple M1 chip (8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine with high-performance core x 4 + high-efficiency core x 4) as described above for SoC. It has 8GB of RAM and 64GB or 256GB of storage.
The display adopts a 10.9-inch IPS LCD (2,360 x 1,640 dots, 264ppi, 60Hz, brightness 500cd/㎡, P3, contrast ratio undisclosed, anti-reflection, compatible with the second-generation Apple Pencil), named “Liquid Retina display”. .. The camera has a built-in wide-angle camera (12MP, F1.8, 29mm) on the back and an ultra-wide-angle camera (12MP, F2.4, 14mm, 122-degree viewing angle) on the front.
Like the rest of the iPad series, a Wi-Fi version and a Wi-Fi + Cellular version are available. The Wi-Fi + Cellular version is 5G compatible and can use Nano SIM cards and eSIMs. The Bluetooth version is 5.0.
The physical interface is equipped with USB Type-C (charging, DisplayPort, USB 3.1). The previous model was USB 3.0 with a maximum of 5 Gbps, while this model is a USB 3.1 with a maximum of 10 Gbps, which improves the communication speed with external devices.
The body measures approximately 178.5 x 6.1 x 247.6 mm (W x D x H) and weighs 461 grams for the Wi-Fi model and 462 grams for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model. It has a built-in 28.6Wh battery, which is said to last up to 10 hours when surfing the Internet/video via Wi-Fi, and up to 9 hours when using the Internet via mobile data communication.
Unfortunately, only 64GB and 256GB of storage are available. Since it comes with an Apple M1, I want a model with at least 512GB.
| [Table 1]iPad Air (5th generation) specifications | |
|---|---|
| Product name | iPad Air (5th generation) |
| you | iPadOS 15 |
| CPU | Apple M1 chip (8-core CPU, 4 high-performance cores + 4 high-efficiency cores, 8-core GPU, 16-core neural engine) |
| memory | 8GB |
| storage | 64GB, 256GB |
| exhibit | Liquid Retina display (10.9 inches, 2,360 x 1,640 dots, 264ppi, 60Hz, brightness 500cd/sqm, P3, contrast ratio undisclosed, anti-reflective, compatible with 2nd gen Apple Pencil) |
| communication | Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Wan | 5G |
| interface | USB Type-C (charging, DisplayPort, USB 3.1) |
| camera | Wide-angle rear camera (12MP, F1.8, 29mm), ultra-wide-angle front camera (12MP, F2.4, 14mm, 122-degree viewing angle) |
| battery capacity | 28.6Wh |
| Battery Life | Wi-Fi internet/video playback: up to 10 hours, mobile data internet: up to 9 hours |
| battery charging time | unpublished |
| Body Dimensions (WxDxH) | Approx. 178.5 x 6.1 x 247.6 mm (W x D x H) |
| weight | Wi-Fi Model: 461g, Wi-Fi + Cellular Model: 462g |
| Safety | Touch ID (fingerprint authentication) |
| application | App Store, Books, Calendar, Camera, Clock, Contacts, FaceTime, Files, Find, Home, iTunes Store, Magnifier, Email, Maps, Measure, Messages, Music, Notes, Photo Booth, Photos, Podcasts, Reminders, Safari , Settings, Shortcuts, Siri, Stocks, Tips, Translate, TV, Voice Memos, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, iMovie, GarageBand, Apple Store, Trailers, Clips, Swift Playgrounds, Support |
| same product | iPad Air, USB-C Charging Cable (1m), 20W USB-C Power Adapter, Instructions (Quick Start Guide, Safety and Operation, SIM Pin, Sticker) |
| colour | space gray, starlight, pink, purple, blue |
| Price | 64GB/Wi-Fi version: 74,800 yen 64GB/Wi-Fi+Cellular version: 92,800 yen 256GB/Wi-Fi version: 92,800 yen 256GB/Wi-Fi+Cellular version: 110,800 yen |
iPad Air offers nearly the same performance as iPad Pro
In terms of performance, I compared it to the 12.9-inch iPad Pro (5th generation) and the “iPhone 13 Pro Max” with the Apple A15 Bionic. Although the iPhone 13 Pro Max is not a tablet terminal, it is not an “iPad mini (6th generation)” with the same SoC, but is a reference measurement.
| 【Table 3】Verifier specifications and benchmark test results | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Product name | iPad Air (5th generation) | 12.9-inch iPad Pro (5th generation) | iPhone 13 Pro |
| system-on-chip | Apple M1 | Apple M1 | Apple A15 Bionic |
| CPU | High Performance Core x 4 + High Efficiency Core x 4 | High Performance Core x 4 + High Efficiency Core x 4 | High Performance Core x 2 + High Efficiency Core x 4 |
| graphics processor | 8 cores | 8 cores | 5 cores |
| Neural Engine | 16 cores | 16 cores | 16 cores |
| memory | 8GB | 16 GB | 6GB |
| strategy | 256GB | 1TB | 1TB |
| you | iPadOS 15.4 | iPadOS 15.4 | iOS 15.4 |
| AnTuTu benchmark V9.0.9 | |||
| all | 108,8299 | 127,4024 | 85,0046 |
| CPU | 254,440 | 260,429 | 220,607 |
| graphics processor | 549,004 | 633,983 | 330,037 |
| Memory | 144,405 | 221,291 | 162,211 |
| user experience | 140,450 | 158,321 | 137,191 |
| Geekbench 5.4.4 | |||
| single core score | 1,722 | 1,715 | 1,753 |
| multicore score | 7,095 | 7,196 | 4,924 |
| Calculation (Metal) | 21,677 | 21,359 | 14,942 |
| Geekbench ML | |||
| TensorFlow Lite CPU Score | 959 | 1,029 | 955 |
| 3DMark Wildlife Extreme | |||
| total score | 5,022 | 5,113 | 3,016 |
| average frame rate | 30.1fps | 30.6fps | 18.1fps |
| Basemark Metal Free 1.0.7 | |||
| comprehensive | 6,741 | 6,638 | 4,357 |
| lightning | 83 | 83 | 87 |
| calculate | 90 | 92 | 90 |
| instantiate | 99 | 97 | 98 |
| post processing | 88 | 91 | 89 |
| JazzDiskBench | |||
| sequential read | 1,333.33MB/sec | 2,723.40MB/sec | 817.89MB/sec |
| sequential write | 2,000.00MB/sec | 2,081.30MB/sec | 1015.87MB/sec |
| Random (4K) reads | 33.44MB/sec | 43.24MB/sec | 27.28MB/sec |
| Random (4K) writes | 26.59MB/sec | 31.97MB/sec | 18.80MB/sec |
| Copy files from external storage to internal storage | |||
| 10GB (5 files) | 25 seconds 69 (USB 3.1 connected to SSD) | 10 seconds 87 (Thunderbolt 3 with SSD) | – |
| Export 4K video in real time with iMovie | |||
| 3,840 x 2,160 dots, 29.97fps | 2:57.23 | 2:55.09 | 3:18.83 |
| OS startup time | |||
| until the password input screen is displayed | 13 seconds 72 | 16 seconds 21 | 17 seconds 15 |
| Startup time of NEW STATE MOBILE | |||
| until “Click to start” is displayed | 15 seconds 58 | 13 seconds 59 | 15 seconds 79 |
| Action time for continuous YouTube video playback | |||
| Display brightness 50%, volume 50% | 10 hours 20 minutes 18 seconds | 8 hours 18 minutes 34 seconds | 18 hours 15 minutes 33 seconds |
| Measuring Communication Speed with iPerf 3 | |||
| download speed | 868Mbps | 870Mbps | 868Mbps |
* Use “SSD-PH1.0U3-BA” for USB 3.1 connection to SSD, and “Portable SSD X5 MU-P85008” for Thunderbolt 3 connection to SSD.
First of all, in terms of CPU performance, the iPad Air’s score is almost the same as the iPad Pro, although slightly lower than the iPad Pro, with AnTuTu Benchmark CPU around 98% and Geekbench 5 Multi-Core Score around 99%. .. In terms of 3D performance, 3DMark Wild Life Extreme scores around 98% and Basemark Metal Free scores around 102%.
Even when compared to the actual app, iMovie measured a real-time export of 4K video at 5 minutes, but the iPad Air was 2 minutes 57 seconds 23 and the iPad Pro 2 was only around 2 minutes 55 seconds 09 minutes 55 seconds 09. Just over 2 seconds. It can be said that the performance of the iPad Air is almost the same as that of the iPad Pro.
I’m a little concerned about the storage speed. Using JazzDiskBench’s Sequential Read, the iPad Air was 1,333.33MB/s and the iPad Pro was 2,723.40MB/s, about half the speed. iPad Air and iPad Pro or each capacity may use different performance storage.
The difference in time required to copy files from external storage to internal storage is within the expected range. iPad Air is connected to USB 3.1 to SSD “SSD-PH1.0U3-BA”, iPad Pro is connected to Thunderbolt 3 to SSD “Portable SSD X5 MU-P85008”. , using 2.36 times the iPad Air. However, if you can copy 10GB (5 files) in 25.69 seconds, that’s a practical speed for taking photos and videos.
The run time for continuous YouTube video playback was 10 hours, 20 minutes and 18 seconds, which is 1.24 times that of the iPad Pro. Measurements were made with the same display at 50% brightness and 50% volume, but the iPad Pro may not work well in this condition because the original brightness is high. If you match the actual brightness exactly, rather than the brightness percentage, that should reduce the difference in runtime.
I wish the iPad Air and iPad Pro had night mode
The iPad Air has a small number of cameras, but the image quality is quite high. As expected, the difference can be seen by zooming in on the photos taken with the iPhone 13 Pro Max. But even if you compare them on a 27-inch screen, at least for photos taken during the day, it’s hard to tell the difference.
Still, it’s a far cry from the iPhone 13 Pro Max, which has Night Mode, when it comes to shooting night scenes. I don’t think there’s a reason why the iPad Air and iPad Pro with the Apple M1 can’t have night mode, although the Mi Pad 5, which can be purchased for 43,780 yen, does. Please generously introduce the technically achievable functions, so that the device can be used as long as possible.
The iPad Air features a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle front-facing camera that supports “midframe,” a feature that keeps people inside the frame. All iPads now support the center frame feature. The picture quality on the front-facing camera itself is excellent, bright even in indoor light, and captures natural-looking colors. Coupled with the mid-frame function, there is no doubt that it is a perfect network conferencing device.
Shot with wide-angle camera (1x)
A great value-for-money product for those who want to split the functionality while sticking to processing performance
The iPad Air, powered by Apple’s M1, has evolved into a model that’s closer to the iPad Pro, but differs in a number of specs. However, the performance in practical applications is about the same.
Regardless of security, there is no “Face ID while wearing a mask” feature on the iPad Pro now, and Touch ID is easier to use. For users who focus on processing performance, but the functions can be divided to a certain extent, the iPad Air can be said to be an excellent cost-effective product.
