The fifth-generation iPad Air will arrive with some meaningful upgrades such as support for 5G connectivity and a faster A15 Bionic chipset, according to a new report. The iPad Air 4 made its debut back in September of 2020, rocking an all-new design inspired by the iPad Pro models. It ditched the thick bezels and the fingerprint sensor embedded in the home button in favor of thin bezels on all sides and a Touch ID button on the top.
Priced at $599, the iPad Air 4 offers a lot. It comes armed with the A14 Bionic chip that also powered the iPhone 12 quartet. Its 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display is quite impressive, the 12-megapixel rear camera is a welcome upgrade, and the decision to go with a USB-C port makes a big difference. With the iPad Pro and iPad mini getting their own major upgrades last year, it was time for the iPad Air to get some neat generation-over-over improvements as well.
According to Macotakara, the next iPad Air won’t offer anything new in the aesthetic department. While it’s not surprising to see Apple continue to use the same design for at least a couple of generations, the fourth-gen iPad Air is a sleek tablet with a solid build and there are vibrant colors to choose from. There were some rumors claiming that the iPad Air 5 might feature a dual rear camera setup, but the new report claims that Apple is sticking with a single rear camera for the upcoming iPad Air. The report also adds that the tablet might make its debut alongside the iPhone SE 3 in the Spring of 2022. Interestingly, the iPhone SE 3 is not getting a design makeover either, at lease according to credible sources like Bloomberg and TFI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Upgrades Where They Matter
While the design reportedly remains unchanged, iPad Air 5 is said to come with some meaningful upgrades. For example, the iPad Air 5 is reported to be powered by an A15 Bionic chip, the same silicon that is at the heart of Apple’s iPhone 13 smartphone lineup. If correct, the iPad Air 5 won’t leave buyers clamoring for more firepower for at least the next couple of years. In addition, the iPad Air 5 is also said to offer support for 5G. To recall, Apple extended the same cellular connectivity courtesy to the redesigned iPad mini that hit store shelves late last year.
Finally, the report also notes that the iPad Air 5 will get a front-facing camera upgrade in the form of a 12-megapixel ultrawide-angle camera, up from the 7-megapixel selfie snapper on the current-gen iPad Air. Aside from a boost in the megapixel figures, the front camera also gains support for Apple’s Center Stage, allowing the option to automatically adjust the iPad Air camera’s field of view to keep users at the center of the frame as they move around during a video call.
