Hands-On With the New M1 iPad Air

The new iPad Air with an M1 chip is available for purchase. To find out if the iPad Pro is right for you, we picked one up and compared it to the iPad.

The fifth-generation iPad Air looks like the fourth-generation iPad Air, with the exception of the colors. You can get the new model in purple and a new shade of blue, along with pink, starlight, and space gray.

The iPad Air features the same all-display design with a Touch ID Power Button, and there are no other visual updates. One of the main differences between the Air and Pro iPad lines is the lack of 120Hz ProMotion support. If you have never had ProMotion, the lack of it on the iPad Air can be confusing.

There are internal changes, though Apple did not change the look of the iPad Air. The iPad Air uses the same chip as the iPad Pro in terms of performance. The iPad Pro will get an update with a faster chip later this year, so you won't see any speed differences between the two lines.

Center Stage, the feature that keeps you in frame, is supported by the new 12-megapixel Ultra Wide front-facing camera.

The iPad Air does not work with the fastest 5G networks because it is sub- 6 GHz. The faster 5G network does work with the iPad Pro.

If you have the previous-generation iPad Air or the last two iPad Pro models, it will not be worth the upgrade.

If you want to get the next-generation iPad Pro, you need to hold out for the ProMotion display, Face ID, and 5GmmWave connectivity.

Did you pick up an iPad Air? Let us know what you think.