iPad Air vs iPad Air 4th Gen

Swappasaurus says...
Apple released the iPad Air (1st gen) in November 2013, and released the iPad Air (4th gen) in October 2020. The iPad Air (4th gen) has several notable improvements over the original iPad Air (1st gen). Improvements include a new exterior design with new colors, a 10.9” Liquid Retina display with True Tone, an Apple A14 Bionic chip, Touch ID in the power button, USB-C, and more.
Price Comparison
iPad Air vs iPad Air 4th Gen Pricing
Specs Comparison
The iPad Air (1st gen) features include a 9.7” Retina display, an Apple A7 chip, up to 128GB of storage, a Lightning connector, a 1.2MP FaceTime HD camera on the front, and a 5MP wide-angle camera on the back. To compare, the iPad Air (4th gen) specs include a 10.9” Liquid Retina display with True Tone technology, an Apple A14 Bionic chip with Neural Engine, up to 256GB of storage, landscape stereo speakers, USB-C, a 7MP FaceTime HD camera on the front, and a 12MP wide-angle camera on the back. The 4th gen iPad Air also features Touch ID in the top power button and supports the 2nd-generation Apple Pencil, Apple Magic Keyboard, and the Smart Keyboard Folio.
Size | iPad Air | iPad Air 4th Gen |
---|---|---|
Width | 179 mm 7.0 inches | |
Height | 248 mm 9.8 inches | |
Depth | 6 mm 0.2 inches | |
Weight | 460 g 16.2 ounces |
Measurements for the iPad Air (1st gen) are as follows: 9.4” (H) x 6.6” (W) x 0.29” (D), with the WiFi-only model weighing 1 pound. The WiFi + Cellular iPad Air (1st gen) weighs 1.05 pounds. In comparison, the measurements for the iPad Air (4th gen) are as follows: 9.74” (H) x 7.02” (W) x 0.24” (D), with the WiFi-only model weighing 1 pound. The WiFi + Cellular iPad Air (4th gen) weighs 1.01 pounds. The iPad Air (1st gen) has a 9.7” display size, and the iPad Air (4th gen) has a 10.9” display size.
Camera | iPad Air | iPad Air 4th Gen |
---|---|---|
Primary | 12.0 MP | |
Resolution | 4000x3000 |
The iPad Air (1st gen) has a 5MP wide-angle camera on the back and a 1.2MP FaceTime HD camera on the front. In comparison, the iPad Air (4th gen) has a 12MP wide-angle camera on the back and a 7MP FaceTime HD camera on the front.
Display | iPad Air | iPad Air 4th Gen |
---|---|---|
Resolution | 1640x2360 | |
Screen Size | 276 mm 10.9 in | |
Pixels Per Inch | ppi | 264 ppi |
The iPad Air (1st gen) has a 9.7-inch LED-backlit multi-touch Retina display with IPS technology. Features for the 1st gen iPad Air display include a native resolution of 2048 x 1536 at 264 pixels per inch, an SDR max brightness of 400 nits, and a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating. In comparison, the iPad Air (4th gen) has a 10.9-inch LED-backlit multi-touch Retina display with IPS technology. Features for the 4th gen iPad Air display include a native resolution of 2360 x 1640 at 264 pixels per inch, an SDR max brightness of 500 nits, and a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating. Additional features for the 4th gen iPad Air display include True Tone, wide color (P3), a fully laminated display, and an anti-reflective coating.
Battery | iPad Air | iPad Air 4th Gen |
---|---|---|
Capacity | mAh | 7526 mAh |
Longevity | hours | 9 hours |
USB | USB-C |
The iPad Air (1st gen) is powered by an 8,820 mAh battery and the iPad Air (4th gen) is powered by a 7,540 mAh battery. The battery capacities of the 1st gen and 4th gen iPad Air allow for up to 10 hours of battery life when on WiFi or up to 9 hours of battery life when on cellular. The iPad Air (1st gen) uses the Lightning connector paired with a Lightning to USB charging cable, and the iPad Air (4th gen) uses the USB-C connector paired with a USB-C charging cable.
Color Choices
iPad Air 4th Gen
Available in 5 colors:
-
Gray
-
Green
-
Rose Gold
-
Silver
-
Sky Blue
iPad Air vs iPad Air 4th Gen Colors

The iPad Air (1st gen) is available in Space Gray and Silver. The Space Gray model has a black bezel on the front and the Silver model has a white bezel on the front. In comparison, the iPad Air (4th gen) is available in Space Gray, Silver, Rose Gold, Sky Blue, and Green.
Storage Options
iPad Air 4th Gen
Choose from 2 storage options:
-
64GB
-
256GB
iPad Air vs iPad Air 4th Gen Storage

Storage options for the iPad Air (1st gen) include 16GB, 32GB, and 128GB. The storage options for the iPad Air (4th gen) include 64GB and 256GB.
iPad Air vs iPad Air 4th Gen Reviews
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