iPad Air vs iPad Air 5th Gen

Name: Apple iPad Air
Brand: Apple
SKU: apple-ipad-air
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.6 (7 reviews)

Guide

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Guide

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Swappasaurus says...

The iPad Air (1st gen) was released in November 2013, and the iPad Air (5th gen) was released in March 2022. The 5th gen iPad Air's specs are dramatically improved as compared to the 1st gen iPad Air, with specs including a 10.9” Liquid Retina display with True Tone, an Apple M1 chip, up to 256GB of storage, USB-C, and a 12MP ultra-wide-angle front camera with Center Stage. The 5th gen iPad Air also supports a variety of accessories including the Apple Magic Keyboard and the 2nd gen Apple Pencil.

Price Comparison

iPad Air

Low price:

$51

Avg price:

$75

How much does iPad Air cost?

iPad Air 5th Gen

Low price:

$391

Avg price:

$501

What's the best iPad Air 5th Gen price?

iPad Air vs iPad Air 5th Gen Pricing

iPad Air prices start at $51, which is cheaper than the iPad Air 5th Gen low price of $391.

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Specs Comparison

Key features of the 1st gen iPad Air (1st gen) include a 9.7” Retina display, an Apple A7 chip, up to 128GB of storage, a Lightning connector, stereo speakers, a front-facing 1.2MP FaceTime HD camera, and a rear-facing 5MP wide-angle camera. In comparison, the key features of the 5th gen iPad Air include a 10.9” Liquid Retina display with True Tone technology, an Apple M1 chip, up to 256GB of storage, landscape stereo speakers, USB-C, a 12MP ultra-wide-angle camera on the front with Center Stage, and a 12MP wide-angle camera on the back. The iPad Air (5th gen) also has Touch ID in the top power button and supports the Apple Magic Keyboard, Smart Keyboard Folio, and the 2nd-generation Apple Pencil.

Size

The iPad Air (1st gen) measurements 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. To compare, the iPad Air (5th gen) measures 9.74” (H) x 7.02” (W) x 0.24” (D). The WiFi-only iPad Air (5th gen) model weighs 1.02 pounds, and the WiFi + Cellular model weighs 1.02 pounds. The iPad Air (1st gen) features a 9.7” display size, and the iPad Air (5th gen) features a 10.9” display size.

Camera

The iPad Air (1st gen) features a 5MP wide-angle rear camera and a 1.2MP FaceTime HD front camera. In comparison, the iPad Air (5th gen) features a 12MP wide-angle rear camera and a 12MP ultra-wide-angle front camera with support for Center Stage.

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Color Choices

iPad Air

Available in 2 colors:

Gray
Silver

Which iPad Air color should you buy?

iPad Air 5th Gen

Available in 5 colors:

Blue
Gray
Pink
Purple
Starlight

Which color iPad Air 5th Gen is the most popular?

iPad Air vs iPad Air 5th Gen Colors

The iPad Air introduces four new colors not found in the iPad Air 5th Gen color palette: Blue, Starlight, Pink, and Purple. Both the iPad Air and iPad Air 5th Gen share one color: Gray. However, the iPad Air does away with Silver, previously seen on the iPad Air 5th Gen.

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The iPad Air (1st gen) is available in Space Gray with a black bezel on the front and Silver with a white bezel on the front. In comparison, the iPad Air (5th gen) is available in five colors, which include Space Gray, Starlight, Pink, Purple, and Blue.

Storage Options

iPad Air

Choose from 4 storage options:

16GB
32GB
64GB
128GB

Which iPad Air storage should I buy?

iPad Air 5th Gen

Choose from 2 storage options:

64GB
256GB

Which storage iPad Air 5th Gen is the most popular?

iPad Air vs iPad Air 5th Gen Storage

The iPad Air 5th Gen introduces one new storage option not found on the iPad Air: 256GB. Both the iPad Air and iPad Air 5th Gen share one storage option: 64GB. However, the iPad Air 5th Gen does not have options for 32GB, 128GB, and 16GB, as seen on the iPad Air.

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The iPad Air (1st gen) storage options include 16GB, 32GB, and 128GB. The storage options for the iPad Air (5th gen) are 64GB and 256GB.