iPad Air 5 revealed: Apple adds the M1 chip and 5G to its best all-around tablet

iPad Air 5
(Image credit: Apple)

Following on massive overhaul for the iPad Air (2020), there was some question as to how much of an upgrade the iPad Pro Jr. would get this time around and while we'll need to get it in for review for a final answer, it certainly looks promising. 

For fans of a cellular iPad, the addition of 5G is a big step in closing the gap with the current iPad Pro models and along with it the introduction of the M1 chip to iPad Air makes this tablet a true potential laptop replacement for some users.

Here's everything you need to know about the iPad Air 5 announced today at the Apple March event.

iPad Air 5 price and availability

The iPad Air 5 holds on to the $599 starting price of its predecessor, but unfortunately, it also retains the 64GB base storage. Users can upgrade to 256GB if they need more storage or add 5G for $729. You will be able to pre-order the iPad Air 5 starting on March 11.

iPad Air 5

(Image credit: Apple)

iPad Air 5 specs and features

The iPad Air 5 adds two of the biggest advantages of the iPad Pro to the Air lineup with the introduction of the M1 processor and 5G. While the design of the tablet remains the same, the internal upgrades more than make up for the lack of external changes.

On the back, you still have a single 12MP camera and while the USB-C port remains, it now offers double the speed of the previous model for far faster file transfers. 

iPad Air 5

(Image credit: Apple)

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Sean Riley

Sean Riley has been covering tech professionally for over a decade now. Most of that time was as a freelancer covering varied topics including phones, wearables, tablets, smart home devices, laptops, AR, VR, mobile payments, fintech, and more.  Sean is the resident mobile expert at Laptop Mag, specializing in phones and wearables, you'll find plenty of news, reviews, how-to, and opinion pieces on these subjects from him here. But Laptop Mag has also proven a perfect fit for that broad range of interests with reviews and news on the latest laptops, VR games, and computer accessories along with coverage on everything from NFTs to cybersecurity and more.