iPad Air 2022 vs. iPad Pro: Making Sense of Apple's iPad Lineup
Tablets
Speaker 1: Apple's got one new iPad, the iPad air, and it's been updated with some things that make it seem basically like an iPad pro, is this the one to get well, let's step back from the apple event and look at all the other iPads that apple has and figure out where the iPad is at 2022.
Speaker 1: Well, March, 2022, I should say because there are gonna be more iPads coming at some point, but apple did not update the iPad pro, which has an [00:00:30] M one processor and a lot of other bells and whistles, but the iPad air, which looks a lot like the iPad pro and cost less got the M one processor that's Apple's chip that was on the MacBook and a lot of their other max. And it's a super fast chip that alone could make it really good for future proofing your iPad. If you're interested in paying up from a budget model, by keep in mind that iPad OS is not as super versatile in the same way as a Mac, it's got its own tricks and interesting qualities and it keeps improving, [00:01:00] but it's not the same thing as a laptop. So for me, I feel like the software elements are the things that need the most improvement.
Speaker 1: The performance on iPads has already been pretty great. The M one is the big thing that the iPad error got it also got 5g. Now that 5g is not millimeter wave it's sub six, if you're looking for the nuances on that, but it is a step up in terms of what the LTE version had previously. And it also has a new feature on the front facing camera, which is on all the other iPads called center [00:01:30] stage, which is an ultra wide camera. And it digitally zooms in and follows you when you're making calls, but it doesn't make your calls look centered. If you are an iPad user, like I am use zoom a lot and you're wondering, oh, why am I a little off angle? When I make calls in landscape mode? That's because the iPad has its camera off on the narrow edge, where it should be, I think is on the long edge, like a laptop.
Speaker 1: They haven't changed that if you haven't been follow [00:02:00] with the iPad, air's been up to fall 2020, introduced a whole new look for it, which was like the iPad pro it had some new smart connector design for attaching things like the magic keyboard and other accessories. It worked with the second generation apple pencil snapping onto the top. It has USBC, which is great. It also had less Beel on the sides, although not completely no bezel. And it moved the ID button off to the power button on the side. That's still really cool. That's exactly the way it is on the [00:02:30] new iPad air. Basically, the design is the same, the processor and the 5g part are the things that would merit the upgrade. Also keep in mind the storage equation hasn't changed 64 gigabytes for the base storage. You can pay up for 256 gigabytes.
Speaker 1: That's where the equation gets a little weird because apple loves to kind of incrementally guide you up the path from one product to another till you're all the way at the top. And this is only by degrees different in price. If you map [00:03:00] out the storage 5 99 is the entry point for the iPad air, but with only 64 gigabytes of storage, that's not really enough for me to really live with, especially on a high end iPad, which means I'm gonna go up to the 2 56 version, which is seven 50. Now, if you're paying $750 for the iPad air, the 11 inch iPad pro starts eight, $800. That only has 1 28 gigabytes of storage. Then you're thinking maybe [00:03:30] do I wanna upgrade to the next version, which has even more storage. And so it goes, but that's the thing. If you're upgrading to the point where I think is the starting point at the pet air, realistically, the 2 56, then you're kind of comparing against the $50 gap to the iPad pro, which also drops down in storage a bit.
Speaker 1: I still feel like the iPad air is the way to go for a lot of people, but I really wish that it had bumped up to 1 28 gigabytes of storage on the base model, which is a very good number to start [00:04:00] with. I feel like 64 is cutting it close, and if you're paying $600 for an iPad, you don't want to cut it close. So that's my take on the iPad air, iPad pro situation. And it's also really hard to judge because the iPad pro feels it gets between versions. And inevitably there will be a new version. Maybe that's coming this year and maybe you don't wanna miss out on that as well. Also, if you wanna get 5g capabilities, you also have to pay an extra $130 on the iPad air [00:04:30] that doesn't come built in the things that the iPad air doesn't have, that the iPad pro still has.
Speaker 1: There's actually a bunch, the display pretty much the same, although the iPad pro has pro promotion, which is that faster refresh rate, smoother scrolling, and the 12 inch iPad pro also has mini L E D. The equation hasn't changed on the display on the iPad air model. There's no face ID, which you might like. So it has touch ID on the side. Actually, I wish that touch ID button made [00:05:00] it over to other or iPad models and iPhones too. There's also a difference in the speed and throughput on the, uh, USBC port. This is USBC, the iPad pro is Thunderbolt. So it's actually faster for transferring large amounts of data. And speaking of that same thing, the iPad pro the storage models that are available, go all the way up to, to two terabytes, which is a lot and cost a heck of a lot, but it's there.
Speaker 1: Whereas the iPad air caps at 256 gigabytes, and it's [00:05:30] really not easy to think about expanding the storage. Technically you could plug in something, uh, through USBC, but it it's really only for media. It doesn't really work like that on, on iPads. The cameras on the back are different. So the iPad air has one camera. The iPad pro has LIDAR plus two cameras. That's a lot of the big differences that we're talking about here. I still feel like the iPad air is the one that seems like it would make the most sense if you're saving money [00:06:00] and doing that, especially if I wanna buy accessories, it seems like it's got all the stuff that you need to basically future proof, your iPad, mainly the processor. I still think the base model iPad with the a 13 is perfectly great for tons of people, a out wild that the design is exactly the same as it has always been down to the circular home button, wish that would change.
Speaker 1: But I think the iPad air is kind of the sweet spot that Apple's been aiming for. That being [00:06:30] said, what is the iPad pro going to bring when it's inevitably updated? Maybe Apple's waiting for some sort of M two chip later this year. Maybe there are gonna be whole new features. Would it go oh, led display? I think if you're really thinking about spending up for the best iPad, you can get money, not mattering. You really wanna wait and see if that's gonna happen. Kind of being caught in the middle right here. And again, I really wanna see where iPad OS is going. I'd love for it to be more like a Mac or be more compatible. There is some of that with [00:07:00] iPad, O S 15.4, that's hitting, that's going to allow universal control, which is gonna allow you to basically use your iPad as a connected monitor experience for your Mac.
Speaker 1: And you could actually have your cursor move across between devices, which is pretty cool. It's not the same thing as really feeling like the iPad is running Mac experiences. And now that they all are sharing the same chip, I keep waiting for something like that to happen. I'm sorry. I do, [00:07:30] but $600. Okay. That's still a little bit expensive, but it's getting more affordable than it was before to, to get that M one shift. I'll tell you more when I actually review it. I'm Scott Stein at CNET with a quick take on what you should do about the iPad air, which by the way is gonna be available March 18th.
