I’ll start with the truth: you may not find useful information in this material. There will be more about emotions and less about characteristics. Why is this term chosen? Just because I finally have the right words.

For some time I used the previous generation of iPad Air, about which I managed to write and share my thoughts, then I switched to iPad Pro (2018), and at the end of 2020 I began to actively use the new Air.

At first I doubted the correctness of my actions, but after months I realized that this was what I needed. And now I will try to explain why.

Specifications iPad Air (2020):

• Dimensions: 247,6 x 178,5 x 6,1mm, 458g (Wi-Fi) or 460g (LTE)
• Display: 10,9 ″, 2360 × 1640 (~ 264 ppi), IPS, True Tone
• Processor: 6-core Apple A14 Bionic
• Memory: 4 GB RAM, 64/256 GB ROM
• Cameras: 12 MP, f / 1,8 (main); 7 MP, f / 2,0 (front)
• Battery: 7606 mAh, fast charging
• OS: iPadOS 14
• Communication: USB-C, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, LTE, nanoSIM, eSIM
• Cost: from 55 990 rubles

First there was a word

For many years we have been told that tablets are about to overthrow the world of laptops, and everything will be fine and convenient. Journalists are a great example of a test subject. We always write, we write a lot, and do you think many of us prefer a tablet or phone over a laptop?

There are such personnel, I personally know several, but this is more a necessity than a desire. We used to travel often, and it was not always convenient to take out a laptop to write something down, and tablets came to the rescue. I myself typed urgent text in “Swallow” on my iPad more than once, and until March last year it was so-so, and then Apple showed the Smart Keyboard.

I tested the iPad Air with this keyboard. This was my first experience, and you can learn more about it from our video. I do not want to say about that, but about the dimensions. A 12,9-inch iPad is not always comfortable on a train or plane. It has its own plus (I’ll talk about it later), but the size of the iPad Air turned out to be ideal for work (or iPad Pro 11-inch).

Until now, the iPad has not been able to replace the laptop, but the new iPad Air has settled on my desktop, which was not the case with the iPad Pro. Again, thanks to the size, and finally, the presence of Type-C. The fact is that I connect a monitor to the MacBook via a cable, and if I need to look at something on the tablet, I quickly connect it and now I watch the content on the 27-inch screen.

The iPad Air also has Sidecar support, which I have never used. Well, I have no such need. On the one hand, you can launch a movie and drag it there, and on the other, why, if you can safely turn on everything on the iPad. Feature for your audience.

Be honest

As I said above, I really like the 12,9-inch iPad Pro. I like it because with its appearance I stopped spoiling my eyesight and watching movies and TV shows from my smartphone. Instead, I absorb content through a (relatively) large screen with excellent stereo sound.

I’m sure I’m not alone. Today’s iPads are fraught with wild power, and we use them not for work and study, but for watching our favorite TV series or maybe even games. But, you see, there is nothing better on the market so far.

So, my main reluctance to switch to Air was the display diagonal. Yes, the tablet is more compact, lighter (and every gram counts for me), but again, to look at a smaller screen, what can be seen at 13 inches ?! I reluctantly agreed to such an experiment, and yet convenience prevailed.

I repeat, if at lunchtime I want to watch something on a larger screen, then I just connect the iPad via Type-C to the monitor. This was the case, for example, with Zach Snyder’s Justice League, although I didn’t want to switch: the aspect ratio of the film seemed to be specially made for the iPad!

About inconveniences

In the pandemic, everyone started screaming about the inconvenience of Face ID. Everyone wears masks, and you have to take them off every time to unlock your iPhone or iPad Pro. Apple is already testing a feature to bypass this limitation, but it will only work in conjunction with the Apple Watch.

Some, against the backdrop of the pandemic, began to feel nostalgic for Touch ID. And Apple seemed to hear users by integrating a fingerprint scanner into the new iPad. It’s in the power button – you can unlock the tablet by pressing or just touching.

So, I am the kind of person who does not tolerate fingerprint scanners. Maybe my fingers are not like that, but I only once met a sensor that would work perfectly. And then, I’m not sure that he would have continued to work like this.

Maybe most of them have perfect skin, but my hands tend to dry from the frost, as a result of which my fingers peel off. And as a result – the fingerprint scanner does not recognize me. I have such a problem now, for example, with the same MacBook Air. I really look forward to Face ID in all Apple devices – I have no problems with this technology at all.

With the iPad Air, you guessed it, I also have a conflict. In 90% of cases, I enter a password, because the scanner rarely recognizes my finger. Here I will give preference to the iPad Pro.

As a minus, I would also write down the presence of a 64 GB version. Yes, now most of the content is in the clouds, we watch movies online, but it often happens that you need to download a movie on a plane or train, for example. You won’t be downloading 720p, are you? It has an excellent Liquid Retina matrix, you need a minimum of Full HD.

Plus, the power of the iPad Air is enough for photography or even video processing in Luma Fusion – which 64GB? Even 512 GB is not enough for me on a MacBook.

By the way, on iPad Air it is extremely convenient to process video in iMovie with a connected monitor. The picture is displayed on the monitor, and the rest of the elements remain on the iPad. In addition, a number of manufacturers produce sophisticated stands, where there is a slot for memory cards, USB and even an Ethernet port. This is not an advertisement, I came across it myself and wanted to. But why do I need this?

For whom and what

You’ve read a lot of personal opinions from the notes. But let’s give some useful information. Apple has a clear understanding of which audience this or that iPad is for.

For some reason, it seems to me that the iPad Air could well be removed, replacing it with an 11-inch Pro. But that one does not have such bright colors. The blue version looks more like the gray one, but it still looks nice. On the other hand, you will always carry it in a case.

So how does Apple position the iPad Air? Some official information:

With iPad, you get everything you need from your computer, plus a lot of incredible things that you didn’t even expect from it. First, it does what a computer does, but it works just like your iPhone, so it’s easy to use. It works with Apple Pencil and can be your notebook, canvas, scanner, and the perfect augmented reality device. IPad has apps that are on a computer, plus a million iPad-only apps.

Of course, the iPad Air does not have a Pro box, but it is also perfect for professional tasks – the main thing is to find the software you need.

For example, for DJs there is a djay, for video processing, the standard iMovie or LumaFusion, which I wrote about above, and for fast photo processing – Pixelmator Photo. The latter, by the way, cannot yet replace Lightroom, which makes me extremely sad. Adobe programs work disgustingly and are not worth their money, but there is no worthy alternative yet, but I really hope that the situation will change soon.

And in order not to be unfounded, I threw several photos taken with a Sony camera on the iPad Air and now I will process them, and I will record the process so that you appreciate:

Honestly, I can do the same on the iPhone. On the iPad, the screen is simply larger and more convenient, but the application does not have enough functions (for example, there is no possibility of correcting optics or eliminating noise). On the other hand, if online exhibitions finally return, I will be happy to try the iPad in action, so as not to carry the laptop around again. Processing RAW files on the go is great.

important details

In fact, the iPad has a lot of cool technology that we don’t pay attention to because everything gets boring. I will highlight what is important to me.

First, eSIM support. Unfortunately, I have a version with Wi-Fi on my test, but I definitely recommend you a model with LTE support. We have talked about eSIM technology more than once, even advised excellent services. I have already tested all this on the iPhone more than once and, again, in conjunction with work trips and photo editing, this is a great tool for working on the go.

Secondly, autonomy. I don’t know what the problem is, but after a few years of use, the iPad Pro started to run out of power extremely quickly. I literally have enough for 4-5 episodes of the series, and already less than 20% of the charge. In Air (suddenly) this is a little better, it works for two hours longer (unless we are talking about offline video, not online). Here are just a power adapter for charging it would be better to buy from a MacBook – from 20 W to charge one torment.

Thirdly, the front camera turned out to be better than in the iPad Pro 2018. I make frequent FaceTime calls from iPad, and picture quality is critical for me. The sensor, judging by the characteristics, is newer – with a slightly higher aperture ratio. There is support for 1080p 60 fps recording.

Fourthly, on the little things: there is still a 20 W adapter in the kit (but it is not enough, charging will be too slow), support for Wi-Fi 6, Apple Pencil of the second generation and literally all important and not very LTE bands. And also, the main camera is almost flagship, it can write 4K and take panoramas, but this is for fans to take photos on the iPad.

And another important thing for the eyes is True Tone support. This feature is superfluous if you process photos, but for normal use it is really useful, relieves eye strain (and these are not just words, really noticeable).

Instead of conclusions

Hopefully, all of the above information will be useful for those who are thinking which iPad is better to take. Apple is striving to expand its range as much as possible, and already in April, according to rumors, we will have a new iPad Pro with a miniLED display – this should solve the problem with autonomy. And in 2022, we should see the first iPad with OLED.

To summarize all of the above, I note that the iPad Air is able to cope with the same tasks as the iPad Pro. Except for AR, because there is no LiDAR sensor here.

For me, the main disadvantages are related to the amount of memory and Touch ID. Otherwise, this is finally a really ideal iPad for working on the road – compact, lightweight, powerful, with sufficient battery life. 

It’s probably ideal to upgrade to the 11-inch iPad Pro with at least 512GB of storage. Expensive, but according to its characteristics, it is an ideal device for me.