iPad Air 4 was booming after its launch but that could definitely change after iPad Air 5 launches. Apple dropped a preview of what to expect for the next generation of iPad Air when it released the iPad mini 6, the previous year.
So, what should you expect from the iPad Air 5 in 2022?
Features That You Can Expect From The iPad Air 5
New Display
The iPad Air 4 was the first tab to feature uniform bezels around the display and the absence of the Home button without using Face ID for biometric authentication.
The iPad 4 used Touch ID fingerprint recognition in the sleep button.
New iPhones all use Face ID now, but who wouldn’t appreciate Touch ID in the power button like the iPad Air as an alternative form of biometric authentication?
Reliable supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo forecasted in March 2021 that the iPad Air 5 would switch to an OLED display. However, Kuo, unfortunately, updated that report in October 2021 to say that Apple has chosen to drop OLED plans and stick with TFT-LCD for the iPad Air 5.
Catching Up
The iPad Air 4 started competing with the similar-sized iPad Pro. The iPad Pro was updated with Apple’s M1 chip, 5G, and upgraded cameras and the lineup made sense.
Next came iPad mini 6. It was redesigned to look like a smaller iPad Air 4 except it featured the latest processor and more camera features.
What More Can You Expect
Here is a list of all the opportunities that iPad Air 5 can use to grow further:
1: Enhance the front-facing camera from 7MP to 12MP
2: Introduce Center Stage support for subject tracking with automatic panning and zooming during video calls
3: Upgrade the rear camera flash to Quad-LED True Tone flash
4: Replace A14 processor with A15 or (if released after iPhone 14) A16
5: Increase cellular performance from LTE to 5G capable
The iPad Air 5 might not play catch up with the iPad mini and might be more like the 11-inch iPad Pro, as suggested by MacOtakara.
The iPad Air 5 might upgrade its rear camera and feature dual lenses for standard wide-angle shots and ultra wide-angle shots like the iPhone 13. The 11-inch iPad Pro does include a LiDAR scanner as well, but the source is less certain on that being included on the iPad Air 5.
Another change might include doubling the speaker from 2 to 4 on the iPad Air 5.
Hopefully, the iPad Air 5 retains the same $599 starting price with these upgrades. A fall release would see it debut two years after the iPad Air 4, but no one would complain about a spring release and an 18-month upgrade cycle.