iPad 10 vs iPad Air 5

The latest iPad (10th generation) that Apple has released recently, has an iPad label. But the design of this model is quite similar with iPad Air (5 th generation). Some people call this model 'iPad Air Lite.'

What is the iPad (10th generation)?

It is a tablet computer designed and marketed by Apple Inc. Basically, this one is the successor to the 9th generation iPad.

What is the iPad Air (5th generation)?

It is a 9.7-inch tablet computer. Apple Inc designed and marketed this model. iPad 10 vs iPad Air 5 Similarities:

There are a few similarities between these two models. Let's check it.

• Both of these models come with Apple silicon chips and a 16-core Neural Engine with a 5nm process. In addition, both of these models are equipped with a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display that has a resolution of 2360×1640 at 264 ppi. The display comes with True Tone whereas the brightness is 500 nits maximum. 
• Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating 
• 12MP Wide rear camera with ƒ/1.8 aperture, 
• digital zoom up to 5x, 
• Smart HDR 3 for photos, 
• 4K video recording at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps, 
• Extended dynamic range for video up to 30 fps, 
• 3x video zoom, 
• Slo-mo video support for 1080p at 120 fps or 240 fps, and 
•  Time-lapse video with stabilization 
• 12MP Ultra Wide front-facing camera with ƒ/2.4 aperture, 
• 2x zoom out with Center Stage and Retina Flash, 
• Smart HDR 3 for photos, 
• Extended dynamic range for video up to 30 fps, 
• Cinematic video stabilization 
• Touch the ID top button
• Landscape two-speaker audio 
• USB-C port 
• 5G connectivity on cellular models 
• Up to 10 hours of battery life 
• 64GB and 256GB storage options

 iPad 10 vs iPad Air 5 Differences:

Price & Availability:

The price of iPad 10th Generation starts at £449 in the United States for the WiFi version & £679 for the cellular version, and compared to the previous version, the price increase is significant. Therefore, people may think twice before purchasing the new generation model because the earlier generation is still available at $329 for the 64GB model and $479 for the 256GB Wi-Fi models.

The price of the WiFi version is £669, while £849 is the price of the cellular version of the model. You can see that the price is a little bit more than the iPad's tenth generation. As a result, several people buying for the first time may not prefer it unless they need the more powerful M1 chipset and the second-generation Apple Pencil.

Colors:

iPad (10th generation) is available in four colors. These models come with normal color names like 'blue' instead of 'Epic Ocean View Blue Extreme Ultra.'

iPad Air 5th generation is available in five colors.

Positioning:

When it comes to talk about the 10th generation iPad, the variety of color options, Magic Keyboard Folio, and coupling of iPad will impress you for sure

The webpage of iPad Air lets you see the speed, power, and many other capabilities of the mpdel. Hence, the special thanks will go to the M1 chip. iPad Air can offer you a tablet for £170 extra.

Display and biometrics:

Both models come with Touch ID, which is integrated into the power button on the device top portion. When it comes to determine the quality of the mod model, brightness, and speed are the factors which you need to consider first.

If it comes to talk about the iPad Air, you will get to see three more display upgrades, including- full lamination, anti-reflective coating, and P3 color. Full lamination helps to remove the noticeable gap between the display & glass. As a result, you will get to see a less recessed display.

Whereas, the anti-reflective coating is beneficial when you are working in bright rooms or outdoors. In addition, the P3 color is more vibrant and has better color reproduction.

Remember that the displays are 60Hz panels indicating that you will not be able to enjoy silky-smooth ProMotion.when you scroll web pages and flick between Home Screens. iPad Air is the clear winner in this case.

Chip:

A14 Bionic powers the tenth iPad generation, and it comes with six CPU cores and four GPU cores.

On the other hand, the M1 chip powers the iPad Air, including an 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU. So, the winner is a tie.

Power and Battery:

Both models are identical and get charged via USB-C. So, the winner is a tie.

Accessories:

Both models support Apple's Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil accessories. However, there are a few major differences. The first one is that these keywords aren't magic, actually. Therefore, ensure that you don't expect any magical witzard from Harry Potter. Otherwise, it will disappoint you.

The second is that Magic Keyboard Folio supported the 10th generation iPad. All credits go to the Microsoft Surface like kickstand and the keyboard's function row's inclusion. But the company decided to leave the earlier Magic Keyboard.

As per the website of Apple, the iPad Air doesn't support the Magic Keyboard Folio. It supports the second-generation Apple Pencil attached to the iPad for charging and storage. You should know that the tenth generation supports the first-generation Apple Pencil.

But there are two problems. The first one is that the 1st generation Apple Pencil usually get charged through Lightning.

Regarding the 1st gen Apple Pencil, you need to remove a cap from one end to charge it. Then, you should connect this to the lightning port of the iPad. But you should know that there does not exist any lightning port on the tenth gen iPad. Therefore, you need to connect the adapter before attaching the Apple Pencil. It indicates that the horizontal Pencil is capable of entering the airspace of the table that is near you at the time of charging the accessory.

The second problem is that the 1st gen Apple Pencil is shit.

So, hence, a clear winner is the iPad Air.

Camera:

The cameras on the back are the same. While Apple says the FaceTime camera of the tenth generation iPad is a 'landscape Ultra Wide camera,' the iPad Air model comes with a '12MP Ultra Wide front camera'. Remember that these come with a Centre Stage support feature. So, the winner is a tie.

Software:

You can run both devices on iPadOS in general and iPadOS 16 in particular. However, there are some differences. For instance, iPad Air can run on the M1 processor. Therefore, it is capable of using the new Stage Manager multitasking tool. But the feature doesn't exist on the new iPad. It is expected that more M1 specifications will be launched in the Air in the upcoming days, because it has a newer processor. Compared to the new iPad, the Air will offer more software updates. So, iPad Air is the clear champion in this case despite the fact that iPadOS can run on iPad smoothly.

Apple Pencil Support:

These devices support different generations of Apple Pencils. It means that the iPad's tenth generation is compatible with the 1st gen Apple Pencil whereas the iPad Air is compatible with the 2nd gen of Apple stylus. Hence, you should know that you can use the Pencil of 2nd gen more easily. Besides, it is easily chargeable. The reason is that it enables the user to charge it wirelessly off the Air's side. If you want to use your Apple Pencil with iPad (10th generation), you should invest in Type C for the Lightning dongle. The reason is that the stylus must be connected to a Lightning port for charging. So, iPad Air 5 is the champion in this case.

iPad 10 vs iPad Air 5 Differences:

We have given here the iPad 10 vs iPad Air 5 differences in short.

iPad 10	iPad Air 5
A14 Bionic chip	‌M1‌ chip
6-core CPU with 2 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores	8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores
4-core GPU	8-core GPU
4GB RAM	8GB RAM
sRGB display	Wide color (P3) and fully laminated display with anti-reflective coating
12MP landscape Ultra Wide front-facing camera	12MP portrait Ultra Wide front-facing camera
Bluetooth 5.2	Bluetooth 5.0
USB-C port (speeds up to 480 Mbps)	USB-C port (speeds up to 10 Gbps)
First-generation ‌Apple Pencil‌ support (adapter required to pair and charge)	Second-generation ‌Apple Pencil‌ support. Stage Manager support in iPadOS 16
Magic Keyboard Folio support	Magic Keyboard and Smart Keyboard Folio support
7mm thickness	6.1mm thickness
Weight of 477/481 grams	Weight of 461/462 grams
Silver, Pink, Blue, and Yellow color options	Space Gray, Starlight, Pink, Purple, and Blue color options
Starts at $449	Starts at $599

Conclusion:

We hope that now you have no more confusion and you can decide which one to choose as the article clears out all your doubts. Regarding weight & size, both are quite identical. The iPad Air may be about 1 mm thinner, and its weight is sixteen grams less than the other one.