Apple’s new iPad Airs arrive almost a year and a half after the previous models, offering almost 20 changes and upgrades.
The 2022 iPad Air was a minor upgrade that added features such as the M1 chip and a 12MP Ultra Wide front-facing camera with Center Stage. The 2024 refresh is more substantial, headlining with a larger size option for the first time, bringing it in line with devices like the iPad Pro, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro, which are available in two sizes.
The 2022 iPad Air models have now been discontinued by Apple, but they may still be found refurbished and with third-party resellers for lower prices. As such, some customers may be weighing up whether to buy the 2022 iPad Air or the new 2024 models.
The iPad Airs from 2022 and 2024 share most of their key features, so should you consider buying or sticking with the older model to save money? This breakdown also serves as a way to clearly see all the differences that the new iPad Air brings to the table.
| iPad Air (2022) | iPad Air (2024) |
|---|---|
| 10.9-inch display | 11- or 13-inch display |
| M1 chip (5nm, N5) | M2 chip (5nm enhanced, N5P) |
| 3.2GHz CPU clock speed | 3.49GHz CPU clock speed |
| 8-core GPU | 10-core GPU |
| 68.25GB/s memory bandwidth | 100GB/s memory bandwidth |
| Neural Engine | 40% faster Neural Engine |
| Media engine for hardware-accelerated H.264 and HEVC | Media engine for hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes, and ProRes RAW |
| Video decode engine | Higher-bandwidth video decode engine |
| ProRes encode and decode engine | |
| Image signal processor (ISP) | “New” image signal processor (ISP) |
| Smart HDR 3 | Smart HDR 4 |
| 12MP Ultra Wide front-facing camera | Landscape 12MP Ultra Wide front-facing camera |
| Wi-Fi 6 connectivity | Wi-Fi 6E connectivity |
| Physical SIM card slot | eSIM only |
| Apple Pencil hover | |
| Supports Apple Pencil (USB-C) and Apple Pencil (2nd generation) | Supports Apple Pencil (USB-C) and Apple Pencil Pro |
| Supports Magic Keyboard for iPad and Smart Keyboard Folio | Supports Magic Keyboard for iPad |
| 64GB or 256GB storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB storage |
| Available in Space Gray, Starlight, Pink, Purple, and Blue | Available in Space Gray, Starlight, Purple, and Blue |
The most important part of the new iPad Air is the larger display size option, which provides a way for customers who don’t need features like ProMotion and a LiDAR scanner to obtain a bigger screen that’s better for productivity and content consumption at a lower price point. Beyond this larger new model, the M2 chip, Apple Pencil hover and Apple Pencil Pro support, and landscape front-facing camera are valuable improvements. That being said, it is certainly not essential to upgrade from the previous model to the new iPad Air. Unless you have an entry-level iPad or an iPad Air from before 2020, or explicitly want a 13-inch model, it is likely not worth upgrading.
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