IPAD AIR BECOMES A CHIP OFF THE PRO BLOCK
The words ‘Apple’ and ‘bargain’ are not often heard together in the same sentence.
After all, the iphone-maker doesn’t make cheap versions of its products – even the lowestpriced SE range of iphones and Apple Watches, and the base-level ipad are more mid-rage than basement level. Which is part of the reason why the new ipad Air is so breathtaking.
A lot has already been said about the self-designed chips Apple is moving all its devices to.
It’s been making the chips that power iphones and ipads for years, but last year extended that to the Mac, debuting the M1 chip.
Later, that super powerhouse made its way into the ipad Pro to provide even more speed for the top-of-the-line tablet.
Now that same chip powers the cheaper ipad Air. Spec-wise there’s now very little to choose between the ipad Air and the 11in ipad Pro. The Pro has Faceid instead of Touchid in the Air, and the Pro sports a better screen.
But beyond that, you are more or less looking at the same machine… but at a starting price of around £180 less. That’s what I call a bargain. Of course, the ipad Pros will certainly be updated later this year to be even faster, but that won’t mean this Air is any less of a powerhouse than they are now. A faster chip means everything is better – there’s just less waiting around for things to get done. And by less I mean hardly any. The extra power makes it a more useful device for anyone who edits photos or videos on the go – it can tackle
more intensive tasks much more quickly than before.
There’s another aspect to the speed credentials of the new Air, too – it features 5G mobile networking. While 5G coverage remains somewhat spotty, it is getting better all the time.
So, if you want a truly portable, powerful, and rapid computer the ipad Air is as close to perfect as you can get right now – I don’t know how they do it for the price.