Device hub · Tablets · Desk research
iPad Air (5th generation)
Air (5th generation) is the March 2022 $599 10.86-inch Liquid Retina iPad: M1, 8GB, stereo speakers, USB 3, Touch ID.
Product images
Placeholder — OEM press not licensediPad Air (5th generation)
Credit: GadgetShowdown labeled placeholder (not an Apple asset). View official product image
Studio still only. Manufacturer press JPEGs are not hosted here. See the official product page for the real product photo.
Placeholder — OEM press not licensediPad Air (5th generation)
Credit: GadgetShowdown labeled placeholder (not an Apple asset). View official product image
Studio still only. Manufacturer press JPEGs are not hosted here. See the official product page for the real product photo.
In short
Air (5th generation) is the March 2022 $599 10.86-inch Liquid Retina iPad: M1, 8GB, stereo speakers, USB 3, Touch ID. Buy leftover if you want the first M1 Air. Skip it if you want the later 11/13 two-size Air — that starts at M2.
Who it is for
- Leftover / refurb shoppers who want the first M1 Air in a single 10.86-inch size with 8GB RAM and USB 3.
- People comparing Air 5 vs M2/M3/M4 Air on silicon, radios, and size count — Air 5 is one size; M2 onward is 11 and 13.
- Color-sensitive shoppers: Space Gray, Starlight, Pink, Purple, Blue.
Who should skip it
- Anyone who wants current Air silicon and radios. That is iPad Air (M4): 12GB, N1 Wi-Fi 7 / Bluetooth 6 / Thread, 11- and 13-inch.
- Buyers who want tandem OLED, four speakers, Face ID, LiDAR, or Thunderbolt.
- People who need a compact 8.3-inch tablet.
Key differentiators
- First iPad Air with M1 and a published 8GB RAM row on Support.
- Single 10.86-inch size at 6.1 mm / 461–462 g — the two-size Air starts with M2.
- USB 3 up to 10Gb/s; Pencil (2nd generation) + USB-C. Hover is not listed on the Support 111887 display block we pulled.
- Wi-Fi 6 / Bluetooth 5.0 — not Wi-Fi 6E and not N1.
Caveats
- This is three Air generations behind the March 2026 M4 Air. Street and refurb prices change.
- Brightness (500 nits) and 10-hour battery lines are Apple claims.
- Do not invent Pencil hover or a 13-inch SKU on this leftover single-size Air.
- Apple product photography is not hosted here.
Tablet-category specs
Same rows on every tablet page (iPad Pro / Air / mini, Galaxy Tab S, Pixel Tablet).
| Attribute | Value | Source / note |
|---|---|---|
| Display size | 10.9-inch (diagonal) marketed size; 10.86-inch rectangle diagonal in Apple’s rounded-corner footnote | Apple Support 111887 |
| Display type | Liquid Retina; LED-backlit IPS Multi-Touch | Apple Support 111887 |
| Display resolution | 2360 × 1640 at 264 ppi | Apple Support 111887 |
| Peak brightness (OEM) | 500 nits | Apple Support 111887 |
| Refresh rate | Not published | Apple Support 111887 |
| Display features | Wide color (P3); True Tone; oleophobic coating; fully laminated; antireflective coating; 1.8% reflectivity | Apple Support 111887 |
| Sold size(s) | One size: iPad Air (5th generation), 10.86-inch class. Two-size Air starts with M2. | Apple Newsroom, 2022-03-08 |
| Dimensions | 247.6 × 178.5 × 6.1 mm | Apple Support 111887 |
| Weight | Wi-Fi 461 g; Wi-Fi + Cellular 462 g | Apple Support 111887 |
| Finishes | Space Gray; Starlight; Pink; Purple; Blue | Apple Support 111887 |
| Chassis / enclosure | Aluminum iPad Air enclosure (Apple Environment block language on Support if present; not a detailed recycled-content table on the cells we pulled) | Apple Support 111887 |
| Chip / processor | Apple M1: 8-core CPU (4 performance + 4 efficiency), 8-core GPU, 16-core. | Apple Support 111887 |
| Memory (RAM) | 8GB RAM | Apple Support 111887 |
| On-device storage | 64GB or 256GB (no microSD) | Apple Support 111887 |
| Operating system | iPadOS (Apple Support names the OS family). Confirm the current signed iPadOS on apple.com/ipados — do not freeze 2022 launch software. | Apple Support 111887 |
| Pencil / stylus | Not published | Apple Support 111887 |
| Keyboard / cover (OEM) | Magic Keyboard and Smart Keyboard Folio (sold separately). Newsroom education block at launch: Smart Keyboard Folio $159; Magic Keyboard $279 (college). Smart Connector on the chassis. | Apple Newsroom, 2022-03-08; Support buttons/connectors |
| Biometrics | Touch ID in the top button | Apple Support 111887 |
| Speakers | Stereo speakers (Apple Support wording — not the later “landscape stereo speakers” sentence used on M2/M3 Air sheets) | Apple Support 111887 |
| Microphones | Dual microphones for calls, video recording, and audio recording | Apple Support 111887 |
| Cellular | Wi-Fi models: none. Wi-Fi + Cellular: 5G NR (model A2589 band list on Support); nano-SIM + eSIM; data only. | Apple Support 111887 |
| Wireless (Wi-Fi / Bluetooth) | Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) 2x2 MIMO; speeds up to 1.2 Gbps; simultaneous dual band; Bluetooth 5.0 | Apple Support 111887 |
| Ports / expansion | USB-C with charging and DisplayPort; USB 3 (up to 10Gb/s); Smart Connector; magnetic Pencil connector; SIM tray on cellular SKUs | Apple Support 111887 |
| Rear camera | 12MP Wide, ƒ/1.8; 4K video up to 60 fps | Apple Support 111887 |
| Front camera | 12MP Ultra Wide front camera, 122° field of view, ƒ/2.4; Center Stage; 1080p video | Apple Support 111887 |
| Battery (OEM) | 28.6Wh. Up to 10 hours Wi-Fi web or video; cellular models up to 9 hours web on cellular | Apple Support 111887 |
| Charging (OEM) | USB-C Charge Cable (1m) and 20W USB-C Power Adapter in the box. Charging via adapter or USB-C to computer. | Apple Support 111887 |
| Durability / ingress | Not published | Apple Support 111887 |
| Location / GNSS | All models: digital compass, Wi-Fi, iBeacon. Cellular models add GPS/GNSS | Apple Support 111887 |
| US MSRP (launch) | Wi-Fi $599; Wi-Fi + Cellular $749 at the 8 March 2022 launch (64GB start) | Apple Newsroom, 2022-03-08 |
| Price band | Previous mid-flagship tablet ($599 US launch before Pencil/Keyboard) | Derived from Apple launch prices |
| Announced | 8 March 2022 | Apple Newsroom |
| Availability | Announced 8 March 2022. Superseded by the two-size iPad Air (M2) on 7 May 2024, then Air (M3) and Air (M4). | Apple Newsroom 2022-03-08; later Air Newsroom posts |
iPad Air (5th generation) extras
Unique to this line or SKU. Other tablets keep the first table aligned and swap this extras list.
| Attribute | Value | Source / note |
|---|---|---|
| First M1 iPad Air | Single 10.86-inch size with a published 8GB RAM row. Two-size Air and Pencil Pro start later. | Apple Support 111887; Newsroom 2022-03-08 |
| 64GB / 256GB only | Not published | Apple Support 111887 |
| In the box | iPad Air (5th generation); USB-C Charge Cable (1m); 20W USB-C Power Adapter | Apple Support 111887 |
| Apple Intelligence | Current Support 111887 lists Apple Intelligence as built in, with region/language limits. That is a later software add, not a March 2022 launch feature. | Apple Support 111887 |
| Leftover predecessor | Air (4th generation) is live at /tablets/ipad-air-4th-generation/ — A14, LTE not 5G, 7MP front camera, RAM unpublished on Support 111905. | Apple Support 111905 |
Overview
iPad Air (5th generation) is the March 2022 Air — the first M1 Air, and the last single-size 10.86-inch Air before the May 2024 two-size redesign. Current Air sell-in is M4. This hub stays so leftover shoppers have a tablets-v1 record instead of mixing M1 radios with N1.
We have not used this iPad. Newsroom “most powerful and versatile iPad Air ever” stays an Apple claim from 2022.
Display, chip, speakers
IPS Liquid Retina, 2360 × 1640, 264 ppi, 500 nits, P3, True Tone, laminated, antireflective. No ProMotion row.
M1 is 8-core CPU / 8-core GPU / 16-core Neural Engine / 8GB. Storage is 64GB or 256GB only. Speakers are Support’s “stereo speakers” wording — later Air sheets say “landscape stereo.”
Pencil and radios
Pencil 2nd gen + USB-C. Hover is not on the Support 111887 display block we pulled. Wi-Fi 6 / Bluetooth 5.0. USB 3 at 10Gb/s. Do not copy Wi-Fi 6E from Air (M2) or N1 from Air (M4).
Battery
28.6Wh; up to 10 hours Wi-Fi; 9 hours cellular; 20W brick in the box.
How this page compares on a desk (not a vs-page)
| Desk fact (OEM) | Air (5th gen) | Air (M2) | Air (M4) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sizes | One 10.86-inch | 11 and 13 | 11 and 13 |
| Chip / RAM | M1 / 8GB | M2 / 8GB | M4 / 12GB |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 6 / BT 5.0 | Wi-Fi 6E / BT 5.3 | N1 Wi-Fi 7 / BT 6 / Thread |
| US Wi-Fi start | $599 (Mar 2022) | $599 / $799 (May 2024) | $599 / $799 (Mar 2026) |
Sources
- Apple Newsroom — Apple introduces the most powerful and versatile iPad Air ever — accessed 2026-09-19
- Apple Support — iPad Air (5th generation) tech specs — accessed 2026-09-19
Frequently asked questions
Is this still the current Air?
No. Current Air on 19 September 2026 is iPad Air (M4). This slug is the leftover single-size M1 Air.
Is there a 13-inch Air 5?
No. Support 111887 is one 10.86-inch size. The 11- and 13-inch Air pair starts with M2.
Does it support Pencil hover?
The Support 111887 display block we pulled lists Pencil (2nd generation) and Pencil (USB-C) but does not say hover. We do not invent hover from later Air sheets.
Official product page: iPad Air (5th generation). Tech specs: iPad Air (5th generation) specs.