You've probably seen the shiny new M3 and M4 iPads everywhere lately. Marketing teams really want you to believe that if you aren't rocking the absolute latest silicon, your tablet is basically a paperweight. Honestly? That’s just not true. The iPad Air 5th gen is currently sitting in this weird, perfect sweet spot. It was the first "Air" to get the M1 chip back in 2022, and because that processor was so ridiculously overpowered for a tablet, it hasn't actually aged.
It still flies.
If you’re hunting for a deal, the 5th generation is basically the "secret menu" item of the Apple world right now. You get the desktop-class performance without the $1,000 price tag of a Pro or the "incremental upgrade" guilt of buying the newer Air models.
The M1 Chip: Overkill Then, Just Right Now
When Apple shoved the M1 into the iPad Air 5th gen, everyone laughed. Why? Because iPadOS couldn't even use half that power. It was like putting a Ferrari engine inside a golf cart. But that "overkill" is exactly why this tablet is a beast in 2026. While older A-series chips are starting to struggle with the latest iPadOS 26 features, the M1 handles them like it's nothing.
You get 8GB of RAM here. That’s a big deal. Most people don't realize that RAM—not just the processor—is what keeps your apps from refreshing every time you switch tabs. On the 5th gen, you can have a dozen Safari tabs open, a Procreate canvas running, and a YouTube video in Picture-in-Picture without the system breaking a sweat.
We’re seeing some weird bugs with the latest iPadOS 26 updates across the board—stuff like "Liquid Glass" animations stuttering or the Apple Pencil disconnecting—but the M1 hardware itself remains rock solid. Benchmarks show the 8-core CPU is still faster than almost any mid-range Android tablet coming out today. It’s basically future-proofed by accident.
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What Most People Get Wrong About the Screen
Let's talk about the display. It's a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina panel. People complain that it doesn't have "ProMotion" (that 120Hz smooth scrolling). Look, if you’re coming from an iPhone Pro or a MacBook Pro, you might notice it for the first ten minutes. After that? Your brain adjusts. The color accuracy on this thing is stellar. It covers the P3 wide color gamut, which means if you're editing photos or watching HDR content, it looks punchy and "real."
It’s also fully laminated.
Cheap iPads (like the 10th gen) have a tiny air gap between the glass and the actual display. It feels hollow. The iPad Air 5th gen doesn't have that. When you use an Apple Pencil 2, it feels like the ink is coming directly out of the tip onto the glass. It’s a premium experience that makes the "budget" iPads feel like toys.
The Price Trap: 64GB vs. 256GB
This is where Apple gets you. The base model of the iPad Air 5th gen comes with 64GB of storage. In 2026, that is... tight. Between System Data, the OS itself taking up 12GB+, and a few high-res games like Genshin Impact (which is now massive), you’ll hit that ceiling fast.
I’ve seen dozens of Reddit threads recently where people are panicking because they can't even install a system update without deleting their entire photo library. If you find a refurbished 256GB model, grab it. It changes the device from a "media consumption" tablet into a legitimate laptop replacement.
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Current market prices for these are actually wild:
- Certified Refurbished 64GB: Often around $379.
- Certified Refurbished 256GB: Usually hits $499.
- Used Market (eBay/Mercari): You can sometimes snag these for $300 if you don't mind a few scratches.
Compare that to a new iPad Air M2 or M3, and you're saving hundreds of dollars for a difference in speed you’ll literally never notice in daily life.
Real World Usage: Battery and Heat
Apple claims 10 hours of battery life. In reality, it depends on what you're doing. If you’re just binging Netflix, you can easily hit that. But if you're using Stage Manager—Apple's windowed multitasking—while connected to an external 4K monitor, that battery will drain in about 4-5 hours.
One thing to watch out for is heat. The M1 chip is fanless in the iPad. If you're doing heavy video editing in DaVinci Resolve or LumaFusion, the back can get quite warm. It’s not "burn your hand" hot, but it’s noticeable. Interestingly, many users report that the newer M2 and M3 Air models actually run a bit hotter because they push the clock speeds higher in the same thin chassis. The M1 is arguably the more "stable" thermal performer.
The Connectivity Advantage
You get a USB-C port that supports 10Gbps transfer speeds. That’s fast enough to plug in a high-speed SSD and edit video directly off the drive. It’s a massive jump over the base iPad’s sluggish 480Mbps port. Plus, the 5G models support sub-6GHz bands, so if you're working from a coffee shop, the speeds are generally excellent.
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Is it Better Than the iPad Pro M1?
Kinda. It depends on your priorities. The iPad Air 5th gen and the 11-inch M1 iPad Pro share the same "brain," but the Pro has a slightly better camera (LiDAR) and FaceID. The Air uses Touch ID in the power button.
Some people actually prefer Touch ID. It’s fast, reliable, and you don't have to awkwardly angle your face toward the tablet when it's sitting flat on a desk. However, the Air's speakers are "landscape stereo," meaning you get great sound when watching a movie, but it's not quite as immersive as the four-speaker setup on the Pro.
Actionable Steps for Buyers
If you’re sold on the iPad Air 5th gen, don't just buy the first one you see. Follow this checklist to make sure you aren't getting a lemon:
- Check the Battery Health: If buying used, ask the seller for a screenshot of the Analytics data or use a tool like iMazing on a Mac to see the cycle count. If it's over 500 cycles, the battery might start feeling sluggish.
- Prioritize 256GB: Seriously. Unless you only use your iPad for Netflix and Gmail, the 64GB will become a headache within six months.
- Avoid "Like New" Third-Party Sellers: Stick to Apple Certified Refurbished or reputable outlets like Best Buy's Geek Squad Refurbished. Apple's refurbished units get a brand new outer shell and a fresh battery, making them indistinguishable from new.
- Get the Apple Pencil 2: Don't bother with the USB-C version of the Pencil unless you really want to save $30. The 2nd gen Pencil sticks to the side to charge wirelessly, which is a massive quality-of-life win.
- Update to iPadOS 26.2: If you're experiencing the "pink screen" glitch or UI lag that's been floating around, the .2 update has patched most of the major performance regressions for the M1 chip.
The bottom line is that the iPad Air 5th gen isn't a "budget" choice—it’s a value choice. It does 95% of what the most expensive iPads do, for about 40% of the price. In a world where tech gets obsolete in two years, the M1 Air is proving to be the exception to the rule.