Engineering:iPad Air (4th generation)

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Short description: Tablet computer made by Apple (2020–2022)

iPad Air (4th generation)
IPad Air (4th generation, logo).svg
IPad Air 4.png
Also known asiPad Air 4, iPad Air (10.9-inch)
DeveloperApple Inc.
ManufacturerFoxconn
Product familyiPad Air
TypeTablet computer
Generation4th
Release dateOctober 23, 2020; 3 years ago (2020-10-23)
Introductory price$599 USD
£579 GBP
€649 EUR
$779 CAD
$879 SGD
$899 AUD
R11 500 ZAR
₹54 900 INR
DiscontinuedMarch 8, 2022 (2022-03-08)
Operating systemOriginal: iPadOS 14
Current: iPadOS 14.7.1, released July 26, 2021
System on a chipApple A14 Bionic with 64-bit architecture and embedded motion co-processor
CPUHexa-core (2× 3.1 GHz Firestorm and 4× 1.82 GHz Icestorm)
Memory4 GB[1]
Storage64 or 256 GB flash memory
Display10.9 inches (280 mm) (2,360 x 1,640) px (264 ppi), 500-nits Max Brightness, Wide-Color Display (P3), True Tone Display, Fully Laminated Display, 1.8% Reflectivity and Apple Pencil (2nd generation) support
GraphicsApple-designed 4-core
SoundStereo speakers
InputMulti-touch screen, headset controls, proximity and ambient light sensors, 3-axis accelerometer, 3-axis gyroscope, digital compass, dual microphone, Touch ID fingerprint reader, barometer
CameraFront: 7 MP, ƒ/2.2 aperture, burst mode, timer mode, exposure control, face detection, Smart HDR, wide-color capture, auto image stabilization, Retina flash, 1080p HD video recording
Rear: 12 MP, ƒ/1.8 aperture, five-element lens, burst mode, timer mode, exposure control, noise reduction, face detection, Hybrid IR filter, Live Photos with stabilization, Autofocus with Focus Pixels, face detection, Smart HDR, panorama, wide-color capture, auto image stabilization, 1080p HD 30fps video recording, video stabilization, slo-mo, time-lapse
Connectivity
Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + Cellular:
802.11 Wi-Fi 6 dual-band (2.4 GHz & 5 GHz) and MIMO

Bluetooth 5.0

Wi-Fi + Cellular:
GPS & GLONASS
GSM
UMTS / HSDPA
850, 1700, 1800, 1900 MHz
LTE
Multiple bands
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 29, 30, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66, 71
Power28.6 W·h lithium-polymer battery
Online servicesApp Store, iTunes Store, iBookstore, iCloud, Game Center
Dimensions9.74 inches (247.6 mm);"(h)

7 inches (178.5 mm);(w)

0.24 inch (6.1 mm);(d)
MassWi-Fi:

1.0 pound (458 grams)
Wi-Fi + Cellular:

1.01 pounds (460 grams)
PredecessoriPad Air (3rd generation)
SuccessoriPad Air (5th generation)

The iPad Air (4th generation), informally referred to as iPad Air 4, is a tablet computer designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. It was announced by Apple on September 15, 2020. Pre-orders began on October 16, 2020, and shipping began a week later on October 23, 2020 alongside the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro. The device closely resembles the design of the 11-inch iPad Pro (3rd generation) and has several features that were previously exclusive to the iPad Pro line, such as support for Magic Keyboard and the second-generation Apple Pencil. It is available in five colors: Space Gray, Silver, Rose Gold, Green, and Sky Blue.

The 4th generation iPad Air was discontinued on March 8, 2022, following the announcement of its successor, the 5th generation iPad Air.

Features

Hardware

There are 11.9 billion transistors inside of the Apple A14 Bionic SoC, which allows for higher efficiency in terms of both power and performance. The chip has a 6-core CPU that is 40 percent faster than the A12, a 4-core GPU that is 30 percent faster, and Apple's 16-core Neural Engine, which is twice as fast and features improved machine learning.[2] The Neural Engine can process more than 11 trillion operations per second.[3]

It has a wider 60 Hz[4] 10.9-inch 2360 by 1640 Liquid Retina Display display with 3.8 million pixels. The display is laminated and has an anti-reflective coating, as well as featuring wide color and True Tone.[5]

The Home Button is removed; the Touch ID sensor has been relocated to the Sleep/Wake button attached on the top right edge of the device.[6] Landscape stereo audio effect is also added to the system's audio recording system.[7]

It features a rear 12MP camera capable of 4K video recording at up to 60fps as well as a 7MP FaceTime camera capable of 1080p 60fps video.[8]

Connectivity

With the release of its fourth-generation iPad Air, Apple discontinued the proprietary Lightning port in favor of a universal USB-C port that is used for charging as well as connecting external devices and accessories. The port is capable of transferring up to 5 Gbit/s (625 MB/s), allowing for fast connections to cameras and external storage, as well as support for monitors with up to 4K resolution.[9] For wireless connection, the device comes with Bluetooth 5.0 and WiFi 6 (802.11ax).[10]

Accessories

It is compatible with the second-generation Apple Pencil, Magic Keyboard for iPad, and Smart Keyboard Folio.[11]

Reception

Apple's fourth-generation iPad Air has drawn criticism for being more expensive than its predecessor. In general, though, the iPad Air 4 has been widely praised by consumers and tech reviewers alike, with Henry T. Casey of Tom's Guide saying it is "the best tablet for most people" and "one of the best iPads ever,"[12] and with James Peckham of TechRadar calling it "a phenomenally well-made tablet."[13] PCMag.com included the iPad Air (4th generation) in its Best Tech Products of the Year list in 2020 and awarded it their Editors' Choice for high-end tablets.[14]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Apple was praised for keeping Touch ID integrated into the power button instead of Face ID, because early on in the pandemic, Face ID was unable to work when a user was wearing a face covering.[15][16]

Timeline of iPad models

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Colors =

    id:bg            value:white
    id:lightline     value:rgb(0.9,0.9,0.9)
    id:lighttext     value:rgb(0.5,0.5,0.5)
    id:server        value:rgb(0.8,0.8,0.9)
    id:pad1          value:rgb(0.9,0.7,0.9)   Legend:iPad_(1st)
    id:pad2          value:rgb(0.9,0.7,0.8)   Legend:iPad_(2nd)
    id:pad3          value:rgb(0.9,0.7,0.7)   Legend:iPad_(3rd)
    id:pad4          value:rgb(0.9,0.7,0.6)      Legend:iPad_(4th)
    id:pad5          value:rgb(0.9,0.7,0.5)   Legend:iPad_(2017)
    id:pad6          value:rgb(0.9,0.6,0.5)   Legend:iPad_(2018)
    id:pad7          value:rgb(0.9,0.5,0.5)   Legend:iPad_(2019)
    id:pada          value:rgb(0.6,0.7,1  )      Legend:iPad_Air
    id:pada2         value:rgb(0.6,0.7,0.9)       Legend:iPad_Air_2
    id:pada3         value:rgb(0.6,0.7,0.8)       Legend:iPad_Air_(2019)
    id:padm          value:rgb(1  ,0.6,0.8)    Legend:iPad_Mini_(1st)
    id:padm2         value:rgb(0.9,0.6,0.8)    Legend:iPad_Mini_2
    id:padm3         value:rgb(0.8,0.6,0.8)    Legend:iPad_Mini_3
    id:padm4         value:rgb(0.7,0.6,0.8)    Legend:iPad_Mini_4
    id:padm5         value:rgb(0.6,0.6,0.8)    Legend:iPad_Mini_(2019)
    id:padpro        value:rgb(0.5,0.7,0.5)    Legend:iPad_Pro
    id:padpro2       value:rgb(0.5,0.7,0.6)     Legend:iPad_Pro_(2nd)
    id:padpro3       value:rgb(0.5,0.7,0.7)     Legend:iPad_Pro_(3rd)
    id:padpro4       value:rgb(0.5,0.7,0.8)     Legend:iPad_Pro_(4th)
    id:current       value:rgb(0.9,0.9,0.9)     Legend:Still_produced

BackgroundColors = canvas:bg ScaleMajor = gridcolor:lighttext unit:year increment:1 start:01/01/2011 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightline unit:month increment:1 start:04/01/2010


BarData =

 barset:pad12
 barset:pad3+
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PlotData =

 width:17 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s
 barset:pad12
   color:pad1 from:04/03/2010 till:03/02/2011 text:"iPad (1st)"
 barset:break
   color:pad2    from:03/11/2011 till:03/18/2014 text:"iPad 2"
 barset:pad3+
   color:pad3    from:03/16/2012 till:10/23/2012 text:"iPad (3rd)"
 barset:break
   color:pad4    from:11/02/2012 till:10/22/2013 text:"iPad (4th)"
 barset:break
   color:pad4    from:03/18/2014 till:10/16/2014 text:"iPad (4th)"
 barset:break
 barset:break
   color:pad5     from:03/24/2017 till:03/27/2018 text:"iPad (2017)"
 barset:break
   color:pad6     from:03/27/2018 till:09/24/2019 text:"iPad (2018)"
 barset:break
   color:pad7     from:09/24/2019 till:$now text:"iPad (2019)"
 barset:break
   color:current from:$now till:end
 barset:pada
   color:pada    from:11/01/2013 till:03/21/2016 text:"iPad Air"
 barset:break
 barset:pada2+
   color:pada2    from:10/24/2014 till:03/21/2017 text:"iPad Air 2"
 barset:break
 barset:break
   color:pada3    from:03/18/2019 till:$now text:"iPad Air (2019)"
 barset:break
   color:current from:$now till:end
 barset:padm12
   color:padm    from:11/02/2012 till:06/19/2015 text:"iPad Mini (1st)"
 barset:break
   $skip
   color:padm2    from:11/12/2013 till:03/21/2017 text:"iPad Mini 2"
 barset:padm3+
   color:padm3    from:10/24/2014 till:09/09/2015 text:"iPad Mini 3"
 barset:break
   color:padm4    from:09/09/2015 till:03/17/2019 text:"iPad Mini 4"
 barset:break
   color:padm5    from:03/18/2019 till:$now text:"iPad Mini (2019)"
 barset:break
   color:current from:$now till:end
 barset:padpro
   color:padpro    from:11/11/2015 till:06/05/2017 text:"iPad Pro 12.9"""
   color:padpro    from:03/31/2016 till:06/05/2017 text:"iPad Pro 9.7"""
 barset:break
   color:padpro2   from:06/05/2017 till:10/30/2018 text:"iPad Pro (2nd) 12.9"""
   color:padpro2   from:06/05/2017 till:10/30/2018 text:"iPad Pro (2nd) 10.5"""
 barset:break
   color:padpro3   from:10/30/2018 till:03/25/2020 text:"iPad Pro (3rd) 12.9"""
   color:padpro3   from:10/30/2018 till:03/25/2020 text:"iPad Pro (3rd) 11"""
 barset:break
   color:padpro4   from:03/25/2020 till:$now text:"iPad Pro (4th) 12.9"""
   color:padpro4   from:03/25/2020 till:$now text:"iPad Pro (4th) 11"""
 barset:break
   color:current from:$now till:end
   color:current from:$now till:end
</timeline>

Source: Apple Newsroom Archive.[17] This timeline: view · talk · edit

References

  1. Espósito, Filipe (October 4, 2020). "iPad Air 4 benchmark results emerge on the web as Apple reportedly prepares A14 Apple TV [U"]. https://9to5mac.com/2020/10/04/ipad-air-4-benchmark-results-emerge-on-the-web-as-apple-reportedly-prepares-a14-apple-tv/. 
  2. "iPad Air : Completely Redesigned, Available Now" (in en). https://www.macrumors.com/roundup/ipad-air/. 
  3. Jonny Evans (September 16, 2020). "There's something in the iPad Air for enterprise IT". Computerworld. Archived from the original on October 27, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201027141008/https://www.computerworld.com/article/3575489/there-s-something-in-the-ipad-air-for-enterprise-it.html. Retrieved May 28, 2021. 
  4. Jason Cross (September 15, 2020). "iPad Air (2020): Seven things you need to know about Apple's redesigned tablet". Macworld. Archived from the original on May 29, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210529023501/https://www.macworld.com/article/234584/ipad-air-2020-faq-specs-features-price-design-release-date.html. Retrieved May 28, 2021. 
  5. James Peckham (February 28, 2021). "iPad Air 4 (2020) review". TechRadar. https://www.techradar.com/amp/news/new-ipad-air-4-2020. 
  6. Warren, Tom (2020-09-15). "Apple announces new iPad Air that looks more like an iPad Pro, starting at $599" (in en). https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/15/21436500/apple-ipad-air-new-design-features-colors-release-date-price. 
  7. Sascha Segan (October 27, 2020). "Apple iPad Air (2020) Review". PCMag. Archived from the original on March 25, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210325115920/https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/apple-ipad-air-2020. Retrieved May 28, 2021. 
  8. "iPad Air (4th generation) - Technical Specifications". https://support.apple.com/kb/SP828?locale=en_US. 
  9. "All-new iPad Air with advanced A14 Bionic chip available to order starting today". Apple, Inc. October 16, 2020. https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2020/10/all-new-ipad-air-with-advanced-a14-bionic-chip-available-to-order-starting-today/. "A USB-C port comes to iPad Air for up to 5Gbps data transfer, which is 10 times faster, for connecting to cameras, hard drives, and external monitors up to 4K." 
  10. "iPad Air - Technical Specifications" (in en). https://www.apple.com/ipad-air/specs/. 
  11. Arjun Sha (September 19, 2020). "15 Best iPad Air (4th Gen) Accessories You Can Buy". Beebom. Archived from the original on October 26, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201026094448/https://beebom.com/best-ipad-air-4th-gen-accessories/. Retrieved May 28, 2021. 
  12. May 2021, Henry T. Casey 19 (2021-05-19). "Apple iPad Air (2020) review: The best tablet for most people" (in en). https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/ipad-air-4-2020. 
  13. June 2021, James Peckham 07 (2021-06-07). "iPad Air 4 (2020) review" (in en). https://www.techradar.com/reviews/ipad-air-4-review. 
  14. "Apple iPad Air (2020) Review" (in en). https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/apple-ipad-air-2020. 
  15. Tibken, Shara (October 13, 2020). "iPhone 12 and the Touch ID button: Why Apple probably won't give it to us this year". https://www.cnet.com/news/iphone-12-and-the-touch-id-button-why-apple-probably-wont-give-it-to-us-this-year/. 
  16. Collins, Katie (October 20, 2020). "Our masks make Face ID useless. iPhone 12 did nothing to fix it". https://www.cnet.com/news/apple-iphone-12-no-touch-id-button-face-id-useless-in-age-of-coronavirus-wearing-masks/. 
  17. Apple Inc. (2010–2011). iPad News - Newsroom Archive. Retrieved June 7, 2018.
Preceded by
iPad Air (3rd generation)
iPad Air (4th generation)
2020
Succeeded by
iPad Air (5th generation)