iPad Air (2020) vs iPad Air (2019): comparison and differences

Apple's end-of-year conference was an opportunity to discover its new fourth-generation iPad Air. At first glance, this is a different tablet altogether. But what is improved compared to the third generation iPad Air? Let's analyze the differences of our two opponents based on the technical sheets communicated by the manufacturer.

Design: a radical change for the iPad Air 2020

To begin with, we therefore notice that the iPad Air 2020 does not look at all like the iPad Air of 2019. In fact, its chassis has been completelyrevampedand now looks more like the iPad Pros that were unveiled the same year. Thus, the angles are now straighter and reminiscent of the appearance of the late iPhone 4. The result is a more serious format, which brings the fourth generation iPad Air into the sector of tablets that can be favored for work. Just like its accessories, as we will see below.

Regarding the dimensions, they are 247.6 x 178.5 x 6.1 mm for the fourth generation iPad Air compared to 250.6 x 174.1 x 6.1 mm for the third generation iPad Air. The iPad Air 4 is therefore a bit wider than the iPad Air 3, but it is lower and just as thick. The weight, too, has changed: the iPad Air 2020 without 4G is heavier than its predecessor. On the other hand, the iPad Air 4 model with mobile data weighs a few grams less than the iPad Air 3. But truth be told, there is no real difference here.

However, we note that theborderswhich surround the screen of the fourth generation iPad Air are much narrower than those of the third generation iPad Air. The diagonal/format ratio is in fact higher with the new iPad Air: 81.3% vs. approximately 78.3%. You should also know that the iPad Air 4 offers additional colors: space gray, sky blue, rose gold, silver and green. The third generation of the iPad Air, for its part, is satisfied with the same shades asthe iPad 8, the details of which you can find right here.

For the rest, the iPad Air remains true to itself both in 2020 and in 2019: we are entitled to a relatively compact tablet, which fits in most bags.

The same software, but not for the same duration

The iPad Air 2020 comes withiPadOS 14as an operating system. The iPad Air 3, for its part, is eligible to update to this version but does not offer it as a base. We can therefore consider that the third generation iPad Air benefits from the same services as the fourth generation. The only difference will be on the side of eligibility forupdates. Thus, Apple is used to supporting its iPad Air for six to seven years if we rely on the data provided by the manufacturer. We can therefore assume that the iPad Air 3 will no longer be eligible for updates by 2026, while the iPad Air 4 will probably last another year.

In terms of functionalities, we notice that the developer has chosen to place particular emphasis on theconfidentiality. So, you can now choose your default browser. It is also possible to find out more about publishers' tracking processes directly from the App Store files. Similarly, iPad Air now notifies you if an app is reading the contents of your clipboard. Finally, know that from now onthe iPad Air 4 is able to physically disconnect its microphoneas soon as you close a cover on its screen. This was not the case with the third generation. Another advantage to protect our personal data and avoid being listened to without our knowledge.

Still on the software side, the iPad Air 2020, like the iPad Air 2019, is compatible with most iPhone applications. Likewise, Apple offers its own list of apps. It includes Translate, which quickly becomes essential for understanding a foreign language. In the third and fourth generation iPad Air, you also rely on the Photos library to store your photos. Without forgettingHealth, which lists all your well-being statistics. This is where you will find the measurements recorded by your Apple Watch.

In the iPad Air 3 and the iPad Air 4, Apple has also integrated several services, this time paid. Starting withApple Music, an unlimited music listening application that competes directly with Spotify. This costs 9.99 euros per month. Otherwise, an interesting alternative to Disney+ called Apple TV+ also broadcasts series and films at will. Most are even original creations. Terminals speaking of Apple Arcade, a cloud gaming platform which is also compatible with Apple TV. Everything is included in the packageApple One, which brings together these services for a more attractive price than buying them individually.

Screen comparison

The screen of the fourth generation iPad Air is larger than the screen of the third iPad Air. Thus, we are entitled to a diagonal of10.9 inches for the 2020 iPad Air compared to only 10.2 inches for the 2019 iPad Air. Pixel density, meanwhile, is roughly the same on both iPad Airs. True Tone technology also adapts the screen colors according to your environment and ambient brightness. A real asset for not tiring your eyes in the evening.

The iPad Air 3's cameras are less efficient

Now let's move on to the camera part. Needless to say, the iPad Air being a tablet, it will be difficult for you to take it with you to take photos everywhere. But this backup solution does the trick if you have no choice. In terms of numbers, the iPad Air 3 offers a single sensor on the back ofeight megapixels. With an f/2.4 aperture, it is capable of producing HDR images. For their part, videos are available in 1080p up to 30 frames per second. But the front camera only offers seven megapixels.

For iPad Air 4, the rear lens has been improved.It now has a twelve megapixel lens. It's exactly the same as inthe fourth generation iPad Pro, which is also entitled to a LiDAR radar. This thus benefits from agrand-anglewith an f/1.8 aperture, capable of capturing much wider landscapes than the iPad Air 3. Furthermore, this sensor is capable of filming in 4K, which is not the case with the previous version. Finally, you should know that the aperture of the camera dedicated to selfies has also been enlarged, this time with f/2.0.

The fourth generation iPad Air features the all-new processorApple A14. It is also the first device to have this chip - even before the iPhone - which had never happened before. On the iPad Air 2020, the SoC would even be40% faster, its GPU being around 30% more efficient compared to the iPad Air 3. On a daily basis, you will therefore have no trouble running particularly energy-intensive video games. Besides, iPad Airs are compatible with controllers: that’s good, isn’t it?

The third generation iPad Air, for its part, just runs with aApple A12 Bionic. This time, the processor is engraved with a precision of seven nanometers (compared to only five for the new iPad Air 4), but remains powerful enough to be able to open numerous apps at the same time without flinching. It is in fact divided into six different cores, including two Vortexes at 2.5 GHz each and four Tempests clocked at 1.6 GHz. This is coupled with 3 GB of RAM and a quadcore graphics chip.

Just take a look at the test video below to see this: even with heavy loads, the iPad Air 3 remains fast in most situations. Thus, the benchmark of the specialized Geekbench application here gives an overall score of 4,822 points for the CPU of the iPad Air 2019 in single core. An excellent result, beyond the iPhone X which is already rather solid in this area.

Connections

There are serious differences between the iPad Air 4 and the iPad Air 3 in terms of connectivity. Thus, the new iPad Air 2020 benefits from a socketUSB-Clatest generation, more universal and to which you can connect many compatible peripherals such as the eponymous keys. Moreover,the jack port has been abandoned, which means that you will have to buy special headphones or go through true wireless Bluetooth earbuds if you don't want to disturb those around you. At the back, we still find the Smart Connector to connect official keyboards.

The third generation iPad Air does offer a headphone jack but can be recharged using a plug.Lightning. Apple provides the charger, but you should not lose it or you risk quickly running out of battery. For the network, it will be Wi-Fi or mobile data depending on the model you choose, knowing that the edition with mobile data is more expensive, just like with the fourth generation of the iPad Air. Both are 4G compatible. Note also that file sharing can be done with AirDrop, which facilitates transfer to other Apple devices.

Battery life of iPad Air 3 and iPad Air 4

The third-generation iPad Air is capable of holding up toten o'clockin a row in multimedia web browsing. Autonomy has not been improved with the iPad Air 4, since according to its technical sheet it is the same duration that is offered. It's a bit of a shame, especially when we know that many users favor the iPad Air for long trips.

The charger that comes with the iPad Air 2020 offers a one-meter-long cable with a twenty-watt power adapter, which can power it up quite quickly. Charging time is about the same on the iPad Air 2019. So there is nono real differenceregarding the autonomy between our two adversaries.

Compatible accessories

For this iPad Air 3 vs iPad Air 4 comparison, it is now time to look at accessories. Indeed, a serious improvement is on the cards with the iPad Air 2020: it is in fact finally compatible with theMagic Keyboard. This product, which was first announced with the iPad Pro of the same year, is a keyboard that also integrates a trackpad. Its keys are backlit and its touchpad allows you to transform the iPad Air into a real workstation, capable of competing with computers since it offers almost the same configuration, plus the touch screen.

The Magic Keyboard for iPad Air 4 is the same as the Magic Keyboard for 11-inch iPad Pro. It therefore also costs339 euros, and offers a very satisfying design that makes the tablet “float” in the air. The only downside will perhaps be its weight which, coupled with the iPad Air 2020, will make the duo quite heavy and imposing to the point of - precisely - looking a little too much like a laptop PC. However, the benefit provided by such a combination for productivity is not negligible.

The other new feature of the 2020 iPad Air is its compatibility with theSecond generation Apple Pencil. This stylus is particularly favored by graphic designers for freehand drawing, and we can also, with iPadOS 14, use it for handwriting with the Scribble functionality. Only available in its white color, the accessory costs 135 euros. But its first generation, which is also compatible with the iPad Air 4 but especially with the iPad Air 3, does not exceed one hundred euros: a good deal, therefore.

If you're buying an iPad Air, whether it's the iPad Air 2019 or the iPad Air 2020, it's also a good idea to invest in two additional accessories. The first is ahullprotection. As we saw above for the sake of confidentiality (for the microphone), but also in order to cover the front panel in order to avoid scratches. Add to this a screen protector - ideally it should be made of tempered glass - and you're good to go. But be careful: those made for the fourth generation iPad Air are generally more expensive than those for the iPad Air 3.

Pricing and storage

The third generation iPad Air cost, when new versions were still on sale at Apple,569 eurosfor the edition with 64 GB of internal storage without 4G. However, you had to add 140 euros to switch to cellular data. The model with 128 GB of memory, for its part, was priced from 739 euros.

The iPad Air 4 is more expensive. Indeed, it starts at 669 euros, a hundred euros more than the 2019 generation. The model above, for its part, this time has 256 GB of storage but for 839 euros at least.

AppleCare+ insurance does not change: it still costs 79 euros. On the other hand, the price for changing the screen in the event of breakage was alsorevised upwards. Count on 421 euros for the iPad Air 3 vs iPad Air 4 at 451 euros.

Conclusion : iPad Air 2020 vs iPad Air 2019

This iPad Air 2020 vs iPad Air 2019 comparison was an opportunity to discover that this time, Apple is offering us a real improvement from one generation to the next.The iPad Air 4 is thus more elegantthan its predecessor, while the iPad Air 3 is less powerful and has a smaller screen. However, these changes come at a price: 100 euros more.

The fourth generation iPad Air is a mid-range tablet now capable of attracting the same audience as the iPad Pro thanks to the Apple Pencil 2 and Magic Keyboard. It will be perfect for all trades looking for a mobile touchscreen Apple device without neglecting the software part, thanks to iPadOS 14 and its many advantages.

To tell the truth, buying a third generation iPad Air is not very interesting since the majority of its components pale in comparison to those of the iPad Air 4. But it will still be a good option for makingsavings, for example for the tighter budget of university students. As is often the case, Apple keeps its promise to deliver a reliable and smooth product over the long term, and the benchmarks prove that there is nothing to complain about on this subject.

So, decided? Here is our fourth generation iPad Air price comparison table, updated in real time:

If, however, you are looking for better prices, then you can consult the comparison for the prices of the iPad Air (third generation):