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Yesterday, Apple updated its two mainstream tablets. Not a great deal has changed, they have not announced something revolutionary, but the new iPad Air has introduced us to the Apple A14, the worlds first 5nm chipset.
Specification Comparison Table
| iPad (2019) | iPad (2020) | iPad Air (2019) | iPad Air (2020) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SoC | Apple A10 2x Hurricane 4x Zephyr | Apple A12 2 × Vortex @ 2.5GHz 4 × Tempest @ 1.59GHz | Apple A12 2 × Vortex @ 2.5GHz 4 × Tempest @ 1.59GHz | Apple A14 2 × Firestorm 4 × Icestorm |
| Display | 10.2" 2160x1620 IPS LCD | 10.5" 2224x1668 IPS LCD DCI-P3, True Tone | 10.9" 2360x1640 Liquid Retina IPS LCD DCI-P3, True Tone | |
| Dimensions | 250 x 174.1 x 7.5mm | 250 x 174.1 x 7.5mm | 250.6 x 174.1 x 6.1mm | 247.6 x 178.5 x 6.1mm |
| Weight | 483g | 490g / 495g | 456g / 464g | 458g / 460g |
| RAM | 3GB LPDDR4 | Not stated | 3GB LPDDR4X | Not stated |
| NAND | 32 / 128GB | 64 / 256GB | 64 / 256GB | |
| Battery | 32.9Wh | Not stated | 30.8Wh | Not stated |
| Front Camera | 1.2MP, F/2.2 | 1.2MP, F/2.2 | 7MP, F/2.2 | 7MP, F/2.2 |
| Rear Camera | 8MP, F/2.4, 1.12 µm | 8MP, F/2.4, 1.12 µm | 8MP, F/2.4 | 12MP, f/1.8 |
| Cellular | 2G / 3G / 4G LTE (Category 9) | 2G / 3G / 4G LTE (Category 9) | UE Category 16 LTE (1Gbps) 4x4 MIMO and LAA | UE Category 16 LTE (1Gbps) 4x4 MIMO and LAA |
| SIM Size | NanoSIM | NanoSIM | NanoSIM + eSIM | NanoSIM + eSIM |
| Wireless | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 2x2 MIMO, | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 2x2 MIMO, | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax 2x2 MIMO, | |
| Bluetooth | BT 4.2 LE, GPS/GLONASS | BT 4.2 LE, GPS/GLONASS | BT 5.0 LE | BT 5.0 LE |
| GPS | GPS/GLONASS | GPS/GLONASS | GPS/GLONASS | GPS/GLONASS |
| Connectivity | Apple Lightning | Apple Lightning | Apple Lightning | USB-C |
| 3.5mm | Yes | No | No | No |
| Launch OS | iOS 13.1 | iOS 14 | iOS 13.1 | iOS 14 |
| Launch Price | From £329 | From £329 | From £579 | From £579 |
iPad Air 2020 vs iPad Air 2019 – Apple switches to USB-C
There are a few notable upgrades, apart from the new chipset, the biggest news would be that Apple has ditched the lightning cable in favour of USB-C. This is now two tablets they have with USB-C and their laptops already feature it. Could this be the start of Apple getting rid of the lightning cable altogether?
Apple A14 5nm Chipset
Apple has been very vague about the details of this chipset, making comparisons to the A12 chipset in the old iPad Air, rather than the A13 chipset which is used in phones. So it is not incredible clear how much this improves.
One thing is for sure, though, this is the first chipset to use the 5nm fabrication process, which most other companies will use for 2021 in their flagship devices.
It retains the 2×4 design of previous generations, but no word on the clocks just that the new cores are called Firestorm and Icestorm.
Apple claims a 40% performance boost on the part of the CPUs, assuming they are comparing against the A12, that would mean only a 16% boost vs the A13.
Apple also claims a 30% performance boost compared to the A12 generation thanks to the new 4-core GPU in the A14. This will, in theory, mean just an 8% increase vs the A13.
However, they have rolled out a new 16-core neural engine for AI processing. This is double the performance of the A12 and 83% better than the A13.
Apple didn’t mention much about power efficiency, but the new smaller fabrication process should make this a more efficient chipset.
Display & Design
The dimensions of the tablet remain similar; however, they have increased the display size and resolution to 10.9″ 2360×1640 vs 10.5″ 2224×1668.
They have done this by completely redesigning the tablet, slimming down the bezels and losing the home button. It does make it look more modern and sleeker.
While the home button has gone, they have introduced a new fingerprint scanner on the frame of the device.
Camera
The camera has been increased to a 12MP 1.22µm pixel sensor which is the same as the recent generation iPad Pro
Wi-Fi 6
Finally, as part of the chipset upgrade is the inclusion of Wi-Fi 6, allowing for faster connections if you have a Wi-Fi 6 router.
iPad (2020)
Less interesting is the new iPad (2020), it is identical to the one it replaces, but the chipset has been upgraded from the ageing A10 to the A12 (which was on last years iPad Air).
This should represent a massive performance boost, so it is a decent upgrade, especially for a relatively affordable tablet.
Overall
Nothing terribly exciting has been launched today. The upgrades are incremental, and if you have an Apple tablet that is a few years old it could be worth the upgrade, I wouldn’t bother from the previous generation though.
The new chipset will be used on the iPhone 12, so it will be interesting to see how it performs, and the move to USB-C could indicate that Apple is finally getting ready to ditch the lightning port.
I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.
As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.
In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.
I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.
