This is my FIRST ipad with WiFi + Cellular!!! And I bought it specifically to be able to include a data plan and utilize it as a hotspot when needed.

I bought the iPad Air with the M1 Chip.
I can see that I can easily use this as a laptop too. One of my close friends recently bought the iPad PRO with the M2 Chip. These two devices are about the same size. I'm a bit more tech savvy than my friend but it does seem that the features for both devices are nearly the same.

YOU MUST get the APN number from the cellular data provider to make it work... and if the tech support/providers don't know this information FIND ONE THAT DOES KNOW!

IT IS GREAT. But I had to get over a hurdle with the provider to get it working.

I REALLY LOVE IT but for anyone buying, and needing to connect the WiFi and Cellular -- this info may be of help.

So far I've only used one brand of SIM card, and perhaps experiences with other companies will be different than the experience with Mint. I bought a 3 month SIM to try it... And spent half of that 3 months just trying to make this all work.

I know that an iPad can't be used as a phone... The device isn't built to be a phone.

Because it has its own UNIQUE phone number, unlike my previous iPad, I can't link it to my iPhone and answer calls on it the way I could with my former non cellular iPad.

BUT THIS: I do use VOIP landlines at home. I can actually use the Magic Jack phone on THIS iPad Air just as I can on my laptop and my old iPad.

I specifically wanted an iPad - to allow me more ease when I travel to get on line and to give me access to a hotspot when needed if no public access hotspot is available.

It took a long time to set up, because none of the support technicians at MINT were aware of the fact that THEY as the provider of the SIM card are supposed to provide you with the provider's code (APN) to allow the iPad's cellular and WiFi features a to work. (SEE THE PICTURE).

ONE SHOULD KNOW that even with a SIM CARD an iPad will NOT work as a phone! I did know that, but to make matters more solidly confusing - the MINT company assigns a phone number to the iPad but it can't be used except for BILLING types of issues. With MINT tech support - so many times they would tell me they were going to text information to the nonworking number.

I had to tell them REPEATEDLY that the number for my iPad which they issued - that I was asking for help to set up - does not work - which is something they should know.

I also lost more than a month of service that I paid for because MINT considered my tablet "ACTIVATED" even though they never provided me with the APN number until more than a month after they gave me a phone number that doesn't work -- so I could not use it as a WiFi/Cellular device at ALL until the APN number was given.

The vast majority of their tech support people and their supervisor had no idea about that number - except for ONE person that I finally got lucky enough to be connected to... and the very NEXT person I was on a chat with - a SUPERVISOR for Mint - was the worst of ALL in that this person finally told me that this iPad was too old, incompatible, and that I should buy something NEWER (there is nothing newer) and then disconnected me.

WHAT SAVED THE DAY was for me to go to the Apple Genius Bar/Geek Squad at Plymouth Meeting and - because I NOW did have the APN CODE - it took just a few minutes to correctly set up the WiFI and Cellular service!

Years ago I did telephone sales so I know that most of these tech support people are simply reading the words in front of them when they answer questions. And they are questions written for people who have cell phone connection issues - not iPad connection issues.

What this also means though is that at least for MINT (I have no other experience yet with other providers) you can't access your own account. Their procedure is to allow you access to your SIM card account by sending a text to the assigned phone number... and you can't access it, so you can't access your Mint account.

The iPad Air 5 is a genuine powerhouse. The M1 chipset blows anything and everything out of the water.

It's just too bad that it fails immeasurably as a portable device.

iPads used to be known for their excellent battery life, able to go days without a charge for many users. Whether it's the M1, something about iPadOS or Apple being stingy with battery capacity, something has gone horribly wrong in the longevity department.

I struggled to get more than 5 hours out of this tablet while doing basic tasks like Internet browsing and watching videos off the local storage. My iPhone 12 Pro manages better, and its battery is absolutely cooked.

I've done plenty of troubleshooting and reinstalled iPadOS to try and fix things. But it's no good. The battery life just sucks.

If I wanted to be tethered to an outlet, I would have bought a small laptop.

If the M1 is the culprit, then it's a problem that I absolutely NEED and M-series SoC to access Stage Manager.

A $400 nugget from Lenovo has access to PC mode, which offers multitasking on par with Stage Manager. All running on a mid-tier MediaTek processor with 6 gigabytes of RAM. Whether Stage Manager truly needs that much horsepower, or Apple is just pushing people to buy their more expensive iPads, is beyond the scope of a review, but it's something to think about.

Otherwise this is a pretty standard experience. The speakers are good, if hard to avoid covering while holding the device in landscape.

It's light and comfortable.

The screen is.... Acceptable. Paying this much and not getting an OLED panel isn't ideal but I knew what I was getting going in. Although perhaps the lower power consumption of an OLED screen would have helped the battery life. At the very least the thinner panel would have made room for a larger battery.

If you really want/need iPadOS but don't require Stage Manager, save your pennies and get a standard iPad.

After a month of using the iPad Air 5, I'm ready to share my thoughts. Overall, it's a fantastic device, but there are a few things to consider before you hit "buy."

The Good:

Blazing Speed: The M1 chip is a powerhouse. Multitasking, editing photos, and even playing demanding games are a breeze. It's noticeably faster than my old iPad, making everything feel fluid and responsive.
Stunning Display: The Liquid Retina display is gorgeous. Colors are vibrant, blacks are deep, and everything looks incredibly sharp. It's perfect for watching movies, reading ebooks, and browsing the web.
Sleek & Light Design: The iPad Air 5 is super thin and light, making it easy to carry around. It feels comfortable in hand, even for extended use. Plus, the aluminum build feels premium and durable.
Improved Cameras: The new 12MP wide cameras are a nice upgrade. Photos are clear and detailed, and the Center Stage feature keeps you in frame during video calls.

I have had several ipads in the past so decided to update my wifes one. This is an ipad air 64gb 5th generation so many of the features had changed such as the fingerprint recognition now placed at the top of the pad.

The screen is much better, larger with clear definition, very fast and responsive, light in weight so easy to hold for extended periods of time.

Transfering the data over is a bit of a faff, constantly requiring the fingerprint to be used and requesting passwords to be entered, I get the enhanced security but when you are downloading from the cloud that you have already verified seemed a bit frustrating.

However, it is a great bit of kit from Apple as always, I did consider another well known brand but stuck with what we know, in addition John Lewis was doing an irresistible deal on this one so it was a no brainer.

Highly recommend this ipad if you are in the market to buy or upgrade.