Apple iPad Air (2022) could include A15 Bionic, Center Stage for FaceTime, and 5G support

When Apple introduced the iPad Air (2020), the fourth-generation model of the slate, it lit a fire under the tablet market for Apple. The device is powered by the A14 Bionic, the chip that runs the iPhone 12 series and is manufactured by TSMC using its 5nm process node. Now, the rumor mill is hard at work discussing what we might expect to see next with the iPad Air (2022) fifth-generation model.

A leak out of Asia says that the tablet will get an improved FaceTime front-facing camera with support for Center Stage. The latter uses machine learning so that when the front-facing ultra-wide-angle camera is used for apps like FaceTime, you and others besides you will remain in the frame no matter how much you jump around. According to Macotakara, the iPad Air 5th-generation slate will be unveiled this spring alongside the iPhone SE 3.

The iPad Air (2022) will sport the same form factor as the previous model but will be powered by the same A15 Bionic that powers the iPhone 13 line. The FaceTime camera will be an ultra-wide snapper weighing in at 12MP with quad-LED True Tone flash, and the tablet will offer 5G support. Macotakara also notes that the specs will be similar to the sixth-generation iPad mini.

We should expect to see the fifth-generation iPad Air feature the same 10.9-inch display that the 2020 fourth-gen unit carried, a Touch ID fingerprint scanner mixed in with the power button, a single rear-facing camera, a USB-C port, and support for the second Apple Pencil. Thanks to its touch surface, a user can change the tip of the Apple Pencil without even putting the digital writing instrument down.

While pricing is unknown at this time, the current iPad Air starts at $599 for the Wi-Fi version with 64GB of storage. And with COVID continuing to keep some employees and school children home, demand for tablets might remain strong.