Credit: Rene RitchieHow Old Is Your Current iPad?
The iPad Air has a very middle-of-the-road position between the larger iPad Pro and smaller iPad models, with updated specifications – which is great if you haven’t upgraded to a new iPad in some time.
For example, if the last iPad you bought was the previous Air model that’s now several years old, switching to the 2019 Air would give you a huge boost in quality and performance.
If you recently bought something like an iPad Pro, however, there’s no reason to get the new Air model. The jump in performance only becomes obvious if you are upgrading from a model that’s at least a few years old.
What Do You Use an iPad for?
Day to day, what is your iPad use like? If you use it primarily for entertainment or casual web browsing, then the new 2019 Air model is probably a great choice for an upgrade from an older iPad.
If you use your iPad primarily for work-oriented tasks, you may find one of the recent iPad Pro models to be more your style. The iPad Pro lineup now has larger screens, better connectivity (notably USB-C), and features that are more helpful in a professional environment, making them worth the upgrade over the 2019 Air.
Did You Like the Original iPad Pro?
The original 2017 iPad Pro has been surpassed by its larger, newer brethren, but it has a lot in common with the 2019 Air.
In fact, the new iPad Air is a bunch of updated hardware inside the 2017 iPad Pro design – which explains why the 10.5-inch screen is the same size, among other details.
So if you always wanted to get the original iPad Pro, but never got a chance; or if you want a smaller option than the current Pros provide, the 2019 Air could be exactly what you need.
Can Your iPad Handle Tougher Tasks?
The new iPad Air comes with a powerful A12 processor, 3GB of RAM, and at least 64GB of storage space. That’s a huge difference from the 9.7-inch iPad.
If you use the original iPad line and find that it’s not able to keep up with your applications, think about moving to the slightly larger, much more powerful Air model. You should see a noticeable boost in performance during gaming, working in more complex apps, and managing larger documents.
Do You Use Accessories?
Do you really enjoy iPad accessories? Does your job or hobby require using accessories like a stylus or keyboard? The 2019 Air received notable upgrades for accessory compatibility: it now functions with both the Apple Pencil and the Smart Keyboard.
The display also has an updated, laminated design which makes drawing or sketching on the 2019 Air feel a lot better than it has in the past.
Although, again, if you plan to use an Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard for work, then an iPad Pro might still be the better bet.
How Do You Listen to Audio?
Not everything in the 2019 Air is an upgrade. The camera isn’t as good as the cameras that Apple uses in its iPad Pro models, and notably, the Air has two speakers instead of four.
This is probably because Apple didn’t see the need to add more speakers when the iPad Air is frequently used as a personal device, and will work great with wireless earphones like AirPods. However, if you listen to a lot of audio out loud via its speakers, you may want to choose an iPad Pro model instead.
