 If you're thinking of getting an iPad right now because maybe you're staring down a long lockdown winter where you can't even go outside and so you need to binge even more Netflix than you have been, then this is the iPad that I recommend for almost everybody who can afford it. It's the new $599 iPad Air. See, one of the biggest trends in tech right now is a bunch of companies are trying to figure out which part should go into their mid-range devices. Should they just be extra nice versions of the basic model, which is actually really what Google's done with Pixel 5 here, or should they be toned down versions of the best model, which is really what Apple has done here with the iPad Air. Either way, the result is usually a device that might be missing some high-end features that are luxuries instead of necessities. But even without them, this iPad Air feels like a luxury. It is the nicest computing experience you can have for $600 or less. The main thing that's new with the iPad Air this year is this design. It is almost identical to the iPad Pro models and that is a very good thing. It has these rounded corners and thinner bezels and that's features shared by the new iPhone 12s actually, but unlike the new iPhones, this iPad Air switches over from lightning to USB-C. Yes. Good. Right, we're not gonna go down a USB-C rabbit hole here. Just know that your lightning cables won't charge this devices. That design switch over also means that this uses the new iPad Pro accessory. So there's the Apple pencil that attaches and charges here via a magnet and it's better than the old lightning pencil is pretty much every way, but don't forget that it costs $129. You also have your choice of the standard smart keyboard for 170 bucks or this very nice magic keyboard with a track pad for $299. The iPad Air has the usual colors. There's gray, silver and rose gold, but there's also new colors of light green or this sky blue color right here. Now I am going to get into the specs, which includes an incredible new processor, but in a minute. They aren't the most important thing about the iPad Air. The most important thing is that this is just an incredibly nice computer to use. I have a lot of computers. I'm a weirdo. And when I just want a computing experience that's chill and relaxing, I always reach for an iPad. Now I know the base model iPad for $329 can do pretty much everything this iPad Air can do, but it's just not as nice to use. There are these really big bezels and the least expensive model only has 32 gigs of storage. On the Air, you get a bigger 10.9 inch liquid retina display and 64 gigs of storage. See for me, one of the biggest reasons to use an iPad is to just get something that's more enjoyable to use than a boring old laptop. And so this iPad compared to the base iPad is just nicer. It's speed, design, accessories, everything's just more enjoyable. There is one part that is enjoyable, but takes a little bit of getting used to. It's the touch ID sensor right here on the power button. It works and it's accurate and it's fast, but you have to operate it a little bit differently than I'm used to. You can't just tap it to turn on the iPad. You have to press it down and then let the button lift up and then leave your finger resting on the power button to unlock it. It's a little weird. If you press too long, you get Siri. And if you don't press long enough, it won't be able to register your fingerprint and unlock the iPad. It just takes some getting used to. The other thing to point out here is that iPadOS is enjoyable to use, but it still has the same old limitations. There's no support for multiple users and most video conferencing apps still turn the camera off when you multitask. Okay, it is finally time to talk specs. The big deal with this iPad is that it has Apple's newest, fastest processor, the A14 Bionic. It is very fast. It's faster even than the most recent iPad Pro's processor in certain benchmark tests like single core speeds. It's a beast and it signals good things for the upcoming ARM-based Macs. But that comparison to the iPad Pro isn't that simple though. See, the iPad Pro has more GPU oomph and the way that iPadOS works means that a lot of the most intensive apps really do take advantage of the GPU. So if you care about things like processor speed on an iPad, I think the thing to do is wait for the iPad Pro to get updated with a five nanometer A14X or A14Z or whatever they're gonna call it. Now compared to the iPad Pro, you lose out on a ProMotion high refresh rate display, LiDAR, Face ID, an ultra wide camera and quad speakers. I do miss the ProMotion display a little because I like high refresh rate screens, but everything else I really don't. The stereo speakers sound great in landscape mode. And by the way, battery life of course is excellent as always. So that's the iPad Air. I do wish there was a model in between the 599 64 gig version and the step up to the 749 256 gig version, but otherwise there's not a whole lot to knock here. It's an iPad. If the 599 price is in your budget, this is the one to get, especially since you're probably gonna be hanging on to this thing for very many years. Something that you have that long, I think it is worth spending the extra money for a more enjoyable experience. Hey everybody, thanks so much for watching. If instead of the iPad Air, you wanted to know about the new iPhone 12 or iPhone 12 Pro, we have of course reviewed those devices and you can click the link on your screen right now to watch them.
 If you're thinking of getting an iPad right now
 because maybe you're staring down a long lockdown winter
 where you can't even go outside
 and so you need to binge even more Netflix
 than you have been,
 then this is the iPad that I recommend
 for almost everybody who can afford it.
 It's the new $599 iPad Air.
 See, one of the biggest trends in tech right now
 is a bunch of companies are trying to figure out
 which part should go into their mid-range devices.
 Should they just be extra nice versions of the basic model,
 which is actually really what Google's done
 with Pixel 5 here,
 or should they be toned down versions of the best model,
 which is really what Apple has done here with the iPad Air.
 Either way, the result is usually a device
 that might be missing some high-end features
 that are luxuries instead of necessities.
 But even without them, this iPad Air feels like a luxury.
 It is the nicest computing experience you can have
 for $600 or less.
 The main thing that's new with the iPad Air this year
 is this design.
 It is almost identical to the iPad Pro models
 and that is a very good thing.
 It has these rounded corners and thinner bezels
 and that's features shared by the new iPhone 12s actually,
 but unlike the new iPhones,
 this iPad Air switches over from lightning to USB-C.
 Yes.
 Good.
 Right, we're not gonna go down a USB-C rabbit hole here.
 Just know that your lightning cables
 won't charge this devices.
 That design switch over also means
 that this uses the new iPad Pro accessory.
 So there's the Apple pencil that attaches
 and charges here via a magnet
 and it's better than the old lightning pencil
 is pretty much every way,
 but don't forget that it costs $129.
 You also have your choice of the standard smart keyboard
 for 170 bucks or this very nice magic keyboard
 with a track pad for $299.
 The iPad Air has the usual colors.
 There's gray, silver and rose gold,
 but there's also new colors of light green
 or this sky blue color right here.
 Now I am going to get into the specs,
 which includes an incredible new processor,
 but in a minute.
 They aren't the most important thing about the iPad Air.
 The most important thing is that this is just
 an incredibly nice computer to use.
 I have a lot of computers.
 I'm a weirdo.
 And when I just want a computing experience
 that's chill and relaxing,
 I always reach for an iPad.
 Now I know the base model iPad for $329
 can do pretty much everything this iPad Air can do,
 but it's just not as nice to use.
 There are these really big bezels
 and the least expensive model only has 32 gigs of storage.
 On the Air, you get a bigger 10.9 inch liquid retina display
 and 64 gigs of storage.
 See for me, one of the biggest reasons to use an iPad
 is to just get something that's more enjoyable to use
 than a boring old laptop.
 And so this iPad compared to the base iPad is just nicer.
 It's speed, design, accessories,
 everything's just more enjoyable.
 There is one part that is enjoyable,
 but takes a little bit of getting used to.
 It's the touch ID sensor right here on the power button.
 It works and it's accurate and it's fast,
 but you have to operate it a little bit differently
 than I'm used to.
 You can't just tap it to turn on the iPad.
 You have to press it down and then let the button lift up
 and then leave your finger resting on the power button
 to unlock it.
 It's a little weird.
 If you press too long, you get Siri.
 And if you don't press long enough,
 it won't be able to register your fingerprint
 and unlock the iPad.
 It just takes some getting used to.
 The other thing to point out here
 is that iPadOS is enjoyable to use,
 but it still has the same old limitations.
 There's no support for multiple users
 and most video conferencing apps still turn the camera off
 when you multitask.
 Okay, it is finally time to talk specs.
 The big deal with this iPad
 is that it has Apple's newest, fastest processor,
 the A14 Bionic.
 It is very fast.
 It's faster even than the most recent iPad Pro's processor
 in certain benchmark tests like single core speeds.
 It's a beast and it signals good things
 for the upcoming ARM-based Macs.
 But that comparison to the iPad Pro
 isn't that simple though.
 See, the iPad Pro has more GPU oomph
 and the way that iPadOS works
 means that a lot of the most intensive apps
 really do take advantage of the GPU.
 So if you care about things like processor speed on an iPad,
 I think the thing to do is wait for the iPad Pro
 to get updated with a five nanometer A14X or A14Z
 or whatever they're gonna call it.
 Now compared to the iPad Pro,
 you lose out on a ProMotion high refresh rate display,
 LiDAR, Face ID, an ultra wide camera and quad speakers.
 I do miss the ProMotion display a little
 because I like high refresh rate screens,
 but everything else I really don't.
 The stereo speakers sound great in landscape mode.
 And by the way, battery life of course is excellent as always.
 So that's the iPad Air.
 I do wish there was a model
 in between the 599 64 gig version
 and the step up to the 749 256 gig version,
 but otherwise there's not a whole lot to knock here.
 It's an iPad.
 If the 599 price is in your budget,
 this is the one to get,
 especially since you're probably gonna be hanging on
 to this thing for very many years.
 Something that you have that long,
 I think it is worth spending the extra money
 for a more enjoyable experience.
 Hey everybody, thanks so much for watching.
 If instead of the iPad Air,
 you wanted to know about the new iPhone 12 or iPhone 12 Pro,
 we have of course reviewed those devices
 and you can click the link on your screen right now
 to watch them.