Apple equips iPad Air with front camera with ultra-wide angle lens and M1 soc

Apple has announced a new version of the iPad Air at its own online event. The tablet now has an ultra-wide-angle front camera with its Center Stage software to monitor users during video calls as they move around. He also has an M1 soc.

Apple iPad Air 2022

The function is possible thanks to the 12-megapixel camera with an angle of view of around 122 degrees. That camera can already be found on the iPad mini and the iPad Pro that were announced last year; the 2020 Air doesn’t have that camera. By default, the software zooms in and ‘follows’ the user during video calls to always keep them in the middle of the screen.

The Air also gets a spec bump; the soc is now the M1, the same soc found in last year’s iPad Pro models. In addition, in the versions with mobile internet, the modem is suitable for 5G, which is not the case with the previous generation. That happens with 4×4 MiMo on frequencies below 6GHz; there is no support for mmWave frequencies, which are not in use in the Benelux.

The design remains the same, with a Touch ID fingerprint scanner in the Power button on top and a 10.9″ screen with 2360×1640 pixels. Apple will release the tablet in a week and a half and it will cost 698.50 euros. The version with 5G costs at least 868.50 euros.