The new fourth-generation iPad Air 4 (aka the iPad Pro killer) that was unveiled during today’s prerecorded Apple event will ship with a 20-watt USB-C charger in the box.
Available in October from $599, the new iPad Air 4 has had to switch to a different adapter because Apple has ditched the tablet’s proprietary Lightning connector in favor of USB-C, an industry-standard I/O. The move gives the iPad Air 4 tremendous flexibility in terms of accessories and peripherals that you can attach to it. It also means a switch to USB-C charging. Hence, a new adapter based on USB-C.
You’ll also find a 1-meter USB-C cable in the box for power and data.
The iPad Pro, Apple’s first iOS device to adopt USB-C, was the first Apple tablet to ship with a USB-C adapter. However, the iPad Pro’s adapter is eighteen watts and the new iPad Air 4 adapter is a bit stronger than that at 20 watts of power.
I find that somewhat peculiar because the new Air lacks some of the technologies in the iPad Pro that are taxing on the battery, like a 120Hz display. And even though the iPad Air 4 is the first Apple device with a new A14 Bionic chip, it likely consumes less power than the previous chip because it’s built on the latest five-nanometer process technology, resulting in smaller transistors that consume less power.
For completeness’s sake, the current 11-inch iPad Pro sports a 28.65-watt-hour battery while it’s 12.9-inch counterpart is equipped with a 36.71-watt-hour battery. For those asking, the new iPad Air 4 uses a 28.6-watt‐hour battery.
Thoughts on the iPad Air 4?