iPad Air 2022: Users complain about inferior workmanship

On March 8, Apple unveiled, among other things, the fifth generation of its iPad Air. The anticipation in the fan community of the Californian tech company increased immeasurably in view of the extensive revision of the high-quality tablet. Not only was it to be equipped with the powerful in-house M1 chip. On top of that, the iPad Air 2022 finally got 5G. However, while the high build quality of the predecessor models could always be praised, Apple seems to have alienated some users this time. After all, comments about the tablet’s inferior quality are increasing. Some even complain that the device tends to creak.

Technology is great, but the workmanship is bad

The iPad Air is undoubtedly one of Apple’s most popular products. After all, the elegant tablet has regularly received top ratings from both industry experts and users. This hard-earned reputation now seems to be slightly dampened with the fifth generation of the slim tablet. The flawless technology is by no means the focus of the negative reviews. It is rather the build quality that disappoints some users. Especially when comparing the iPad Air 5 directly with its predecessors, the differences are said to be frightening in some cases. Some even describe the build quality of the iPad Air 2022 as “very cheap”.

The first pictures of the latest iPad at Apple’s keynote on March 8, 2022 looked very promising. The tablet lived up to the motto “Peek Performance” during its presentation. In addition to the powerful M1 chip, it also offers the most modern mobile standard with 5G. However, the initially so positive impressions seem to have faded away quickly when the tablet is put into use for the first time. The iPad Air 5 is even said to creak for some users. However, a cause for the numerous problems seems to have been found already. And this concerns a design change in the chassis.

Increasing frustration in social media

As a report from MacRumors reveals, the negative statements about the fifth-generation iPad Air are piling up, especially in relevant social networks. Here, users vent their frustration and criticize the build quality in particular. The creaking and generally “cheap” appearance and handling is said to be due to a change in the back of the tablet’s chassis. According to Apple customers, it is now much thinner. Unfortunately, this does not only have a negative impact on the look and feel of the device. On top of that, the thinner back panel is said to lead to a lower stability of the iPad.

This manifests itself in the creaking already described above, which some users have heard. This is said to happen especially when pressing on the tablet’s display. Some even report that the back is so thin that you can feel the device’s battery. If this really is a general problem, Apple obviously did not manage to clearly distinguish itself from the conventional, much cheaper basic version of the iPad with the iPad 2022. We are curious if and how the tech company will react to the negative reviews.