A couple of years ago, the tablet market looked to be not so much saturated, but disregarded by many makers. Good Android tablets were hard to find, and commoditised.

Low-priced options such as Amazon's Fire tablets are excellent value and ideal for younger users but are limited to light use.

Apple though, in a very quiet Apple way, continued to improve and iterate its tablet range.

The iPad Pros are remarkable computers, chips were upgraded across the entire range and just eight weeks ago, it announced a very welcome update with a new iPad Air for 2022.

The new Air is not radically different to look at - indeed even inside there are similarities to the 2020 model.

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Importantly though, Apple's own M1 chip is inside, there's a USB-C port and 5G is available if you opt for the cellular model.

The new colours are also notable. Of course there's Space Grey and Pink and Blue, but the new offwhite Starlight and Purple are lovely, and both have tones similar to the fancy paint we see in house renovation shows.

It's available with two storage capacities, 64GB and 256GB, though the larger option would push the price up to €879.

Then there's a choice of wifi-only or 5G cellular.

Again, there's a price hike for the 5G option but for commuters or if you envisage using it outdoors, the additional cost of on-the-go browsing and streaming might be worthwhile. TouchID is built into the button on the top of the iPad, so you can unlock it with your fingerprint, and use the same functionality to log into apps or securely pay with Apple Pay.

The 10.9" screen is excellent and has a resolution of 2360x1640 pixels. The True Tone display means that images, photos and videos are beautifully shown with colours rich and true to life.

The anti-reflective coating is also useful and noticeable when using the tablet in bright conditions.

The iPad Air is also easy to hold and carry. At 6.1mm thick and weighing 461g, the 100% recycled aluminium enclosure feels as good as it looks.

Holding or using it for extended periods of time is no trouble and it can slip into a case or handbag with ease.

On the back is the 12MP wide camera with a digital zoom. It has auto-stabilisation if you're moving while snapping a photo and there's a clever burst mode to capture fast-moving action.

That camera has 4K video recording up to 60fps and supports slow-motion at 1080p. This makes for wonderful home movies and the continuous autofocus keeps the action in focus.

The front - or FaceTime camera as Apple calls it - has a good 122-degree field of vision at 12MP. It has timelapse video and the stabilisation features work really well.

Apple's Centre Stage technology is enabled on this front camera, and this is certainly not just a gimmick. When you make a video call the camera automatically pans around to keep you centred in the shot.

This is ideal for presentations or work use, but if you're having a family call from the kitchen table, as others join or leave the picture, the view expands or zooms out to get everyone in the shot.

It sounds like a small thing, but it's so convenient and well thought out that it simply makes video calls a joy.

Apple promises battery life of 10 hours, though that will fall if you're a heavy gamer or graphics user. Also, while the price of the standard version is fair, if you add an Apple Pencil and a storage upgrade or cellular, there will be no change from €1,000.

However for work users, adding a pencil and a smart keyboard and perhaps even cellular makes this a serious option for mid-range laptop users.

For the rest of us, the 64GB version is plenty and, if you have a 5G phone, just use the personal hotspot for outdoor use.

Feature-wise, this is a big step up from the entry-level iPad at €400.

It has Pro-style features and performance, and yet it's wonderfully portable and is probably the most useful iPad Apple has ever made.