• Tablet
• USB cable
• Power Supply
• Documentation
• SIM tray eject tool (for 4G versions)

A new broom sweeps in a new way? Or not? Rather, yes, all the usual functions are now in a lightweight body, which pleases. And the Air is very fast, looks better than the previous generation, inside the A7 processor, you can immediately buy a model with 128 GB - however, let's talk about everything in order.

Design, construction

Well, dear friends, lovers of large iPads, the tablet was a success. I want to say this right away, I happened to use the first iPad, the second, the third, the fourth - although there was a serious difference only between the first and second. Apple can afford to use the same case that the public is used to. In Sony or Samsung, a new device is always a new design, otherwise the public will not understand what the difference is. So, the iPad Air is something completely new, from the moment of the announcement, I decided that I would buy myself just such a device. There are several reasons for this. The iPad mini's small display isn't great for watching movies, and we (my girlfriend and I) often watch movies on our tablet while traveling, at home, or even outdoors when the weather permits. The difference seems to be small, but it’s more convenient to work, play, and use mail, a browser - continue the list yourself. Yes, it’s corny to show a presentation better on a large iPad. As I have already written more than once, a tablet for me is not at all a necessity, it happens that the device lies in a bag for weeks and is not used, and then it suddenly appears in the center of attention and almost always with me. I'm sure many of you have a similar use case.

Well, what pleased me from the first minutes of the iPad Air? The design has changed, it has become more strict, if earlier the iPad stood out from the line of Apple mobile devices - silver metal, black or white frame around the display - now everything is brought into line with other gadgets. It looks like an iPad mini, everyone notices it. It has become much smaller, you can even take it with one hand - if you have a big hand. And most importantly, now it is really comfortable to hold with one hand! For example, while reading on public transport, or just reading before bed. The dimensions have changed drastically, compare, these are the dimensions of the iPad 2: 241.2 x 185.7 x 8.8 mm, weight - 601 grams, the 3G version weighs 613 grams. And these are the dimensions of the iPad Air: 240 x 169.5 x 7.5 mm, weight - 469 grams, the 4G version weighs 478 grams. If you look at the numbers, the difference does not seem to be particularly noticeable, but in real life it is still noticeable. The frames to the left and right of the display have been reduced, the Home button at the bottom has not changed, the layout of the controls is familiar: above the display is the camera, on the right is the mute lever, the volume buttons, and on the top end is the power button. Connector 3.5 mm - top left, LIghtning - on the bottom. It's a pity that there are no EarPods in the package, I believe many of you use the iPad for listening to music as well.

Aluminum case, two colors, white and dark gray, Cosmic Grey, it is the same as iPhone 5S. Both colors are very beautiful, but I liked the "blued" iPad more, although I originally thought to buy a light one. I want to emphasize that the Air collects fingerprints very quickly, it was not noticeable on the silver metal, but here the apple on the back instantly gets dirty, the oleophobic coating on the display does not cope with fingerprints, before shooting I had to clean the Air for a long time and hard. The model with 4G has a plastic insert on the top end, there is an antenna, the SIM card slot is on the right end, nanoSIM is used.

There is a perforation at the bottom, it is not clear whether there are two speakers or one, but the sound of the tablet is simply gorgeous. You can safely watch a movie together and not connect an audio system, the volume margin is excessive. And this is not some kind of squeaker, there are even low, excellent voices, listening to music is also very interesting. In my opinion, the Air has even better sound than the MacBook Air 11, it is voluminous, interesting. This is a very welcome change, and everyone I showed the tablet to was positive about the sound quality. And as for the music in the headphones, I also want to respond positively, I listened to the Bose QC20, I really, really liked it, in my opinion, and here at Apple they changed something compared to the previous generation. The volume has grown, the sound quality has changed for the better, that's really a musical machine. It's nice that they didn't forget about this aspect of the iPad, I often listen to something before going to bed or when I'm reading a book.

Once again I want to dwell on the design, next to the display - such bevels, like the iPhone 5S, most likely it is on the edge and there will be scuffs during active use without a case, with 5S just such a situation. The coating of the case of the smartphone was changed for the better, this is not a five, where the paint crumbled on its own - I will tell you more in the review. But we can assume that Air has reliable coverage, which is good.

Display

The diagonal of the IPS display is 9.7 inches, there is an LED backlight, the resolution is 2048 x 1536 pixels, everything is simple here - this is one of the best screens for mobile devices, literally good from any angle, no matter how you look. I don’t know what else to add, it pleases the eye, everything is clear, smooth, bright - by the way, I don’t set the brightness to the maximum, eighty percent, this is enough.

Here we must make a reservation, the iPad mini with Retina will soon be on sale, you may have a question what to buy. I would recommend looking at the store for both tablets and only then make a decision. For myself, I understood one thing a long time ago - the diagonal matters, even if the Air does not fit into any pocket.

Memory

Four versions, the first iPad with 128 GB of memory was immediately announced - let me remind you that the previous version of the iPad 4 (let's call it that) appeared after the start of sales, as if Apple wanted to experiment whether consumers would like it or not. Or maybe there was a problem with the components, who knows. In any case, there are four versions: 16, 32, 64 and 128 GB. In general, there are eight versions, if we also take into account models with Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 4G. And if you take into account the colors, there are sixteen models. Just in case, I bought a version with 64 GB of memory, in reserve. If you are used to carrying a lot of content and documents with you, you want to always have a supply, then it makes sense to look at a model with 128 GB of memory. Who would have thought three years ago that we would live to see such a capacity in a tablet become commonplace - at least for Apple.

Accessories

I'm thinking of writing a buyer's guide for iPad Air owners, to tell you more about the most necessary and sensible accessories. Of the original additions, I immediately recommend EarPods - listen to music, chat in FaceTime (by the way, I often began to use this function on the tablet). I advise you to immediately buy SmartCover - a familiar cover that can activate the device when you open it, it can work as a stand. Well, or SmartCase, a full-fledged case with the same functions. In the operating experience, I will show how these covers look, for sure, offers from other manufacturers will soon appear. In general, I personally need an iPad case only as a stand, there is nothing special to protect here - glass, metal, the coating seems reliable.

Performance

The tablet comes with iOS 7.0.3, you can read more about the operating system in a separate review.

It uses an A7 processor like in the iPhone5S, 64-bit architecture, and there is also an M7 co-processor: “Thanks to the new M7 co-processor, the iPhone 5s works even more efficiently. It offloads the A7 processor by processing the motion signals of the accelerometer, gyroscope and compass. Applications use this data without loading the A7 processor. And since the M7 coprocessor was built specifically for these tasks, it requires significantly less power than an A7 would need. Thus, the battery charge is consumed more economically. Naturally, the Air needs a coprocessor for the same tasks, the solution is interesting.

I measured the performance with a benchmark, but this, you see, is not very significant. Programs run quickly, but there is still a problem with the optimization of some applications, for example, this is Soundcloud - the brakes when changing the display orientation are clearly visible in the video, see above. There you can also see how the races start in a small window and expand to full screen only after pressing the Pause buttons. Naturally, this is not a hardware problem, just software needs optimization. After installing some utilities from the store, icons did not appear on the desktop, a reboot helped. Safari crashes, this has happened several times already. The tablet sometimes slows down while changing the layout, you press the change button - nothing happens. Previously, in the new iPad, I did not encounter such problems. At the same time, there is no need to complain about the speed, even after the latest generation iPad, the launch time pleases - we are talking about all sorts of heavy applications like Infinity Blade III. To be honest, I put this game only for testing. Years go by, nothing changes in IB, titans, swords, loud and meaningless speeches - it's a pity. The same evil Plague is more like it. By the way, Eldar and I are constantly trying to find all sorts of interesting games for the iPad, if you know anything special, tell us in the comments.

Naturally, all the problems mentioned above will be fixed in software updates.

As already written above, there are two versions, Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 4G, I have a tablet from the USA. For me personally, the usual 3G is enough, but if they turn on LTE, it's easier to use the iPhone 5S as an access point for the iPad. Naturally, there is Bluetooth (profile 4.0), using AirDrop you can send a picture or something else to another iOS device. The mystery is why AirDrop on MacBook does not see iPhone, iPad.

Working hours

Claimed battery life is 10 hours of video playback (Wi-Fi on) or 9 hours of surfing using 3G/4G. The Lightning connector is used, no matter what anyone says, but it is better than microUSB in every way, you don’t have to think about which side to insert the plug. This is a major advantage over microUSB.

I've only been using the Air for a couple of days and the numbers seem to match. Most importantly, it did not get worse, despite the fact that the processor is different.

cameras

The module has not been changed here, the same as in the iPad 3/4 (although is it worth calling the last tablet in the last “body” the fourth?). Above the display is a FaceTime camera, 1.2 MP resolution, 720p video, on the back is a 5 MP main camera with autofocus, you can shoot HDR, record HD video. Probably, in the Air update they will put a module from the iPhone 5. Examples of shots from the iPad 3 review, the quality is the same. Enough for Instagram.

By the way, I have always wondered why take pictures on a tablet at all, from the outside it looks strange.

conclusions

In the US, the price story is this, here are the Wi-Fi versions: 16 GB - $499, 32 GB - $599, 64 GB - $699, 128 GB - $799. And here are the prices for the Wi-Fi + 4G versions: 16 GB - $629, 32 GB - $729, 64 GB - $829, 128 GB - $929. Naturally, until official sales in Russia have begun, there is a revival on the gray market, they ask for about 35,000 rubles for the considered model, but I would like to note that there is no hype, as in the case of the iPhone 5S. And I completely understand why. A tablet is not a smartphone, people do not change it without a reason, impulsively. Let's say if you have a latest generation iPad with 128 GB of memory, bought a few months ago - what's the point of changing it to Air? I personally don’t see the point, well, except that I really want a new product. A tablet is like a camera, this thing is often changed only if it is out of order. Well, or there have been major changes in technology, two or even three generations of such devices have changed.

So who is the iPad Air for? It seems to me that it is just for those who use the iPad 2 and have been waiting for the release of a completely new device. For those who have not bought tablets at all before, new users, schoolchildren who turned into students, students who got their first job. For those who have had experience with Android tablets and now want to try a normal tablet (this applies to both software and hardware).

I really liked the Air - familiar features in a lightweight package (and this very lightness is very important for many), great battery life, a gorgeous display, a large selection of modifications, cool design and materials, there are complaints about third-party programs, but there are no complaints about performance. I think that the updated Air will have a fingerprint sensor, like in the iPhone 5S, you get used to this thing, it is especially convenient to use it for shopping. They will probably change the cameras, add another color, and who knows what else will come. It is clear that in three years the iPad will be like a sheet of paper, everything is moving towards this - and that's great.

In conclusion, I will say that I am extremely impressed with the device and feel free to recommend the iPad Air to you. This will be one of the most sought after Christmas gifts, stock up in advance.

Sergey Kuzmin ()

In the tablet market lately everything is quite clear. Due to the fact that a huge number of smartphones have already surpassed these gadgets, manufacturers began to produce only special models. Someone focused on special functionality, someone tried to bring the tablet closer to the PC, someone created an unprecedented design. One way or another, it is now possible to purchase this device without problems, since everyone can find their own device in a certain price category and with the necessary technical characteristics.

It happens that an excellent model appears on the market, but a year later the manufacturer releases an older modification. And the owners of the first device do not know whether they should change their gadget to an updated one. It was the same with Apple. Therefore, a comparison is made for iPad Air 2 and iPad Air. In order to adequately assess the changes that have occurred with this tablet, we will consider each separately.

New generation

The arrival of the iPad Air in 2013 marked the beginning of a new generation. It would seem that all the usual functions have remained in place, but the body has become “airier”, and the “stuffing” is noticeably faster. The new model has definitely become better looking, working and attracting a lot of attention to itself.

Improved new generation

A year later, an updated one was released. Comparing it with the previous model seems to be a thankless task, because at first glance no updates are noticeable. But if outwardly the tablets are really similar, inside with the release of the second modification everything has become much better.

External differences

With the release of the iPad Air, changes from the previous line have become noticeable. It has become more strict, but retains the style, complemented by a silver edging and a black / white frame around the screen. In general, similar features with the iPad mini immediately became noticeable, but the main advantage of the new tablet was its size.

Of course, not everyone needs such a large screen. But even if we compare the dimensions of the “airy” tablet with the iPad, then the difference is colossal. Firstly, it has become thinner, and it is noticeable. Secondly, it has become less wide. Thirdly, the weight has become less by almost 150 grams. And even if these figures may not seem radically different to everyone, they are very noticeable in life.

But if we compare the iPad Air and iPad Air 2, then, as mentioned earlier, the changes are not particularly noticeable. The fact is that the main transformation concerns only weight and thickness. At the time of release, the brand new iPad Air 2 has become thinner by 1.4 mm, now the size of the side end is only 6.1 mm, which looks very attractive. Well, the weight also became less - 437 grams. There is even an opinion that changing the mass of the tablet has affected the comfort of use, now the back and arms are much less tired.

Color differences and details

Continuing the comparison between iPad Air and iPad Air 2, there are a few more external details to pay attention to. The first model of the new generation was supplied in two color variations: silver and dark gray. The new version received a new-fangled golden one in addition to the two familiar colors. Of course, increasing the choice of body shade is just a positive marketing ploy. By the way, many owners of golden iPhones gladly bought a tablet from the "apple" manufacturer to match their tone.

In appearance, the display orientation lock button has also changed. Now it is not there at all, most likely, it has disappeared for the sake of the thickness of the case. Now in its place is a small microphone hole. The "Home" key has not changed outwardly, but received an additional Touch ID, which, by the way, in "apple" devices is needed not only to unlock, but also to pay for purchases in the play store.

Screen

In iPad Air 2 and iPad Air, it would seem that screen comparison is not necessary, since external signs are invisible. The diagonal here is 9.7 inches, the resolution is 2048x1536 pixels. But the second gadget received a special touch screen, which was developed in tandem with lamination technology. The manufacturer has ensured that the layer between the glass and the matrix has disappeared. This is what helped make the device thin.

Also, this technology has led to some kind of illusion that the image seems to hover over the tablet. The second version received an anti-reflective coating that improves the visual effect even in the brightest light.

Technical equipment

Mini 2 - iPad Air in performance, in principle, will not give anything. In both models, the processor is A7 on two cores with a frequency of 1300 MHz. The PowerVR version of the G6430 is responsible for the graphics. RAM 1 GB, internal can be from 16 GB to 128 GB. We can safely say that in terms of technical equipment these are the same gadgets.

But things are a little better with the iPad Air 2. Here, by default, the OS is the eighth version. The processor is improved - A8X, which runs on two cores with a frequency of 1.5 GHz. PowerVR is also head and shoulders above the GXA6850 and runs on eight cores. RAM has also become more - 2GB. Built-in to choose from can be from 16 GB to 128 GB.

If we take a comparison of the iPad 4 and iPad Air 2, then the new model is significantly superior to the fourth generation. The iPad 4 has a slightly weaker processor - A6X with a frequency of 1.4 GHz. The GPU is younger - PowerVR SGX 554MP4. RAM, as in the iPad Air, only 1 GB. By the way, the tablet does not support 128 GB memory cards.

Giant

You can also recall another model with which you can make another pair - this is the iPad Air 2 and iPad Pro. Comparison of these tablets, though not entirely justified, but still they are "brothers" in the shop, and therefore can be opposed to each other.

The first and obvious difference is the appearance. iPad Pro has a screen size of 12.9 inches, which is almost comparable to some Apple laptops. This giant also works on iOS 9.x. The processor here has become a generation higher. The A9x works in tandem with the M9 at a frequency of 2.2 GHz. The RAM in the pro version is as much as 4 GB, which is now very valuable. But all these improved qualities significantly increase the price tag.

Camera

Returning to the iPad Air 2 and iPad Air, the comparison is worth continuing with a focus on the camera. It has changed significantly compared to the older model. In the second version of the tablet, the main one received 8 megapixels, while the first modification had only 5 megapixels. Also, the new camera was equipped with a special technology with a sensor and improved optics, which significantly affected the quality of the pictures.

There are also new functions such as Slow Motion. Now you will not surprise anyone with slow motion, but then it was a great addition to the new lens. As a result, all the innovations made photos of high quality, with improved color reproduction, detail, etc.

The front camera also added a little - instead of 0.3 megapixels, it received 1.2 megapixels. Of course, this option is not entirely good, especially for 2017.

Sound

With this characteristic there were not very striking changes. iPad of any generation has a great audio speaker. But the iPad Air 2 is noticeably louder, making it easy to watch movies and listen to music together. Externally, the dynamics have changed in two models. The iPad Air had two speakers in two rows of holes, but now, for the sake of a thin body, they made two stereo speaker grills on either side of the charger connector.

autonomy

The battery size has also changed. Again, due to the desire to make the body thinner, the battery of the second model received 7184 mAh. While the first model has 8827 mAh. As a result, continuous searches on the Internet, watching videos and listening to audio discharge the iPad Air in 12-13 hours, and the iPad Air 2 in 10 hours.

Although such changes were not positive, Apple is almost the only one who managed to fit such a powerful battery into a thin case. In addition, the manufacturer turned out to be a successful compromise between the autonomy and weight of the gadget.

conclusions

Of course, now for the iPad Air 2 and iPad Air, the comparison is irrelevant, since both models have been on the market for more than two or three years. Nevertheless, there are still those who doubt the choice between these two tablets.

Then you should consider two situations: if you are the owner of the iPad Air, or if you just decide to purchase a gadget from Apple. Let's take a look at the second option. If you just decided to buy an "apple" tablet and choose between these models, then in the battle of iPad Air vs iPad Air 2 comparison is superfluous, the newer device becomes the winner in any case.

The explanation for this is simple: whatever one may say, but the iPad Air 2 is much better than its predecessor. It is thinner, prettier, inside it has an updated processor and a new version of the graphics adapter. He received more RAM, as well as an improved camera. In general, he overtakes his older model in everything.

But if you are the owner of the iPad Air, then buying the second version may be pointless. Of course, although the changes are noticeable, they are almost the same models. It makes sense to look at newer devices. After all, after the release of the iPad Air 2, the iPad Pro, which we have already talked about, has already appeared on the market, as well as the compact iPad mini 4. And in 2016, a variation of the iPad Pro was introduced, but with a slightly smaller 9.7-inch screen.

By the way, it is the latest model that is now considered the most popular. It turned out to be a little different than the previous ones, not only in terms of technical characteristics, but also externally. In addition, this tablet received excellent technical specifications, support for a proprietary stylus and Split View mode.

In 2013, the world was presented with a new creation from Apple - iPad Air. The tablet has won the recognition of millions of users around the world. And a year later, at the autumn presentation, the company presented the thinnest device in the world - iPad Air 2, which did not revolutionize the world of mobile technology, but became no less popular than its predecessor. Despite the release of the novelty, many users were in no hurry to change the first generation devices, because they did not see much point in it. Of course, the iPad Air 2 received several important transformations that made it the flagship among tablet computers.

Comparing the iPad Air and iPad Air 2 will allow you to establish exactly what the advantages of a newer gadget are. However, there is a category of users who, in any case, change their smartphones and tablets from Apple after the release of a new model. This, rather, is dictated not by the need to use advanced device features, but by the desire to be one step ahead of the rest. If you appreciate value for money, functionality, and also use a rational approach when buying gadgets, comparing two popular models will be useful and interesting for you.

Comparison and review of two tablet models: iPad Air and iPad Air 2

The differences between the two devices lie in the appearance and dimensions of the case. If the length and width of the gadgets remained the same - 240 mm and 169.5 mm, then the iPad Air 2 became the thinnest device in the world at the time of release. Its thickness was 6.1 mm, which is 1.4 mm less than that of its predecessor. Many experts have come to the conclusion that insignificant differences in the size of the iPad Air and iPad Air 2 are practically not felt when using gadgets, which cannot be said about their weight.

The new device has become much lighter - its weight was only 437 grams, which is 36% less than the first generation device. Thanks to the reduced weight, iPad Air 2 is very comfortable to work with. After prolonged use, arms and back will not be so tired. This was a significant change for users who prefer to hold the tablet in their hands, rather than placing it on a horizontal surface.

It should be noted that the first generation iPad Air only comes in two colors - space gray and silver. The second-generation gadget is presented in three colors - gold has been added to the usual silver and space gray. This gives users more options to choose from. Some prefer to buy smartphones, tablets in the same color scheme. Now you can buy a similar device in the kit for the golden iPhone.

The first generation tablet comes to the market with iOS 7, and the second - iOS 8. Today, the characteristics of the device allow you to upgrade to iOS 9.2, which improves system performance and fixes some bugs.

Display characteristics

The screen resolution of the compared devices remained the same - 2048 by 1536 pixels. Has not changed - it is 9.7 inches, which ensures comfortable work. We believe that these dimensions are optimal for a tablet computer designed for a wide audience of consumers.

At the same time, the second-generation gadget is equipped with a completely different level. During its development, the technology of full lamination of the screen was applied. The developers managed to remove the air gap between the glass and the matrix. This made the device thinner and resulted in the image in the iPad Air 2 visually appearing to rest on the surface of the glass. The device released earlier does not have similar visual effects. Another advantage of the second-generation iPad Air device was a reliable anti-reflective coating, which ensured comfortable work with the gadget in bright light conditions.

Some users considered it a minus that in the new tablet, the developers removed the button for blocking automatic image rotations while changing the position of the gadget in space. It was located on the sidebar and was often used by gamers who like to read while lying down and often change their position. Auto-lock allowed to fix the image. In the iPad Air 2, this option must be activated using the user settings.

Camera

It is immediately worth noting that in the second generation of iPad Air, significant changes have affected the camera. The first thing that catches your eye - its resolution has increased to 8 megapixels. In the model released in 2013, it is 5 megapixels. At the same time, the iSight camera is equipped with a high-tech sensor and advanced optics, which made it possible to improve the quality of pictures and videos. For many, the presence of new features was a pleasant surprise. One of them is Slow Motion. It is designed to slow down video recording. Thanks to this function, you can shoot interesting videos, on which it is convenient to make accents using slow motion. In addition, the camera has other interesting and useful features.

When comparing photos taken with the two tablets, you'll notice that iPad Air 2 delivers better photo quality. Images have improved color rendering. In this case, all colors look more natural. The image noise has been reduced and object detail has been improved. However, such improvements are only relevant for discerning users. The camera performance of the first generation device is quite satisfactory for a device of this level.

The changes were not affected - its resolution is still 1.2 megapixels. However, it is not equipped with autofocus.

Technical specifications

The 2013 tablet is equipped with an A7 + M7 processor. Gadgets introduced in 2014 run on the A8X+M8 processor. The iPad Air 2 has three cores, while its predecessor had two. The clock frequency of gadgets is 1.5 GHz and 1.4 GHz, respectively. According to the developers, such changes allowed to increase the performance of the central processor by 40%. Power has been improved by 2.5 times.

The difference between iPad Air and iPad Air 2 lies in the amount of memory. If the first generation tablet has 1 GB of RAM, then the second generation device is equipped with 2 GB of RAM. At the same time, the 2013 model has 16 and 32 GB of internal memory. Various modifications of the later gadget allow you to purchase a tablet with 16, 64 or 128 GB of memory. This improvement is dictated by the development of a huge number of applications that require not only performance from the tablet computer, but also a sufficient amount of memory.

Battery life

The battery capacity of the device, released at the end of 2014, is 7184 mAh. Its predecessor has a larger battery capacity - it equals 8827 mAh. The developer stated that in the mode of searching for information on the World Wide Web, watching videos and listening to audio, the battery of a newer device will last for 10 hours of continuous operation. At the same time, its predecessor works for about 12-13 hours without recharging. In maximum brightness mode, while watching HD video, the time is reduced by 2 hours - such results show test tests.

We can conclude that Apple had to sacrifice battery capacity in order to fit it into the thin case of the iPad Air 2. It should be noted that no matter how long the battery life of any device is, it will always not suit certain categories of users. You always want your phone or tablet to last longer. In this regard, Apple has found an excellent compromise between the weight of the gadget, its size and duration.

On October 16, 2014, Apple introduced the updated iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 tablets in Cupertino. Apple tablets have not changed in terms of design, but have gained new technical characteristics. So the iPad Air 2 model received a new 64-bit processor, an improved camera and support for Wi-Fi 802.11ac. In addition, the tablet has acquired a new generation Touch ID fingerprint scanner and a new version of golden color. But how is the iPad Air different from the iPad Air 2?

"Iron" stuffing

The Air 2 tablet received an all-new 64-bit Apple-branded A8X processor running at 1.4GHz. Recall that the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are equipped with the usual Apple A8. The A8X pair has an M8 co-processor for motion processing, and the PowerVR G6430 chip is responsible for video graphics. The graphics of the second "air" iPad is two and a half times more productive than the chip installed in the first generation iPad Air. As for the processor, the A8X is 40% more powerful than the A7.

At the presentation, Apple compared the graphics and processors with the first generation iPad. It turned out that the current A8X processor processes information 12 times faster than the processor of the first iPad, and its graphics are 120 times faster.

Alas, the "second" Air will not be sold with a version with 32 gigabytes of memory, as was the case with the first generation iPad Air. Available only versions with 16, 64 and 128 GB of internal memory.

Slim body

The Apple iPad Air 2 is once again the world's thinnest tablet at just 6.1mm thick. The thickness difference between iPad Air and iPad Air 2 is 1.4mm. As for the width and height of the case, they remained the same: 240x169.5 mm, but the weight decreased by 31 grams. In terms of design, the iPad of the "sixth" generation has not changed much, but a new trendy body color has appeared - golden. The buttons on the ends of the tablet have changed slightly, and the lever for switching the automatic screen rotation has disappeared.

New 8 megapixel camera

In addition to a thin body and improved hardware, the new iPad has an 8-megapixel iSight camera module with f / 2.4. In terms of image quality, this module is comparable to the iPhone 5 camera. Recall that in the first generation of Air, a five-megapixel photo module was installed.

The Air 2 camera has learned to shoot video at a frequency of 120 fps (slow motion video), as well as video in Full HD quality. In addition, burst shooting and the creation of a 43-megapixel panorama are available. The front FaceTime HD module remains the same - 1.2 megapixels with the ability to shoot HD video.

New display cover

The touch screen of the tablet remained unchanged: the same 9.7-inch Retina display at a resolution of 2048x1536 pixels. But the main difference between iPad Air and iPad Air 2 is that Apple has used a new laminated coating that eliminates the air gap between the sensor and glass, and makes the tablet thinner by half a millimeter.

A special anti-reflective coating, first introduced on the iPhone 6, allows the user to better perceive the picture from the screen in sunny weather.

Touch ID and new interfaces

Introduced in September 2014, iPhone 6/6 Plus smartphones are equipped with a new generation fingerprint scanner. iPad Air 2 did not go unnoticed: instead of a mechanical Home button, a second-generation Touch ID fingerprint scanner appeared. The previous Air did not have such a scanner.

In addition, the 6th generation iPad has a built-in 802.11a/c Wi-Fi chip with MIMO, which makes data transfer much faster.

starting price

New from Apple at the start will cost significantly more than the "Air" of the first generation. Last year, the 16 GB version of the iPad Air cost 20,000 rubles. The cost of a new tablet with the same amount of memory will be 25 thousand rubles.

As a result, domestic users will have to fork out another 5 thousand rubles for updated hardware, a thin body, Touch ID and new interfaces. A comparison table of two "air" iPads is presented below.

Now, when Apple is at the peak of its glory, almost every of its devices, long before its official announcement, becomes a kind of constructor from rumors and leaks, according to which you can independently put all the pieces together and get an almost complete image of the final product. Moreover, both in appearance and in the hardware components used, although without specific details. Therefore, each presentation of devices, in fact, is mainly a confirmation or refutation of all previously appeared rumors. So, for example, it was with the new iPhones, and it also happened with the new iPad, which, however, still managed to present a few pleasant surprises. One of them is the fresh name of the device - .

Specifications

Delivery and equipment

The tablet comes in a relatively small cardboard box and is characterized by a traditionally attractive design with a minimum amount of visual information. The front side allows you to get acquainted with the "portrait" of the device, and the back side - with its very brief technical characteristics. The sidewalls are adorned with the name of the model and several silver logos of the manufacturer.

The delivery set is beautifully arranged in compartments, but it cannot boast of anything special. During unpacking, you can find: a compact power supply with a removable plug, a Lightning ↔ USB adapter cable for connecting to a PSU and syncing with a Mac / PC, a special paper clip to remove the SIM card sled, several small informational brochures and two stickers in the form of a logo manufacturer.

Appearance, design

The visual design of the California-based manufacturer's tablet line, unlike smartphones and media players, has remained largely unchanged since 2011, when Apple officially unveiled the highly successful second-generation iPad. Since that moment, the tablet has been updated twice, but its appearance has hardly changed. The situation changed only with the advent of the “younger brother” in the form of the Apple iPad mini model, which not only brought fresh design ideas, but also determined the further development of the full-size version of the tablet.

As expected, the appearance of the Apple iPad Air almost completely repeats the outlines of the mini version, only with reference to slightly larger dimensions, which, by the way, fully justify the new “Air” prefix borrowed from the laptop line. It has changed significantly compared to the previous generation, becoming thinner, more compact and lighter, and its shape has become more elongated and generally neater-modern due to a significant reduction in side frames (especially along the long side). The Apple iPad Air no longer evokes strong associations with a simple square photo frame.

The body of the device has acquired a more rigorous design: the corners are less rounded, the edges have lost their “sharpness” and become almost even, and the transition from the back to the sides has taken on a rather sharp outline. The already familiar chrome chamfer along the contour of the front panel has also appeared. The color scheme of the tablet has become consistent with the latest solutions from Apple. It includes two options: silver (Silver) and "space gray" (Space Gray), which now differ not only in the color of the front side.

From the constructive side of the Apple iPad Air has not undergone any changes. The tablet is made of durable anodized aluminum, providing a high level of rigidity, and complemented by tempered glass Corning Gorilla Glass 3, which covers the entire front side. In the 4G version of the device, in the upper part of the case, you can also find a small plastic insert, under which the antennas of the communication modules are hidden.

The materials used leave a very pleasant tactile sensation, but their condition must be constantly monitored. The tablet now and then is covered with multiple fingerprints, and the aluminum “back” strives to leave a couple of scratches as a memory if handled carelessly. However, all these shortcomings pale in comparison with the main advantage of the 5th generation of Apple tablets, namely weight. Apple iPad Air dropped very much in this regard - only 478 grams versus 662 grams for the 4th generation Apple iPad. Even the main competing model in the face of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014 Edition) has more - 544 grams, and this despite the fact that the body of the "galaxy" is made of plastic.

The build quality is traditionally at the highest level: there are no backlashes, no gaps, no squeaks when twisting and pressure within reasonable limits - everything is very well adjusted to each other. However, the glass, which has become thinner in order to reduce the weight of the device, is still pressed through a little, and when tapped it creates a kind of dull sound, as if the tablet inside is completely empty.

The location of all elements on the case remained in the same places, only the size of the control buttons has changed - now they are metal and have a slightly smaller thickness. In the upper part of the front side, almost completely given over to a 9.7-inch screen, there is a front camera with a resolution of 1.2 megapixels and an ambient light sensor. At the bottom is the traditional Home button, which, unlike the Apple iPhone 5s, did not receive a Touch ID fingerprint scanner.

Most of the upper edge is occupied by a black plastic insert, in the center of which there are holes for a paired microphone (the second microphone goes to the back of the tablet, as does the insert itself to a small extent). In addition, there is a power/lock button and a 3.5mm audio jack on top. On the bottom edge there is a proprietary Lightning port and two perforated grilles that hide stereo speakers behind them.

The left side of the tablet remains empty, while the right side contains the volume buttons, a small lever that by default locks the screen orientation, and a slot for a Nano-SIM SIM card.

Exactly in the center of the back side of the Apple iPad Air, you can see a relatively large mirror logo of the manufacturer, and in its upper part - the main camera with a resolution of 5 megapixels and a fragment of a plastic insert. At the bottom there is a laser etching of the name of the device (and without the prefix “Air”) and very brief technical information, including the exact model name, country of manufacture, certification marks and several identification and serial numbers.

Apple iPad Air, like the two previous generations of tablets, is equipped with a proprietary 9.7-inch Retina-screen, which is based on an IPS-matrix with a resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels. The degree of pixel density is 264 ppi. This is quite enough for this type of device. To protect the display, Corning Gorilla Glass 3 is used, which has an effective anti-reflective filter and a high-quality oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating. At the same time, there is an air gap between the glass and the surface of the matrix.

At first glance, all the characteristics remained unchanged, but the technology of its production, namely the active liquid crystal layer parts, has changed significantly. The relatively new IGZO technology (derived from the main constituents - oxide of indium, gallium and zinc), developed by the Japanese agency JST (Japan Science and Technology Agency), is now used. Unlike the traditional a-Si technology based on amorphous silicon, it allows not only to create transparent thin-film transistors, which are much smaller, but also to significantly increase the pixel density. It also helps to reduce power consumption by eliminating the need to constantly update the state of the transistors when displaying a static image.

In general, the display is very good and leaves an exceptionally pleasant impression. The viewing angles are maximum both vertically and horizontally, and the color distortion characteristic of IPS matrices in the extreme diagonal positions is practically absent. The color quality of the screen is able to please with bright colors with a natural level of their saturation, despite the extremely slight shift in color temperature to "cold" shades. The contrast level, although not a record, is high enough and provides an acceptable display of the black field.

The backlight of the display is characterized by a very wide range and is regulated both manually and automatically. True, there are some peculiarities: the automation only works to increase and does not regulate the degree of backlight when manually setting the maximum brightness level. Therefore, the most optimal solution is to set the brightness control at the level of 30-50%. If you select the maximum brightness value, which reaches about 360 cd/m 2 , you can work outdoors without any problems even under very bright sun. With the minimum value, which is about 10 Cd/m 2 , you can safely read your favorite books without fear of excessive eye strain. The uniformity of the backlight is good: in some places there are very slight highlights only at the very edge of the display.

The capacitive touch pad has very good sensitivity and is able to process a number of gestures familiar to the operating system without any problems. It is worth noting the very smooth sliding of the finger on the protective glass. But there is no possibility to work with gloves, even rather thin ones.

Among the settings for the display options, there are only a couple of functions: adjusting the brightness and changing the background image for the desktop and lock mode.

With the advent of the Apple iPad Air, the full-size version of the tablet has finally acquired two stereo speakers that can provide quite tangible surround sound. True, you can hear it only in the portrait orientation of the device, since both speakers are located on the bottom edge of the case. The sound itself is loud and clear even at the maximum level. There are practically no low frequencies, but there is a hint of them. Mids and highs are well balanced and have decent detail, thanks to which you can watch a movie and listen to music without the need to plug in headphones or external speakers.

The sound settings of the tablet are not rich. They are limited to selecting sounds for various types of notifications and adjusting the volume level, and only for calls and reminders (the overall level is adjusted using the volume control buttons or through the quick settings panel). In addition, you can turn on the sound of the device lock and keyboard clicks. Additional options (such as an equalizer, a sound check function, or a volume limiter) can be found in the settings of the music player.

Apple iPad Air is equipped with two quite familiar cameras, which have already been found in previous generations of the tablet. The iSight rear camera is based on a 5-megapixel back-illuminated sensor module and is complemented by a five-lens optical system with an f / 2.4 aperture. There is also support for fairly fast auto focus and electronic image stabilization (only during video recording). The maximum photo resolution is 3264 x 2448 (5 MP) at a 4:3 aspect ratio. Video recording is carried out in MPEG-4 format with resolution up to 1080p.

The FaceTime HD front camera is also based on a back-illuminated sensor module, but with a more modest resolution (only 1.2 megapixels) and a fixed focal length. The viewing angle of the camera is not very wide, but quite sufficient for a comfortable video call. The maximum photo resolution is 1280 x 960 and video is 720p.

The camera app has a very simple and intuitive interface, although it does not provide a rich set of various functions and settings (for this you need to use third-party applications). There is only the possibility of activating the HDR mode and changing the shooting mode through a vertical swipe - one for shooting video and two for photos (in a ratio of 4x3 and 1x1). From the camera application, you can go to view the footage, and through the system settings of the operating system, enable the display of the grid when shooting.

Shooting examples

Movie examples

Daytime on the move, 1080p 30 fps.

Daytime shooting, 1080p 30 fps.

Evening shooting, 1080p 30 fps.

The quality of the resulting material is pleasantly pleasing, despite the low resolution of the module used. Photos under favorable shooting conditions are quite detailed and have a pleasant color reproduction. With a decrease in the level of ambient light, noise is strongly manifested and detail is significantly reduced. A similar situation is observed with video, although the high-quality work of the electronic stabilization system is still worth noting - minor shaking is almost completely neutralized.

User interface

The Apple iPad Air tablet is running the iOS 7 operating system, which has radically changed compared to the "six", both from the visual side and from the technical side. The much-loved skeuomorphism with a relatively dark color scheme has given way to bright, one might say, “rainbow” fills and gradients. The main system font has also changed - instead of the usual Helvetica, a more modern and thin Helvetica Neue Ultralight is used, which makes a tangible contribution to the concept of the new design.

By the way, at the time of writing the review, Apple began to distribute an operating system update to version 7.0.6, which fixed a security problem that occurred when checking an SSL connection.

The lock screen in iOS 7, having lost the dark bars at the top and bottom, began to look more neat and holistic. However, its functionality has not changed. It displays: current time and date, battery charge status, cellular network signal quality, as well as various notifications. To unlock the device, you need to swipe from left to right in any part of the screen, and to launch the camera application, pull the corresponding icon from the bottom up.

In addition, from the lock screen, as well as from the main screen, with a swipe from the top edge you can open the traditional notification panel, and with a swipe from the bottom - the full-fledged quick settings panel that has finally appeared. With it, you can control the audio player, enable/disable wireless communication modules, put the device into do not disturb mode, block the display from changing orientation, launch the stopwatch and camera applications, as well as control the master volume, display backlight and AirPlay function.

The main screen, which the user enters after unlocking the device, has practically not undergone functional changes in the new version of the OS, but has changed a lot visually. So, a new, smoother and, unfortunately, longer animation has appeared, system application shortcuts have received completely redrawn icons, the folder display has become full-screen (there are no more “breaks”), and the so-called parallax effect can be applied to background wallpapers, in which the main screen becomes pseudo three-dimensional. In addition, the global Spotlight search has changed its location and to access it you just need to swipe down on the main screen or any additional one.

The appearance and functionality of the multitasking mode has been significantly changed. He got a full-screen interface, in which running applications are displayed as a kind of cards with intuitive controls. The mode is called by the usual action (with a four-finger gesture or by double-clicking on the Home button), but to close the application, it is now enough just to swipe the corresponding card up.

The operating system settings menu has completely retained its structure and has acquired several additional items.

Finally, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with additional "screenshots" of the OS.

Hardware platform and performance

The hardware platform of the Apple iPad Air tablet is represented by the proprietary Apple A7 processor, the main feature of which is the use of a 64-bit ARMv8 desktop-class architecture and the presence of a special energy-efficient Apple M7 motion coprocessor for direct processing of data from the gyroscope, accelerometer and digital compass. The main processor is manufactured in accordance with the 28-nm HKMG (High-k/metal gate) process technology and is equipped with two cores with a clock speed of up to 1.4 GHz. The L2 cache is 1 MB. The coprocessor is manufactured using a 90-nm process technology and includes only one Cortex-M3 (ARMv7-M) core with a frequency of up to 150 MHz.

As a graphics accelerator integrated into the main processor, one of the latest solutions from Imagination Technologies is used - IT PowerVR G6430 codenamed "Rogue". The accelerator has 4 cores (clusters) running at up to 650 MHz and supports a number of important APIs: OpenGL ES 3.0, OpenGL 3.2 and DirectX 10.0.

Despite the use of an improved processor microarchitecture, the amount of LPDDR3-1600 standard RAM remains the same and is only 1 GB, while some Android devices already have 3 GB installed. The built-in storage capacity starts at 16 GB (with only 12.5 GB available to the user). There is traditionally no support for memory cards, so if funds allow, you should immediately pay attention to versions with more capacious storage: 32 GB, 64 GB or even 128 GB.

The performance of the latest Apple A7 hardware platform is really very high. Using only two cores with a frequency of up to 1.4 GHz, it is able to compete with flagship Android solutions based on 4-core or even 8-core processors with clock speeds of 1.5 GHz. Of course, such an advantage can be attributed to a more productive 64-bit architecture, but you should not forget about the highest degree of iOS optimization - after all, it is created for the capabilities of only a few devices with a strictly defined hardware component.

In general, the Apple iPad Air is very fast and, importantly, very smooth. Drawing the interface and launching applications does not cause any complaints. As for demanding games, in some cases the tablet's capabilities become insufficient in some places. For example, this happens in Dead Trigger 2 when a large number of dangerous zombies gather on certain maps.

With active and continuous load, the tested model starts to heat up slightly (mainly along the long edge), but its temperature remains within very comfortable limits. There is no need to worry that the device may deteriorate during active use.

Communication and communications

The Apple iPad Air version (A1475) is able to please with the support of a full range of mobile networks, including 2G and 3G networks that are fully operational in Ukraine. Unfortunately, the fourth generation networks (4G) are not yet available to the residents of our country, due to the lack of adequate coverage. Third-generation networks continue to develop and gradually provide more and more data transfer speeds.

Thus, the fastest mobile Internet access in Ukraine is provided by Intertelecom, which has currently implemented the widest 3G coverage area with support for EV-DO Rev.B access technology, providing a maximum data transfer rate of up to 14.7 Mbps (or up to 1.75 MB/s).

However, it is quite difficult to achieve such high speed results even in the open air in the city center. The maximum data reception rate in the room was 4.5 Mbps, and sending up to 2.6 Mbps. Outdoors - up to 8 Mbps for reception and about 2.5 Mbps for sending.

To better demonstrate the speed of the 3G connection, a 142 MB archive was downloaded from the Dropbox service, as well as 10 photos taken on the Apple iPad Air were uploaded to the Facebook social network. In the first case, it took 3 minutes 12 seconds, in the second - less than 5 seconds. Be that as it may, even this speed is pleasantly pleasing, especially in cases where there is not a single Wi-Fi point nearby.

As for the local communication capabilities of the tablet, they are quite standard: Bluetooth V4.0 with support for the A2DP profile and dual-band (2.4 / 5 GHz) Wi-Fi with support for 802.11 a / b / g / n protocols, Wi-Fi Hotspot functions and a MIMO signal spatial encoding method. Naturally, there is a proprietary AirPlay protocol for wireless media streaming between devices. There is also support for DLNA and Miracast standards, but they require the appropriate applications to work. But there is neither an NFC module nor a built-in IR transmitter for controlling various household appliances in the Apple iPad Air.

The data transfer rate over Wi-Fi (wired connection 100 Mbps, router with 802.11n support) shows very impressive results: up to 80 Mbps for receiving and up to 24 Mbps for sending. The search for points and connection to them is very fast, and the established connection has good stability and does not try to “fall off” when strong interference occurs.

The presence of a hardware GPS module with support for A-GPS and GLONASS is available only in the version of the tablet with a built-in cellular modem, i.e. the so-called Wi-Fi + Cellular, and you should not forget about this when choosing a device. The performance of the module is excellent, and the user's location is determined almost instantly and quite accurately. The electronic compass also works perfectly, determining the cardinal points as accurately as possible.

Offline work

The fifth generation of full-size Apple tablets, despite the noticeably reduced capacity of the battery used (8827 mAh (32.9 Wh) versus 11560 mAh (43 Wh) for the Apple iPad 4), keeps battery life the same without any problems level. This is a direct merit of the more energy-efficient Apple A7 hardware platform and IGZO display technology. According to the manufacturer, the Apple iPad Air is capable of providing up to 10 hours of Internet browsing in Wi-Fi mode or when playing movies and music. But when accessing the Internet via a cellular network, this figure drops to 9 hours.

In real conditions, the battery life almost fully corresponds to the declared - 9.5 hours of HD-video viewing with Wi-Fi on and 50% brightness of the display backlight. In game mode, for example, when running Dead Trigger 2, the tablet is able to work for almost 4.5 hours at 100 percent screen brightness. This is a very good result, although the estimated running time according to the GFXBench benchmark is 377 minutes, i.e. just over 6 hours. The time to fully charge the battery is traditionally slow and is about 4 hours.

If we talk about real everyday operating conditions with the performance of various tasks, then the Apple iPad Air is able to live without problems for two to three days. If you use it only for sofa Internet surfing for several hours a day, then it is quite possible to count on a week of its operation from a single battery charge.

Results

AppleiPadAir can rightfully be called one of the best tablets on the market, both in terms of the visual component, which finally received the expected updated design, almost completely copied from the Apple iPad mini, and in terms of the hardware platform, almost completely inherited from the Apple iPhone 5S.

The tablet has become much more ergonomic, smaller, thinner and lighter. True, for this, the manufacturer had to sacrifice the battery capacity to an insignificant extent and use a thinner protective glass, which begins to sag noticeably under pressure, and when lightly tapped, create a slightly unpleasant dull sound. This is somewhat discouraging, because the rest of the device is almost perfect. It features: a stunning 9.7-inch Retina display with a resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels, which is based on energy-efficient IGZO technology and provides a very high quality display; one of the most productive mobile platforms, which is represented by a 64-bit dual-core Apple A7 processor with an Apple M7 motion coprocessor, as well as a capacious battery that provides about 9-10 hours of battery life. In addition, the tested model with the A1475 index can please with full support for 3G and 4G mobile communications (only the third generation is available in Ukraine) with a fairly good data transfer rate, as we were convinced by testing the service from the Intertelecom operator.

There are no significant shortcomings in the Apple iPad Air, and those that are are more subjective. For example, the traditional lack of support for memory cards or the lack of a Touch ID fingerprint scanner. A much more important issue in the process of choosing a tablet can be either its cost, which is very significant in our country (on average from 7000 UAH / $730 for a 4G version (Wi-Fi + Cellular) with 16 GB of internal memory), or personal dislike to Apple products and to the closed nature of the iOS 7 operating system, which encourages the purchase of legal content (music, movies, magazines and applications).

Advantages:

• updated appearance: lighter, thinner, more compact;
• excellent build quality, high body rigidity;
• excellent display with reduced side frames;
• productive hardware platform - Apple A7 with Apple M7 coprocessor;
• full support for 3G and 4G mobile communications;
• high-quality stereo speakers;

  Subscribe to our channels