In this article, we will discuss one of the most important characteristics of the iPad - the screen size. This is the most impressive part of the tablet, and immediately catches the eye. During its existence, the "apple" company has released many models of this device. And they all come with different sizes displays. Let's see how gadgets have changed according to this criterion over the years. And let's start the review with the very first rulers - iPad 1, 2, and so on.

A tablet device is a type of device, the size of the display diagonal of which is of great importance. The first generation, which was published 7 years ago, was already in the standard version, which took root for many years. The considered parameter for gadgets did not change until the 4th generation, although something new was added for other screen characteristics:

• iPad 1 had a diagonal of 9.7 inches (in iPad 2 the diagonal was left the same as in iPad 3 and iPad 4), with a resolution of 1024 × 768, 132 ppi.
• iPad 2 - same dimensions in inches, exactly the same resolution and pixel density.
• iPad 3 - 100% higher resolution than the first and second line of devices, and the same with pixel density.
• iPad 4 is all the same as its predecessor.

But regardless of the model, the picture on the display of Apple tablets has always been excellent. But technology is constantly evolving and the gadgets of the line 3 and 4 have received a Retina display. .

In the four, the screen resolution and the pixel density parameter have also been increased. This allowed us to make the image look like a picture of a glossy magazine. Pixels are not visible at all, which gives realism. The developer made a 100% correct choice by implementing this technology. Among 10-inch tablets, this device is considered the best. The only drawback is the lack of anti-reflective coating. This disadvantage on the forums has been noted by many users.

The IPS matrix element, included in the model ranges 1 - 4, produces a color gamut for maximum naturalism and maximum viewing angles. Its quality is especially evident in the process of comparing with previous display options. The capacitive sensor has also been improved. In addition, a warmer color gamut and improved image detail have been added.

Display sizes for iPad Air, iPad Air 2

The further development of the tablet was very interesting. The body has been radically improved, new shades have appeared. The bezels have been significantly reduced, but the dimensions of the displays remain the same (as in the fourth and other iPads).

The more compact dimensions of the iPad Air line of tablets have taken them to a higher level, made stylish and modern.

Characteristics of displays of devices of the Air model:

• iPad Air - 9.7-inch, Retina, 2048-by-1536 resolution, 264 ppi.
• iPad Air 2 - exactly the same parameters as the first "air" tablet.

As you can see, everything remains the same. Only Retina technology is of interest. Thanks to it, the response time to touching the display and power consumption are significantly reduced.

Screen settings for iPad mini, iPad mini 2-4

Now is the time to highlight tablets that are close to the modern standards of top-end devices. The developer paused a bit with the size of the displays and this innovation is for the better.

Mini versions are widespread and loved by many users. After all, it is very comfortable to carry such a gadget with you, and its functionality is not inferior to conventional models:

• iPad mini - 7.9-inch, 1024 × 768, 163 ppi.
• iPad mini 2 - Same diagonal, but 100% increased resolution and pixel density.
• iPad mini 3 - exactly the same performance as the second variation of the mini.
• iPad mini 4 is exactly the same as version 2 and 3.

As you can see from the above characteristics, the diagonals of the mini devices are not at all the same as in 4 iPads and other standard versions. They are much smaller. The resolution setting is the same, and the number of dots is 1 inch larger.

Pro Line Tablets

In terms of "appearance", the two variations of the gadget of this line are almost identical. Therefore, users here choose by functionality, because not everyone needs a TV to constantly carry with them:

• Pro variation 1 - 9.7 inches, Retina, 2732 × 2048 resolution, 264 ppi.
• Pro variation 2 - 12.9 inches, the rest of the parameters are exactly the same.

To date, these two models are the best, both in terms of picture quality and performance. The latest anti-reflective coating makes working in the sun comfortable.

Above was given a historical background regarding the development of tablets from the "apple" company in terms of display size. It is interesting how the iPad will evolve in the future, but this is anyone's guess. But judging by the performance. At least another 2 - 3 years, Pro will be at their best and will satisfy the needs of the most demanding users.

And since the subject of our today's conversation is the iPad of the second line, further we will consider in detail other characteristics of this line of tablets.

IPad 2 design

No revolution has happened since the second generation of devices. The consumers were presented with the same product in a minimalist style, very neat, made of glass and aluminum materials. You can not love Apple devices, but you cannot deny that they are of decent quality. By design, they are several steps ahead of similar competitors' gadgets. Let's say you can't put plastic products from Samsung Tab or Motorola XOOM, consisting of separate elements assembled together, in a row with them. If you have any doubts about this, just turn the "apple" tablet in your hands, and immediately feel the difference.

The back part remained the same "unkillable". It is made of scratch-resistant metal. The socket has now become almost flat - it narrows only towards the end part. The first line of tablets didn't have that.

"Two" is much thinner than its predecessor (and even iPhone 4). Visually, it seems that you can even scratch yourself like a piece of paper. This effect is created thanks to the same narrowing towards the ends. In it, the developer applied the same design idea as in the MacBook Air, in which the minimum thickness options are equal to only 3 millimeters.

The tablet also lost some weight. True, only 6 grams compared to its predecessors, but still it positive result... However, at that time, according to this criterion, the iPad 2 was ahead of the competitor from the Korean company - Galaxy, which weighed 7 grams less. At the same time, his body was made of plastic, which does not add to his price.

IPad 2 Package

Everything here is standard and predictable, nothing new. In the box with the second tablet, besides the device itself, the user found:

• charging cell;
• USB cable;
• documentation;
• Apple brochures and stickers.

The "Apple" company, as always, has not changed the principles of minimalism. Nothing remarkable of the accessories was placed in the box, which is rather large in volume. By the way, the adapter is for an American outlet. So, whether you like it or not, you will have to purchase an adapter.

Second Tablet Battery

The period of operation without additional recharging of devices of the second line is the same 10-12 hours. The same was true for this type of starter product. And this is all during active operation with the use of wireless elements, when watching movie clips and listening to music tracks.

All of this is impressive considering that it is a device with a nine-cell battery. According to these criteria, Apple's tablet has no competitors until now. Close gadgets from other companies running on Android last about 6 hours without recharging. It is especially pleasing that the long period of autonomous operation was preserved with a significant decrease in the thickness of the case.

And a little more about the display ...

This element was the pride of the company already in the very first tablet. At that time he was himself best quality- competitors had nothing of the kind. Everything is the same in the second generation tablet. Many fans of Apple products expected to see Retina technology in it, that is, a 400% increase in resolution. But for such parameters, the device did not have enough processor power and graphic element. In other words, the miracle did not happen. And if it happened, then the starting cost of the gadget would skyrocket by at least 50%.

But even this display has become one of the best in terms of brightness, resolution and responsiveness to touch. No wonder any devices with a sensor mechanism are usually compared with iPhones and iPads, because the latter have no equal.

However, there are also more significant distinctive points in comparison with the previous version and competitors. For example, thanks to the oleophobic layer, the display is not easily soiled. It is very difficult to stain it with touches. And if suddenly some kind of dirt appears, it is easy to remove it. Users of the first line and tablets of competitors have to clean constantly.

Efficiency has increased in many ways - when surfing the net, when working with graphic elements. Separately, it is worth mentioning the increase in memory on board the second tablet up to 512 megabytes. Of course, today such an indicator will seem ridiculous, but at that time it caused delight.

The operating system in this line of tablets, in comparison with the previous one, was also more advanced. She was an order of magnitude higher. Accordingly, the functionality has expanded, and the work has become faster.

The tablet performs all the commands perfectly. This applies to the interface, a nimble browser, the absence of freezes and inhibitions of programs, a vividly playing video.

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

Specifications

Delivery and equipment

The tablet comes in a relatively small box made of thick cardboard 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 - with very brief technical characteristics. The sidewalls bear the name of the model and several silvery logos of the manufacturer.

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

Appearance, design

The visuals of the Californian manufacturer's tablet line, unlike smartphones and media players, have remained largely unchanged since 2011, when Apple officially unveiled the highly successful second generation iPad. Since then, the tablet has been updated twice, but its appearance has hardly changed. The situation changed only with the appearance of a "little brother" in the form of a model Apple iPad mini, which not only brought fresh design ideas, but also determined the further development of the full-format 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 the slightly larger dimensions, which, by the way, fully justify the new Air prefix borrowed from the notebook 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 more neatly modern due to a significant reduction in the side frames (especially along the long side). Apple iPad Air no longer has strong associations with a simple square photo frame.

The body of the device has acquired a more strict design: the corners are less rounded, the edges have lost their "sharpness" and have become almost even, and the transition from the back to the sides has taken on rather sharp outlines. The already familiar chrome bevel 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 and Space Gray, which now differ not only in the color of the front side.

On the constructive side, the Apple iPad Air has not undergone any changes. The tablet is made of durable anodized aluminum for a high level of rigidity, and is 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. Every now and then the tablet is covered with multiple fingerprints, and the aluminum "back" strives to leave a couple of scratches as a keepsake in case of careless handling. However, all these disadvantages pale in comparison with the main advantage of the 5th generation of Apple tablets, namely weight. Apple iPad Air dropped a lot in this regard - only 478 grams versus 662 grams for the 4th generation Apple iPad. Even the main competing model in the face of Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014 Edition) it is larger - 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 creaks when twisting and pressure within reasonable limits - everything is very well matched to each other. However, the glass, which has become thinner in order to reduce the weight of the device, still squeezes a little, and when tapped, it creates a kind of dull sound, as if the tablet inside is completely empty.

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

Most of the upper edge is occupied by a black plastic insert, in the center of which are the holes of the paired microphone (the second microphone goes to the back of the tablet, as well as the insert itself to a small extent). In addition, on top there is a power / lock button for the device and a 3.5 mm audio jack. On the bottom 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 on the right are the volume buttons, a small lever that by default locks the screen orientation change, as well as 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 mirrored logo of the manufacturer, and in the upper part of it - the main camera with a resolution of 5 megapixels and a fragment of a plastic insert. At the bottom there is a laser engraving of the name of the device (and without the prefix "Air") and a very short 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 pixel density is 264 ppi. This is enough for of this type devices. To protect the display, the tempered glass 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 matrix surface.

At first glance, all the characteristics have remained unchanged, but the technology of its production, namely, a part of the active liquid crystal layer, has changed significantly. Now used relatively new technology IGZO (derived from the main constituents - indium gallium and zinc oxide), developed by the Japanese agency JST (Japan Science and Technology Agency). Unlike 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 states of transistors when displaying a static image.

In general, the display is very good and leaves an extremely pleasant experience. 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 reproduction quality of the screen is able to please with bright colors with a natural level of their saturation, despite the extremely insignificant 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 display backlight is characterized by a very wide range and is regulated both manually and automatically. True, there are some peculiarities: the automation works only to increase and does not adjust the backlight level when manually setting the maximum brightness level. Therefore, the most optimal solution is to set the dimmer at a level of 30-50%. By choosing the maximum brightness value, reaching about 360 Cd / m2, you can work in the fresh air without any problems, even under a very bright sun. At the minimum value, which is about 10 cd / m 2, you can safely read your favorite books without fear of unnecessary strain on the eyes. The uniformity of the backlighting is good: in some places there are very slight highlights only at the very edge of the display.

The capacitive touch substrate has very good sensitivity and is capable of handling 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 the ability to work with gloves, even thin enough, is not.

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

With the arrival of the Apple iPad Air, the full-format version of the tablet finally has two stereo speakers capable of delivering a very tangible surround sound experience. True, you can hear it only in 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. Low frequencies practically not, but there is a hint of them. The mids and highs are well balanced and have decent detail, allowing you to watch movies and listen to music without the need for headphones or external speakers.

The sound settings of the tablet are not rich. They are limited to the choice of sounds for different types notifications and volume control, and only for calls and reminders (the general level is adjusted using the volume control buttons or through the quick settings panel). In addition, you can play the sound for device locking and keyboard clicks. Additional options (like equalizer, sound check function, or volume limiter) can be found in the music player settings.

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

The front-facing FaceTime HD 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 camera's viewing angle is not very wide, but quite sufficient for comfortable video communication. The maximum photo resolution is 1280 x 960 and video is 720p.

The camera application has a very simple and intuitive interface, however, an abundant set of various functions and settings is not provided (for this you need to use third party applications). There is only the possibility of activating the HDR mode and changing the shooting mode by means of 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 viewing the footage, and through the system settings of the operating system, enable the display of the grid when shooting.

Examples of photography

Examples of filming

Daytime shooting in motion, 1080p 30fps.

Daytime shooting, 1080p 30fps.

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 rendition. With a decrease in the level of ambient light, noise appears strongly and detail decreases significantly. A similar situation is observed with the video, although the high-quality operation of the electronic stabilization system is still worth noting - minor shaking is almost completely neutralized.

User interface

The Apple iPad Air is running the iOS 7 operating system, which has dramatically changed compared to the "six", both from the visual side and from the technical side. Skeuomorphism, loved by many, 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, the 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 preparing the review, the company Apple started distribute an operating system update to version 7.0.6 that fixes a security issue with SSL validation.

The lock screen in iOS 7, having lost the dark bands at the top and bottom, has become more neat and coherent. However, his functionality not changed. Shown here: current time and date, battery charge status, signal quality of the cellular network, and 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, you can open the traditional notification panel with a swipe from the top edge, and a full-fledged quick settings panel finally appeared with a swipe from the bottom. It can be used to control the audio player, turn on / off wireless modules, put the device in do not disturb mode, block display orientation changes, launch stopwatch and camera applications, as well as control the general volume, display backlight level 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 it has changed greatly visually. So, a new, smoother and, unfortunately, longer animation appeared, the shortcuts of system applications received completely redrawn icons, the display of folders became full-screen (there are no more "breaks"), and for background wallpapers you can apply the so-called parallax effect, in which main screen becomes pseudo voluminous. 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 displayed in the form of a kind of cards with intuitive control. Calling the mode is carried out by a usual action (four-finger gesture or double-clicking on the "Home" button), but to close the application, it is now enough to simply swipe the corresponding card up.

The operating system settings menu has completely retained its structure and 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 28nm HKMG (High-k / metal gate) technological process and is equipped with two cores with a clock frequency of up to 1.4 GHz. The L2 cache is 1 MB. The coprocessor is manufactured using a 90nm manufacturing process and includes only one Cortex-M3 (ARMv7-M) core with a frequency of up to 150 MHz.

One of the latest solutions from Imagination Technologies - IT PowerVR G6430, codenamed "Rogue", is used as a graphics accelerator integrated into the main processor. The accelerator has 4 cores (clusters), clocked 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 microarchitecture of the processor, the amount of RAM of the LPDDR3-1600 standard remains the same and is only 1 GB, while some Android devices are already installed in 3 GB. The capacity of the built-in storage starts at 16 GB (with only 12.5 GB available to the user). Support for memory cards is traditionally absent, therefore, 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 strong. With just two cores 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 from 1.5 GHz. Of course, such an advantage can be attributed to a more productive 64-bit architecture, but also about the highest degree iOS optimization should not be forgotten - 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 places. For example, this happens in Dead Trigger 2, when a large number of dangerous zombies gather on certain maps.

Under 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 operation.

Communication and communications

Apple iPad Air (A1475) version is able to please with full set support mobile networks, including fully operational 2G and 3G networks on the territory of Ukraine. Unfortunately, fourth generation (4G) networks are not yet available to the residents of our country, due to the lack of appropriate coverage. Third-generation networks continue to evolve and gradually provide increasing data transfer rates.

Thus, the fastest mobile Internet access in Ukraine is provided by Intertelecom, which on this moment implemented the widest 3G coverage 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 Mbps).

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

For greater clarity of the speed of the 3G connection, a 142 MB archive was downloaded from Dropbox service and uploading 10 Apple iPad Air photos to Facebook. 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 functions Hotspot and MIMO signal spatial coding technique. Naturally, there is a proprietary AirPlay protocol for wireless media streaming between devices. There is also support for DLNA and Miracast standards, but for them to work, you need to have appropriate applications. But neither the NFC module, nor the built-in IR transmitter for controlling various household appliances Apple iPad Air does not.

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

Hardware GPS module with support for A-GPS and GLONASS is available only in the tablet version with a built-in cellular modem, i.e. the so-called Wi-Fi + Cellular, and this should not be forgotten when choosing a device. The module's performance is excellent, and the user's location is determined almost instantly and accurately enough. The electronic compass also works great, determining the cardinal directions as accurately as possible.

Autonomous work

The fifth generation of Apple's full-size tablets, despite the noticeably reduced capacity of the battery used (8827 mAh (32.9 Wh) versus 11560 mAh (43 Wh) in the Apple iPad 4), without any problems retains the battery life at the same 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 use 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 is almost fully consistent with the declared - 9.5 hours of watching HD-video with Wi-Fi on and 50% brightness of the display backlight. In game mode, for example, when Dead Trigger 2 is running, the tablet is able to work for almost 4.5 hours at 100% screen brightness. This is a very good result, although the estimated runtime 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 performing different tasks, then the Apple iPad Air is able to live without problems for two to three days. If you use it only for couch internet surfing for several hours a day, then it is quite possible to count on a week of its work from a single battery charge.

Outcomes

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

The tablet has become much more ergonomic, more compact, thinner and lighter. True, for this, the manufacturer had to slightly sacrifice the capacity of the battery and use a thinner protective glass, which begins to bend noticeably under pressure, and with a light tap, create a slightly unpleasant dull sound. This is somewhat discouraging, because otherwise the device is almost perfect. It features: a remarkable 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 speed, as we were convinced of by testing the service from the Intertelecom operator.

There are no significant flaws in the Apple iPad Air, and those that 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 UAH 7000 / $ 730 for the 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, films, magazines and applications).

Advantages:

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

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Air iPad is a modern and very popular tablet from Apple. Air runs on the ninth version of the operating system and is presented in a thin aluminum case. The weight of the gadget is only less than 500 grams.

But that's not all of the iPad Air's winning specs. This device has powerful technical indicators - an A7 processor, a large bright display, an excellent camera. In many ways, it surpasses the iPad 3, A1474 and many others, if produced iPad comparison Air with them. In addition, the buyer has the right to choose how much memory will be in his tablet - 16 or 32 GB. As for the colors of the tablet - there is not much choice here. The manufacturer has released tablets in gray colors. One is of a silvery shade, the other is "space gray".

Of course, the Ayr tablet supports wireless networks, and the user can access the Internet whenever he wants. After all, today Wi-Fi points are located almost everywhere.

For iPads of the Air model, it is possible to download and install almost any software. There are more than 800 thousand available games and applications for the device. No matter how many programs you want to have on your tablet, you can download as many. Of course, everything is within the memory capacity of your device.

But the first pleasant moment that catches the eye of the user after several days of using the new item is the long work of the gadget without additional recharging. The battery capacity of the device is more than 32 W / hour, which allows you to work up to 10 hours in wireless networks.

These were the main parameters, and now - detailed review Apple iPad Air.

The box with the device contains the following:

• The tablet itself.
• USB cable.
• Charging.
• The documents.
• SIM card extraction accessory.

But in principle, has anything changed with the arrival of the new model? Or just the look? Of course, yes. But the improved "filling" is also placed in a lighter and stylish body... The gadget, now powered by the A7 processor, is faster. But first things first…

Design and build

So, let's just note that the product was a success. This is noted by the majority of users who have tested all the lines of tablets from the "apple" company. They also note that there was a dramatic difference only between the first and second generation of devices.

But the manufacturer can afford not to change anything much, because this is in his principles. And the consumer is used to this state of affairs. But, for example, Apple's competitors have each new gadget Is always a new design. Otherwise, they believe, the user simply will not understand what the innovation is.

But in the situation with Air, the "apple" company deviated a little from its rules, and new tablet really differs and externally from the younger "brothers". This was one of the main reasons why the device immediately attracted widespread interest from the public.

For example, the mini's screen was too small to watch video clips. But many people use the tablet, for the most part, as a TV. This is convenient, because you can watch videos both in nature and in transport.

And although the difference between a new item and a small model in terms of screen size is not very large, it is more convenient to work with it. How to play, and write SMS, and surf. And a simple presentation of a presentation will have a greater effect if you do it on a large display.

What makes the new Air tablet happy with its owners? First, the design. He became more strict. Its dimensions in terms of thickness have decreased. And many people say that the device is similar to the mini model. The gadget may well fit in a large palm. It turned out to be very convenient to work with the device with one hand. Let's say you can read this way on the bus, or just lying in bed before going to bed.

The dimensions of the new items have changed very significantly. If the previous models of tablets weighed more than 600 grams, then Air - less than 500 grams. As for the length and width, the device has also become significantly smaller when compared with the second and third versions of the iPad.

Moreover, the difference between the new tablet and the previous ones is more visually felt than when just talking about numbers. The bezels on both sides have been reduced. The Home button at the bottom remains the same. The controls are similar to those on previous devices. There is a camera on top of the display. On the right side - the mute lever and sound control elements. Above, in the end part - the power button.

Air Tablet Model Display

The dimensions of the diagonal are 9.7 inches. There is an LED backlight. The resolution is 2048 x 1536 pixels. Based on these characteristics, we can already say that this is one of the most best screens... The picture is of excellent quality, no matter what angle you look at. Moreover, many users advise the brightness to be set to 80 percent, and this is quite enough. According to numerous reviews, the display of the gadget is clear, bright and sleek.

But after the mini with Retina resolution was thrown onto the market, many were faced with the question of what to buy. There can be only one recommendation here - to see both models with your own eyes, and only then make a final decision. Although, it should be noted that for most users, the diagonal is of great importance. let it not be very convenient to carry the device with you. For example, it will not fit in a trouser pocket.

Memory

If you look deeply and remember all versions of the iPad, for the first time a model with 128 GB of memory was announced with a four. In general, if you classify tablets from the "apple" company by the amount of memory, in addition to this option, there are 3 more - with 16, 36 and 64 GB on board. And so, even 8 versions, if you take into account the versions with Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 4G.

And taking into account the color gamut, everything will turn out 16. As the statistics show, in terms of memory, most users choose the “golden mean” and acquire a device with 64 GB.

But if you store a lot of information in your gadget, it is better to buy the 128 GB version right away. Previously, this version of the tablet seemed to be something incredible to many. But today you won't surprise anyone with them. Devices with minimum parameters of 16 GB, on the other hand, will soon sink into oblivion.

Accessories

While many consider such additions to be insignificant, it is still worth giving them some attention. It is absolutely true that a number of them are absolutely useless. But others are quite intelligent and even irreplaceable.

EarPods stand out from the original things. Thanks to them, you can conveniently chat in FaceTime and listen to your favorite music tracks.

In addition, it is recommended to immediately buy SmartCover to the tablet - a regular cover that can activate the device when it is opened. Can also be used as a stand. Or alternative to this accessory - SmartCase. This is a case with familiar functions. On the forums on the network, you can find feedback on the use of these accessories. There will likely be a wide variety of iPad cases from a wide variety of manufacturers in the future.

Basically, the Air case is not really needed. Only if as a stand. It looks super reliable. This applies to both metal and glass elements.

Performance

The model operates on the basis of "operating systems" iOS version 7.0.3. it makes no sense to characterize it in detail here, since the review will be too long. You can read extensive articles on the net about the pros and cons of this iOS.

In short - the tablet has A7 processes. The same is in the iPhone 5S. It has a 64-bit architecture, and also has an M7 coprocessor.

Many people try to measure the performance of a device with a benchmark, but this data is not very objective. The software starts up quickly, but optimization has not yet been done for many programs. For example, they "slow down" when changing the orientation of the display. Because of this, processes in some games are launched first in a small window, and only after clicking on the pause button, it expands. Naturally, these are not hardware flaws, but unoptimized software.

For a number of users, after downloading some programs from the Apple store, their icons did not appear on the table. In this case, the problem was solved by restarting the gadget. Safari sometimes disappears.

In the process of changing the layout, the device sometimes slows down. That is, nothing happens when you click on the corresponding button. By the way, users note that this happened extremely rarely on previous iPad models.

But, of course, Apple in the latest versions of devices will take into account all these problems and will try to fix everything. Although, the developers of "apple" products do not always somehow react to complaints from users, even if they were contacted by the support service.

As noted earlier, there are Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 4G versions of the tablets. Many people buy the American version and are very satisfied. After all, 3G will be enough for most, and if LTE is enabled, it is easier to use, for example, the iPhone 5S as an access point for the iPad.

Of course, the Air also has Bluetooth (with a fourth profile). With AirDrop, you can easily transfer a picture or something else to another gadget. But only on an iOS device. It is still a mystery why AirDrop on MacBook cannot see Apple smartphones and tablets.

Duration of work

According to the manufacturer, the operating period without additional recharging is up to 10 hours. This is for viewing video clips when Wi-Fi is on. Or 1 hour less when using mobile networks.

A Lightning connector is used, which many users have recognized as significantly better than the same micro USB. After all, now you can not be afraid to confuse the end of the plug. This is a significant advantage over the previous connector.

Camera

We note right away that the module in Air has not been changed. It is 100% the same as in the third and fourth tablet models. On top of the display is the FaceTime camera. It has a pretty good resolution of 12 megapixels. The main camera comes with 7 MP and autofocus. Also, the user can shoot HDR. The picture quality is good enough. An example of a photo shot by the Air camera, see below.

However, with all these remarkable characteristics, we note that few people take pictures on a tablet. And from the outside it looks somewhat strange.

Summarizing what has been said about the iPad Air ...

Summing up, let's touch on such an important issue as the price of this device. As usual, prices differ in Russia and abroad. In America, the cost of a tablet varies from $ 500 to $ 800. You guessed it, it depends on the amount of memory of the gadget. Of course, the 128 GB model is the most expensive one. Prices for Wi-Fi + 4G models are 15-20% higher.

Before the start of sales of the model in the domestic market, it was flooded with Chinese fakes. And the prices here started from 35 thousand rubles. But at the same time, there was not much excitement, as usually happens with Phone, and the reason for this is quite clear. A tablet is, after all, not a telephone. And users change it, of course, less often. Only if absolutely necessary (broken or very outdated).

Therefore, if you are the lucky owner of the latest iPad line with the maximum memory capacity, what's the point of changing it to Air? Well, only if you really want to have a novelty, and the funds allow. In this regard, a tablet is akin to a camera, which is usually replaced when it fails. Or, as a last resort, when not one new model came out after your device, but 2 or more generations.

So which user is the Air model ideal for? It seems that for those users who are still working with iPad 2 and have been looking forward to new items. And also for those who have not previously used tablets at all, schoolchildren, students. Also for a category that previously dealt only with Android and wants to try a more advanced gadget (talking about hardware and "operating systems".

Summing up, we note that many users of Air really liked it. Familiar functionality, but in a lighter case - what could be better? Quite a long period of work without recharging is another significant advantage. There are only difficulties with unoptimized software - but only a small percentage of programs. And in terms of performance, everything is perfect.

Probably, in two years, the developer will further improve the tablets, making them as thick as a sheet of paper. And now iPad Air is a great option for the most discerning user.

Thinnest and lightest full-format tablet

Global iPad Air sales kicked off on November 1. Apple's new generation of full-size tablets was unveiled on October 22 (we told you about this event), and this announcement turned out to be somewhat sensational: no one imagined that Apple would rename its tablet by adding the word Air to the name (previously used only in the line of ultra-thin laptops ). The manufacturer explained this by the significantly reduced mass and thickness of the device. And today we have the opportunity to check how revolutionary the changes turned out to be, not only in form, but also in essence (we thank the online store for providing it for testing).

Since all the general information about the new product has already been given in the report from Apple presentations, we will not repeat ourselves. Let's just note that the previous major update to the iPad design was already two and a half years ago, when the iPad 2 was released. The iPad of the third and fourth generations in terms of design, there were no major differences from the iPad 2. Therefore, the current update is doubly important. Here's a list of the iPad Air's specs.

• Apple A7 SoC 1.4 GHz 64 bits (2 cores, Cyclone architecture based on ARMv8)
• GPU PowerVR G6430
• Apple M7 motion coprocessor including accelerometer, gyroscope and compass
• RAM 1 GB
• Flash memory from 16 to 128 GB
• No memory card support
• Operating system iOS 7.0
• Touch display IPS, 9.7 ″, 2048 × 1536 (264 ppi), capacitive, multitouch
• Cameras: front (1.2 Mp, 720p video via FaceTime) and rear (5 Mp, 1080p video)
• Wi-Fi 802.11b / g / n (2.4 and 5 GHz; MIMO support)
• Cellular (optional): UMTS / HSPA / HSPA + / DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM / EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), LTE Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26
• Bluetooth 4.0
• 3.5mm stereo headset jack, Lightning dock
• Li-polymer battery 32.4 Wh
• A-GPS (in version with cellular module)
• Dimensions 240 × 170 × 7.5 mm
• Weight 480 g (our measurement of the version with a honeycomb module)

It is necessary to make a separate explanation about the LTE bands. As we know, Russian LTE bands were not supported by hardware in the iPad of previous generations. Now hardware support has appeared: in the specifications above you can find Bands 7 and 20 used by Russian operators... However, this does not mean that the iPad Air will work in LTE from the very first day of purchase. The fact is that Apple has not yet certified Russian LTE networks for its devices. As soon as this happens, devices with hardware support for the corresponding ranges will most likely receive a software update, installing which, it will be possible to connect to the LTE network. However, there is still some possibility that Apple does not certify Russian LTE networks - for example, due to their insufficient coverage. Therefore, if you are interested in using LTE, and not 3G, then buying an iPad Air is a risk, and, perhaps, you should take a closer look at other tablets that definitely have support for Russian LTE networks and already work. A little later, it was confirmed that the iPad Air works without problems in Russian LTE networks, so there are no risks in this part.

Let's compare the iPad Air against the competition, as well as the fourth-generation iPad.

* according to the manufacturer's information
** for the version with 32 GB of flash memory and 3G / 4G-module, if available

As you can see, in many respects, the iPad Air is inferior to top-end Android devices. However, since Apple devices exist in their closed software ecosystem, draw any conclusions from what Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 has three gigabytes of RAM, while the iPad Air has only one, you can't. But weight and thickness are undeniable and objective indicators, and they are definitely on the side of Apple. Basically, we can already say that iPad Air is the thinnest and lightest full-format tablet. But let's see how this affects the feel of use.

Packaging and equipment

The packaging of the iPad Air is virtually identical to the packaging of the previous generation tablet.

As for the package bundle, here, too, everything is similar to the iPad 4: leaflets, a charger (12 W, 2.4 A, 5.2 V), Lightning cable, stickers and a key for removing the SIM-card cradle.

Design

But if the package bundle has not changed, then the tablet itself looks significantly different. Most importantly, it has become thinner, lighter and more compact. These are not just numbers on scales and a ruler - these are sensations that you cannot miss if you have used an iPad before.

Firstly, the tablet has become more elongated: this happened due to a strong reduction in the side frames (to the right and left of the screen). In the photo below, this can be clearly seen in comparison with the iPad of the previous generation.

And here's another eloquent photo: the iPad Air rests on its predecessor.

The photograph of this couple from a different angle is no less indicative.

Here we can already appreciate not only the reduced edges around the screen, but also the thickness of the iPad Air. True, if in the previous three generations of iPad the edges narrowed almost to the state of "cutting bread with a tablet", then the iPad Air does not have such a narrowing, so a cursory glance at the edges seems that there is almost no difference or it is not even in favor of the new product. But actually it is not.

In general, the iPad Air borrows the design from the iPad mini: it feels like they took the same body and simply increased the length and width. They even have almost identical thickness: iPad mini is three-tenths of a millimeter thinner. But the second iPad mini (announced on October 22 along with the iPad Air) is exactly the same thickness as the iPad Air. But if the thickness of the iPad mini is not surprising, then in the case of the full-size iPad it really makes an impression.

As for the placement of connectors and buttons, everything is identical here to the iPad mini - even the buttons are the same (metal, not plastic, like the iPad 4) and press with the same light effort. In addition to the Home button on the front side, there are two volume buttons and a lever that blocks the screen orientation by default, located on the right side. On tablets with a cellular module, on the same edge, we see a slot for a Nano-SIM formatted SIM card.

The left side is completely free of buttons and connectors. On the bottom edge is the Lightning connector and on the sides of it - speakers.

At the top we see Power button, a 3.5mm stereo headset jack, and a microphone hole. On tablets with a honeycomb module, most of the upper edge is covered with a plastic insert (moreover, on light tablets it is white, not dark, as is the case with the iPad 4). To be honest, it spoils the look of the device. But, apparently, it is impossible to provide reliable 3G / LTE reception in an all-metal case.

In general, the design of the iPad Air is, of course, its main advantage, distinguishing the device from all competitors. This almost weightless (compared to previous iPads) and thin glass-metal tablet feels almost the same when you hold it as you did with the first iPad when it first appeared. Perhaps this feeling will gradually dull, but at first you cannot get enough of it: how great is it to read magazines, surf the Internet, play on such a tablet ...

At the same time, I am glad that Apple was able to achieve such outstanding performance, using not plastic, like Samsung in the Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition, but metal (except for the plastic insert on tablets with a cellular module). Summing up, we can say that at the moment, the iPad Air simply has no design competitors among full-size tablets.

Screen and software

Like the iPad 3 and iPad 4, the iPad Air features a Retina display with a 2048x1536 resolution. If a year and a half ago this figure was unsurpassed, and a year ago the only tablet with more high resolution was Google nexus 10, which did not reach Russia, now tablets with a resolution of 2560 × 1600 no longer look such a curiosity. In addition, since the release of the iPad 4, many tablets with great screens have been in our test lab. How does the iPad Air screen look against their background?

Here is a detailed examination of the Retina screen, carried out earlier by the editor of the "Monitors" and "Projectors and TV" sections, Alexei Kudryavtsev.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface, resistant to scratches. Judging by the reflection of objects, there is a very effective antiglare filter, which in terms of reducing the brightness of the reflection is approximately equal to the filter of the Google Nexus 7 screen from 2013 (hereinafter we compare it with it).

For clarity, we present photographs in which a white surface is reflected in the off screens of both tablets:

Visually, the reflection has about the same brightness, and only statistics from the graphics editor show that the Nexus 7's screen is slightly darker (average brightness 52.73) than the iPad Air (average brightness 59.3).

The reflection in the screen is tripled, which implies the presence of an air gap between the surface of the matrix and the outer glass. From the point of view of image perception, this is a minus, but a screen with a split outer glass (aka a touch panel) is easier and cheaper to repair. On the outer surface of the screen there is a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (effective, but still worse than that of the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are much easier to remove, and appear at a slower rate than in the case of ordinary glass.

With manual brightness control, its maximum value was about 425 cd / m², and the minimum was 7 cd / m². The maximum value is quite high, and, given the good anti-reflective properties, with a bright daylight the image on the screen must be clearly visible. In complete darkness, the brightness can be lowered to a comfortable level. Automatic brightness control works according to the light sensor (it is located to the left of the peephole front camera). At the same time, the brightness can only increase automatically - with a decrease in the level of external illumination, we did not wait for a corresponding decrease in the screen brightness. However, if you put the tablet into sleep mode and turn it on again, then the brightness will be set in accordance with the ambient light level. The minimum and average levels in Auto mode depend on the position of the brightness adjustment slider. So when the slider is set to maximum, the automatic adjustment does not work - the brightness remains maximum regardless of external conditions. If the slider is located approximately in the middle, then in bright light (corresponds to illumination on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight), the maximum brightness is 425 cd / m2, in an office illuminated with artificial light - 145 cd / m2 (normal), in the dark - 38 cd / m² (acceptable). If the slider is at the minimum, then under the above conditions the values ​​are as follows: 425, 14, 7 cd / m². Thus, this function works adequately only at some middle positions of brightness control. At the extreme, the brightness is either always maximum, or decreases too quickly when the ambient light decreases. At any brightness level, there is virtually no backlight modulation, so there is no screen flickering either.

V this tablet matrix used IPS type... The micrographs show the typical IPS subpixel structure:

The screen has good viewing angles without inverting tints and without significant color shift, even with large gaze deviations from the perpendicular to the screen. For comparison, here are some photos showing the same images on the Nexus 7 and iPad Air screens, with the brightness of both screens set to approximately 208 cd / m², perpendicular to the screens:

And a white box:

Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen:

It can be seen that the colors did not "float" in both tablets. White box:

The brightness at an angle on both tablets decreased approximately the same (about four times, based on the difference in exposure), but the color tone did not change much.

The black field, when deviated along the diagonal, is lightened weakly and acquires a red-violet tint or remains almost neutral-gray. The photo from the Nexus 7 for comparison shows this (the brightness is the same for both tablets!):

And along the other diagonal:

You can see that the iPad Air has a different black field color tone depending on the diagonal, but its brightness is slightly lower than the brightness of the black Nexus 7 at the same angle anyway.

With a perpendicular view, the uniformity of the black field is good, since in fact only along the lower edge there are dim areas with increased brightness of the black field (bright points are broken pixels on the camera matrix):

The black uniformity of the Google Nexus 7 is worse, but it has better black depth in the center of the screen. Indeed, the contrast ratio (approximately in the center of the screen) of the iPad Air is not a record - about 850: 1. The response time for the transition black-white-black is 21 ms (11 ms on + 10 ms off). The transition between gray tones of 25% and 75% (based on the numerical value of the color) and back takes 34 ms in total. The gamma curve plotted at 32 points did not reveal any blockage in highlights or shadows, and the exponent of the approximating power-law function turned out to be 2.24, which is insignificantly higher than the standard value of 2.2, while the real gamma curve barely deviates from the power-law dependence:

The color gamut is close to sRGB:

Apparently, the matrix filters mix the components to each other to a moderate extent. The spectra confirm this:

As a result, the colors of images - drawings, photographs and films - oriented to the sRGB space (and there are the overwhelming majority of them) have natural saturation. The gray scale balance is good, as the color temperature is close to the standard 6500 K, and the deviation from the black body spectrum (delta E) is less than 10, which is considered an acceptable indicator for a consumer device. At the same time, the variation in color temperature and delta E is small, which also has a positive effect on the visual perception of color balance. (The dark areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since there the color balance does not really matter, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)

The iPad Air has a wide range of brightness control, and the anti-glare filter is very effective, which allows you to comfortably use the tablet both on a clear day outside and in complete darkness. There is an automatic brightness adjustment, and it works more or less adequately, but only to increase, which will force the user to either set the brightness manually, or force the brightness to go down, putting the tablet into sleep mode and turning it back on. Apparently, such an implementation facilitates the transition from previous versions of the iPad - habits can be preserved. The iPad Air's advantages include an effective oleophobic coating, close-to-sRGB coverage, good color balance and excellent black stability against perpendicular gaze to the screen surface, and good black field uniformity. In general, the quality of the screen is very high.

In terms of software, the iPad Air has nothing fundamentally new, except for the fact that it is sold with iOS 7 preinstalled, while the previous model comes out of the factories with iOS 6. But it can also be upgraded to iOS 7. Note also that iPad users Apple's popular apps Pages, Numbers, Keynote, and GarageBand are available for free on Air.

Performance

Like the iPhone 5s, the iPad Air is powered by Apple's new A7 SoC. Curiously, Apple did not give the original name for the tablet SoC. In iPad 3 and 4, the SoC name also had an X prefix: Apple A5X and Apple A6X. Now it's just Apple A7.

The main feature of the new SoC is the 64-bit architecture of the "desktop class" (as it was said at the presentation of the iPhone 5s).

It is also worth paying attention to the presence of the Apple M7 motion coprocessor. The idea is this: the gyroscope, compass and accelerometer now transmit data to the M7 coprocessor, which collects and processes this data. Including it allows applications to more effectively use the information of these modules, and also saves the SoC energy (which ultimately saves battery life).

We wrote about other characteristics of the Apple A7 in the article about the iPhone 5s. Everything said there is also true for the iPad Air.

Well, let's see what results the new iPad Air demonstrates in benchmarks.

Let's start with browser benchmarks: SunSpider 1.0, Octane Benchmark, and Kraken Benchmark. In all cases, we used the Safari browser from iOS 7 on Apple devices, and Google Chrome on Android.

It is clearly seen that the iPad Air is the undisputed leader. And, of course, the lead over the fourth-generation iPad is particularly impressive.

Now let's see how the iPad Air performs in Geekbench 3, a multi-platform benchmark that measures CPU and RAM performance.

As you can see, the results are generally similar to the previous test. iPad Air overtakes (albeit at the margin of error) even the eight-core Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1. Well, in single-processor mode, it is a third faster than the main Android competitor and almost twice as fast as its predecessor, which indicates a significantly more efficient architecture of the Apple A7.

Now let's see the GPU performance. There are two multi-platform benchmarks available here: GFXBench (formerly GLBenchmark 2.7) and 3DMark. Let's start with the GFXBench results.

As you can see, in the Offscreen modes (it displays the scene on the screen in Full resolution HD regardless of the screen resolution of the tablet) the new iPad Air is quite small, but still bypasses Android competitors. But in Onscreen mode, which reflects the real "life" performance of games on a specific device, iPad Air is strongly ahead: the super-resolution of Android tablets plays against them.

Once again, the iPad Air shows the best results, overtaking both its predecessors and competitors from the Android camp.

As we can see, Apple, despite the toughened competition, still manages to maintain its leadership in performance. Add to this the fact that all best games first of all, they still go to iOS, and also the fact that it is for iOS that they are optimized in the best way (because there are a limited number of configurations), and we get the obvious conclusion: iPad Air is the best gaming tablet today. Of course, in favor of the same Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition, we can say that it has a higher resolution. But whether you can feel this difference when looking at the screen is a big question. But the decrease in performance due to this resolution in top games can be felt.

Autonomous work

We didn't have the tablet for testing for long, and we failed to do detailed battery life tests. But, nevertheless, we were able to test the novelty in the most difficult mode, simulating a 3D game. This is Epic Citadel (Guided Tour). With the screen brightness set to 100 cd / m², the tablet lasted just over six hours. The same result was shown by the iPad of the previous generation. Thus, Apple's claims that the battery life of the iPad Air has not deteriorated compared to the previous generation of Apple tablets can be considered true.

Comparison with other current tablet models is no less interesting. As can be seen from the table with the results, and new samsung Galaxy Note 10.1, and tablets on NVIDIA Tegra 4 and Intel Atom Z2560 outright lost to the iPad Air. True, here it should be borne in mind that the screen resolution at Samsung devices and Toshiba is higher than the iPad. But the fact remains: in high-load scenarios, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition will work less than the iPad Air.

Camera

iPad Air is equipped with two cameras - a front one with a resolution of 1.2 megapixels and a rear one with a resolution of 5 megapixels, similar to the cameras of the iPad 4. This is not very high, especially by modern standards, but on a full-format tablet, the camera should still be taken as an addition. Although many (for example, Japanese tourists) do not think so. Anyway, good camera- this is a plus, but its quality is not determined by megapixels alone. Therefore, we decided to fully test iPad camera Air using our smartphone camera test method. Shooting of the stand and comments on the pictures from the street were made by Anton Soloviev.

The iPad Air's camera is pretty good. In general, it copes with shooting in good lighting, but perhaps nothing outstanding, except for excellent macro. The camera manages not only to choose the focus well on a close object, but also to give the picture an artistic touch, blurring the background quite well. Macro shooting in the camera is really implemented very well, it is felt that this was the focus. On the one hand, this is very reasonable, since a camera in a tablet is often useful for capturing documents; on the other hand, to each his own.

The camera performs slightly better in different lighting conditions than the iPhone 5s camera. Unfortunately, the iPad Air does not come with a flash, which greatly reduces the scope of its camera. Also, the camera's capabilities are limited by a low resolution - only 5 megapixels, which does not allow it to be classified as documentary.

The camera can be positioned as an art camera with good ability to macro photography and shooting documents.

Video

The rear camera can shoot 1080p video at 29.97 fps.

The camera manages to do video quite well, with slight ripples, but without significant delays and lagging of different parts of the frame from each other.

conclusions

Well, Apple has released a great tablet again, showing all the competitors (including the more aggressive ones who have already decided that they are the new leaders) who know how to combine design, functionality and great user experience best of all. It is possible to enumerate for a long time the disadvantages of the Apple platform and, conversely, the advantages of the Android platform, but if we abstract from the "religious wars" and just pick up the iPad Air, it becomes clear that this is indeed an excellent product. And if among your needs there are no those that cannot be realized without, say, connecting an external drive, the most convenient access to Google services and a pen, it might be worth opting for an iPad.

If you just want to surf the Internet, read books and magazines, watch YouTube videos, play games, check mail, and you are ready to buy or rent movies from the iTunes Store, then the Apple iPad Air is the clear favorite among the purchase candidates. Of course, in this case we do not consider budget options, since we are talking about top-end devices.

But even those users who have any specific preferences that are incompatible with Apple's restrictions should also thank the company created by Steve Jobs and now headed by Tim Cook: thanks to the iPad Air, Android tablets will soon also lose weight and lose weight. , in the meantime, their sellers will have to lose weight: prices for many top models should fall. Otherwise, they are unlikely to be able to compete with the iPad Air.

But who we think is the most formidable competitor of the iPad Air is the new iPad mini, which, at a price of $ 100 lower, has all the same features and qualities (including a screen resolution of 2048 × 1536 and an Apple A7 SoC), but at the same time it is more compact , which can be regarded as a plus by many users (although this is a moot point: after all, the pleasure of reading, watching videos and surfing the web on a 9.7 ″ screen is much higher than on a 7.9 ″ screen). However, the iPad mini and comparing it with the iPad Air is a topic for a new article, which will be released immediately after the appearance of the updated iPad mini on the world market. Stay tuned!

In conclusion of the article, we bring to your attention our video review of the Apple iPad Air tablet:

1. The display is a rectangle with rounded corners. The diagonal of this rectangle, excluding roundings, is 12.9 inches (for iPad Pro 12.9 inches) and 11 inches (for iPad Pro 11 inches).
2. The amount of available space is less than stated and depends on various factors. Standard configuration (including iOS 12 and pre-installed apps) takes approximately 10 to 12 GB depending on device model and settings. The preinstalled apps take up about 4 GB; they can be deleted and reloaded. The amount of space available may vary depending on the device and software version.
3. Size and weight vary depending on device configuration and manufacturing process.
4. Battery life varies depending on settings and usage. More details on the page.
5. For FaceTime communication, all users must have FaceTime-enabled devices and a Wi-Fi connection. FaceTime availability over a cellular network is carrier-dependent; data transfer charges may apply.
6. Data plan required. Gigabit Class LTE, 4G LTE Advanced, 4G LTE, and Wi-Fi calling are not available in all regions or with all carriers. Speed ​​calculated based on theoretical bandwidth and depends on local conditions. For details on LTE support, contact your service provider or page.
7. Tariff plan cellular communication sold separately. The model you are purchasing is configured to work with a specific technology cellular networks... Check with your carrier for information on support for your device and cellular data plan availability.
8. Not all carriers support Apple SIM and eSIM cards. Check with your carrier for details. Not available in mainland China. ESIM is supported on the 11-inch iPad Pro, 12.9-inch iPad Pro (3rd generation), iPad Air (3rd generation), iPad (7th generation), and iPad mini (5th generation). Apple SIM is supported on the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, 10.5-inch iPad Pro, iPad (5th and 6th generation), iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3, and iPad mini 4.