Apple iPad Air The
Air is a tangible upgrade over the previous, fourth-generation iPad, no longer
in production and so banished to the annals of history. The new iPad slots
right in where its predecessor left off, priced at $499 for a lowly 16GB, $599
for 32GB, $699 for 64GB, and $799 for the maximum 128GB configuration. The iPad
Air delivers more performance and comparable battery life in an attractive and
impossibly thin-and-light package. An improved front-facing camera makes
FaceTiming look better, and the Retina Display still looks great.
But, The Touch ID fingerprint scanner,
introduced on the iPhone 5S, is sadly absent here, meaning you’ll still have to
type in a passcode with every unlock and a password with every purchase.
Starting at $499 for 16GB, it’s still expensive compared with the competition. Performance: The
iPad Air shares the same processor with Apple’s flagship phone, albeit with a
slight bump in clock speed. While the 5S runs at 1.3GHz the Air runs at 1.39GHz.
It can achieve this because of the increased space and improved heat
dissipation of the Air compared to the much smaller iPhone 5S.
Indeed, before we go into the detail
about performance it’s worth noting that the iPad Air manages to keep its cool
with consummate ease. Even when running intensive 3D games and apps for hours
it barely breaks a sweat and, therefore, neither do your hands.
In practice, the iPad Air is
blisteringly fast. Apps open instantly and games like Infinity Blade 3 look
sumptuous and run smoothly. The benefits of having a SoC means that the GPU can
be used to tackle compute tasks, which makes video editing and compute
intensive apps, like AutoCAD, show no hint of slowdown.
The iPad Air performs 59% faster
than the iPad 4 in the 3D Mark Ice Storm Unlimited CPU and GPU test and 91%
faster in Geekbench 3 tests. The Peacekeeper browser test, which assesses web
browsing performance, shows that the Air trounces its predecessor by being more
than twice as fast. It's also faster than the stonking Snapdragon 800 processor
on the likes of the Sony Xperia Z Ultra and Google Nexus 5. We're talking
matter of degrees here, but the difference is there all the same.
Battery life:
Battery life on the iPad Air is quoted at "Up to 10
hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to music".
We would say that's actually not a bad estimate, although the drain was closer
to 2% every 10 minutes in general use, which equates to around nine hours' use.
Standby time is much, much better
though. We found that we could stick the iPad Air in a bag, taking it out for
the commute and messing about with on the sofa at home, for at least three days
before it began to get low on battery.
In fact, the only real task that
killed it was connecting to our amplifier via Wi-Fi while simultaneously
streaming music to the same device through Bluetooth. It's doing things like
this that make you realise that this is the kind of thing that we envisaged at
the turn of the century, a tablet that has the brains and connectivity to do
all the tasks we could want.In terms of connectivity, we've already mentioned
the excellent Wi-Fi performance (in terms of distance from router, rather than
improved speed) through the Multiple In, Multiple Out (MIMO) technology.
4G bands are now covered throughout
the globe, and low power Bluetooth is also on board as well, making it an
incredibly well-connected device.
The bottom line: Functionally, the
iPad Air is nearly identical to last year’s model, offering only faster
performance and better video chatting. But factor in design and aesthetics, and
the iPad Air is on another planet. It’s the best full-size consumer tablet on
the market. Specifications
Release date11/1/13
Display type9.7 in
OSApple iOS
ProcessorApple
Wireless connectivityWi-Fi
Dimensions (WxDxH)6.6 in x 0.29 in x
9.4 in
Weight1 lbs Price:$479.00 VS Apple iPad 4 The
newest iPad's faster A6X processor adds extra system speed and graphics
power.It's clear, it's bright, it's crisp; essentially it properly expands the
smartphone experience onto a larger tablet and takes us into a new generation
of displays. Improved worldwide cellular compatibility makes the LTE model a
more appealing proposition. And the iOS App Store remains best in class, with
the widest selection.The iPad range remains among the best in class for battery
life considering their size and weight, providing a genuine 10hrs use between
charges and lasting for weeks in standby.Gaming tends to cause the biggest
drain on battery life but you’ll still get 6-7 hours solid play from even the
most demanding 3D titles.
But, The fourth-gen iPad is
otherwise identical to its recent predecessor -- same size, weight, and Retina
screen. It's heavy to hold in one hand, and most older accessories won't work
without investing in a pricey Lightning adapter.
The bottom line: The latest iPad
adds several tweaks and improvements to secure its position at the top of the
tablet heap. It's better all around, but third-gen owners need not apply. Specifications
Display type9.7 inTFT active matrix
- LED backlight - Yes
OSApple iOS
ProcessorApple A6X
Wireless connectivityIEEE
802.11nIEEE 802.11bIEEE 802.11aIEEE 802.11gBluetooth 4.0
Dimensions (WxDxH)7.31 in x 0.37 in
x 9.5 in
Weight1.44 lbs Price;$499.00 to $509.49
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