Detailed review and testing of Apple iPad Air. What is the difference between iPad and iPad Pro? Specifications and performance

Everything has been quite clear on the tablet market lately. Due to the fact that a huge number of smartphones have already surpassed these gadgets, manufacturers began to produce only special models. Some focused on special functionality, some tried to bring the tablet closer to a PC, some created an unprecedented design. One way or another, you can now purchase this device without any 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. The same thing happened with Apple. Therefore, a comparison is being made for the iPad Air 2 and iPad Air. To adequately assess the changes that have occurred with this tablet, let's look at each one separately.

New generation

The introduction of the iPad Air in 2013 marked the beginning of a new generation. It would seem that all the usual functions remained in place, but the body became “airier”, and the “filling” was noticeably faster. The new model definitely looked better, worked better, and attracted a lot of attention.

Improved new generation

A year later, an updated version was released. Comparing it with the previous model seems a thankless task, because at first glance no updates are noticeable. But if the tablets are really similar in appearance, on the 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 became noticeable. It has become more austere, but retains the style, complemented by a silver edging and a black/white frame around the screen. In general, similarities 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 you compare the dimensions of an “air” tablet with an iPad, the difference is colossal. Firstly, it has become thinner, and it is noticeable. Secondly, it has become less wide. Thirdly, the weight has decreased by almost 150 grams. And even if these numbers do 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 new iPad Air 2 became 1.4 mm thinner, 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 the change in the weight 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 the iPad Air and iPad Air 2, there are a few more external details to pay attention to. The first model of the new generation came in two color variations: silver and dark gray. In addition to the two usual colors, the new version also received a newfangled golden one. Of course, increasing the choice of body shade is only a positive marketing ploy. By the way, many owners of gold iPhones were happy to purchase a matching tablet from the Apple manufacturer.

The display orientation lock button has also changed in appearance. Now it is not there at all; most likely, it 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 in appearance, but has additionally received Touch ID, which, by the way, in Apple devices is needed not only for unlocking, but also for making purchases in the game store.

Screen

In the iPad Air 2 and iPad Air, it would seem that a screen comparison is not necessary, since external signs are invisible. The diagonal is 9.7 inches, the resolution is 2048x1536 pixels. But the second gadget received a special touch display, which was developed in conjunction 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 a certain illusion that the image seems to float above the tablet. The second version received an anti-reflective coating, which improves the visual effect even in the brightest lighting.

Technical equipment

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

But things are a little better with the iPad Air 2. The default OS here is version 8. The improved processor is A8X, which runs on two cores with a frequency of 1.5 GHz. PowerVR is also a cut above - it's the GXA6850 - and runs on eight cores. There is also more RAM - 2GB. The built-in storage can be from 16 GB to 128 GB.

If we compare 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 younger GPU is PowerVR SGX 554MP4. RAM, like in the iPad Air, is only 1 GB. By the way, the tablet does not support 128 GB memory cards.

Giant

You can also remember another model with which you can make another pair - the iPad Air 2 and iPad Pro. Comparing these tablets may not be entirely justified, but they are still “brothers” in the industry, and therefore can be opposed to each other.

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

Camera

Returning to the iPad Air 2 and iPad Air, it's worth continuing the comparison by paying attention to 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. The new camera was also equipped with a special technology with a sensor and improved optics, which significantly affected the quality of the pictures.

New functions like Slow Motion have also appeared. Nowadays you won't surprise anyone with slow motion, but back then it was a great addition to the new lens. As a result, all the innovations made the photographs high-quality, with improved color rendition, detail, etc.

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

Sound

There have not been very significant changes in this characteristic. iPad of any generation has an excellent sound speaker. But the iPad Air 2 has become noticeably louder, making it easy to watch movies and listen to music together. Externally, the speakers have changed for the 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 grilles on either side of the charger connector.

Autonomy

There have also been changes to the battery capacity. Again, due to the desire to make the case thinner, the battery of the second model received 7184 mAh. While the first model has 8827 mAh. As a result, continuous Internet searches, watching videos and listening to audio drains the iPad Air in 12-13 hours, and the iPad Air 2 in 10 hours.

Even though such changes were not positive, Apple is still almost the only company that managed to fit such a powerful battery into a thin body. In addition, the manufacturer’s compromise between autonomy and weight of the gadget was successful.

Conclusions

Of course, now it is not relevant to compare the iPad Air 2 and iPad Air, 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 an iPad Air, or if you have just decided to purchase a gadget from Apple. Let's immediately consider the second option. If you have just decided to purchase an Apple tablet and are choosing between these models, then in the battle of iPad Air vs iPad Air 2 the comparison is unnecessary; in any case, the winner is the newer device.

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

But if you are the owner of an iPad Air, then buying a second version may be pointless. Of course, the changes, although noticeable, are still practically 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 discussed, 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 screen of 9.7 inches.

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

When buying an iPad, it often comes down to two things: choosing the amount of memory and choosing the screen size. Until recently, Apple clearly divided all its lines by size, but then the iPad Pro 9.7 appeared and confused all the cards for customers. In this article I will try to go through the main features of the two 9.7-inch versions of the iPad that are officially on sale.

I won’t dwell on the details – these gadgets are similar in many ways. I will focus on the key features. In the article I structure the knowledge and at the end I draw conclusions that will be useful when choosing a tablet.

General

Physical characteristics

These are two identical tablets in weight and size.

2 gigabytes of memory

Unfortunately, Apple didn't pack the small iPad Pro with 4 gigabytes like the larger iPad Pro. This is bad, because in my understanding, the “Pro” console has already proven itself to be “4 gigabytes,” so 2 gigabytes in the 9.7 model seem like degradation.

Fun fact: iPad Pro 9.7 memory modules are supplied by Samsung

Differences

Display

The iPad Pro has a display with a wide color palette and True Tone support. The essence of the technology is that the screen can adapt to the environment and display colors depending on the environment.

This picture shows the difference between the True Tone function on and off:

Processors

The iPad Pro has an A9X processor with an M9 coprocessor. The iPad Air 2 has an A8X processor. A9X is approximately 1.7 times faster than A8X.

A8X is a 64-bit processor with a maximum frequency of 1.5 GHz.

A9X is a 64-bit processor with a maximum frequency of 2.16 GHz.

And here’s an important point: the iPad Pro 9.7 processor is slightly slower than the iPad Pro 12.9 (2.26 GHz).

Smart Connector

The iPad Pro 9.7 has a Smart Connector, but the iPad Air 2 doesn't. Smart Connector now allows you to connect a special keyboard to your iPad Pro. The lack of such an opportunity is not the greatest loss. You can still connect any Bluetooth keyboard, including an original Apple keyboard.

iPad Pro also supports Apple Stylus. This is also not God knows what an advantage, given the variety of styluses on the market. Professional digital artists may disagree with me.

Built-in stereo speakers

The iPad Pro 9.7 has 4 of them (two on each side), while the iPad Air 2 has only 2.

Cameras

12 megapixels of the iPad Pro versus 8 megapixels of the iPad Air 2 (and, oddly enough, the iPad Pro 12.9). There is an interesting situation regarding cameras: starting with the iPad 3, it always seems that each subsequent camera version takes good photos (and this quality is sufficient for a tablet). This is true, but after seeing the best quality, it is very difficult to perceive the previous model, the quality of the photos begins to fade. Below is a list of what's new in the iPad Pro 9.7 camera.

New in photography:

• Live Photos
• True Tone flash
• Focus Pixels technology
• Automatically turn on HDR when taking a photo

New in video recording:

• HD video recording in 4K (3840×2160).
• 1080p slow-motion video support
• Cinematic video stabilization
• Tracking autofocus

New in the front FaceTime camera:

• 5 megapixel camera instead of 1.2
• Retina Flash (before this there was never a flash on the iPad)
• automatic HDR adjustment

Built-in Apple Sim

An innovation that appeared specifically in iPad Pro 9.7. There is an important note on the Apple website.

Some carriers may sell the 9.7-inch iPad Pro with a locked built-in Apple SIM card. Check with your carrier for details. Apple SIM and built-in Apple SIM are not available in China.

What is Apple Sim? This is a convenient SIM card that allows you to connect to the operator’s local cellular network in dozens of countries, choose a tariff plan and use the network. Now in iPad Pro 9.7 this card is built into models with Cellular support, but it is also possible to insert your nano-SIM through the usual slot. That is, in fact, iPad Pro 9.7 works with two SIM cards.

In principle, all the main modules in the iPad Pro 9.7 and iPad Air 2 are similar, but the iPad Pro supports 4G LTE Advanced. Technology that can transmit data over LTE 50% faster. But with the current level of development of LTE in Russia, this is not the most important difference.

Capacity

It’s so funny that the iPad Air 2 and iPad Pro 9.7 models do not overlap in terms of capacity.

• iPad Air 2 is available in 16 and 64 gigabytes
• iPad Pro 9.7 – 32, 128 and 256 gigabytes

Price

iPad Air 2 16 GB Wi-Fi – RUB 35,990

iPad Air 2 16 GB Wi-Fi+Cellular – RUB 45,990

iPad Air 2 64 GB Wi-Fi – RUB 43,990

iPad Air 2 64 GB Wi-Fi+Cellular – RUB 53,990

Prices for iPad Pro 9.7 in the photo:

Conclusions:

Well, now I will clearly and reasonably answer the main question of the day: Which of these two iPads should I choose?

The most important thing I know is that in most cases the user will choose based on price and personal financial capabilities. But if there is such an opportunity, then it is better to buy, all other things being equal, the latest model. There are many reasons for this: longer relevance and support, better characteristics, easier to sell used if the need suddenly arises.

Buying a 16 GB iPad Air 2 is the stupidest thing you can do. Yes, this will be the cheapest option, but take my word for it, in 2016 it will be a bad decision. And there is a high probability that you will regret it sooner or later.

The most important competitive advantages of the iPad Pro in my opinion:

a) the processor is really more powerful

b) the cameras are an order of magnitude cooler (and it’s surprising that the front one has now become very good)

c) and 4 speakers

I have ranked these benefits in order of importance. That being said, the really important factor in choosing the iPad Pro is the processor. This difference may appear in 3-4 years, when the iPad Air 2 will be noticeably slower on the next iOS 12 than newer tablets. This is not a fact, but Apple has accustomed us to exactly this development of events.

Cameras? Well, yes, it’s cool that your tablet will take better photos than your friends’ phones, but in practice few people will take photos with such a large tablet... And for text recognition, an old 8-megapixel camera is enough.

But 4 speakers are a strong advantage for movie buffs, although, all other things being equal, I prefer to watch movies either on a laptop or on a TV because of the larger screen.

Based on all of the above, I see no reason to buy the iPad Air 2 other than the lower price. But in theory, this is how it should be with the development of technology... If the iPad Pro 9.7 had 4 gigabytes of RAM, I would strictly recommend it, but the same 2 gigabytes spoil the picture and sow the seed of doubt...

If I were limited financially, but got it into my head that I needed a new iPad, I would take the iPad Pro 9.7 with 32 gigabytes, rather than the iPad Air 2 with 64 gigabytes. If I were even more limited, I would prefer to take a used one. The iPad Air 2 has 64 gigabytes, compared to the new one with 16.

This is the situation now... What do you think?

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 new product, many users were in no hurry to change first-generation devices, because they did not see much point in it. Of course, the iPad Air 2 received several important changes that made it the flagship among tablet computers.

Comparing the iPad Air and iPad Air 2 will allow you to determine exactly what the advantages of the 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 is, rather, dictated not by the need to use advanced device functions, but by the desire to be one step ahead of the rest. If you value 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 are in the appearance and size of the case. If the length and width of the gadgets remained the same - 240 mm and 169.5 mm, then iPad Air 2 became the thinnest device in the world at the time of its 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 minor differences in the sizes 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 its reduced weight, iPad Air 2 is very comfortable to work with. After prolonged use, your arms and back will not get so tired. This was a significant transformation for users who prefer to hold the tablet in their hands rather than place 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 - in addition to the usual silver and space gray, a golden one has been added. This gives users more options to choose from. Some people prefer to buy smartphones and tablets in the same color scheme. Now you can purchase a similar device to go with your gold iPhone.

The first generation tablet is supplied to the market with a version of the operating system 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 Specifications

The screen resolution of the compared devices remains the same - 2048 by 1536 pixels. Has not changed - it is 9.7 inches, which ensures comfortable work. We believe that these sizes 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 screen lamination was used. The developers managed to remove the air gap between the glass and the matrix. This made the device thinner and led to the fact that the image in the iPad Air 2 visually seemed to lie on the surface of the glass. The device released earlier does not have similar visual effects. Another advantage of the second generation iPad Air was its 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 when 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 you to capture the image. On the iPad Air 2, a similar option must be activated using user settings.

Camera

It is immediately worth noting that in the second generation iPad Air, significant changes affected the camera. The first thing that catches your eye is that 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 improves the quality of pictures and videos. For many, the presence of new functions 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, which can be conveniently emphasized using slow motion. In addition, the camera has other interesting and useful features.

When comparing photos taken on the two tablets, you will notice that the iPad Air 2 produces better photo quality. Images have improved color reproduction. At the same time, all colors look more natural. The noise level in the pictures has been reduced and the detail of objects has been improved. However, such improvements are only important for discerning users. The camera performance of the first generation device is quite satisfactory for a device of this level.

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

Technical Parameters

The 2013 tablet is equipped with an A7+M7 processor. Gadgets introduced in 2014 run on the A8X+M8 processor. iPad Air 2 has three cores, while its predecessor had two. The clock speed of the gadgets is 1.5 GHz and 1.4 GHz, respectively. According to the developers, such changes made it possible 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 built-in memory capacity of 16 and 32 GB. 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 a 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 is 8827 mAh. The developer stated that in the mode of searching information on the World Wide Web, watching videos and listening to audio, the battery of the 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 - these are the results shown by test tests.

We can conclude that Apple had to sacrifice battery capacity in order to fit it into the thin body of the iPad Air 2. It should be noted that no matter how long the battery life of any device, 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 operating time.

After a thought-provoking article on the iPad Air (2019) versus the old iPad Pro 10.5, it's time to look at the new tablet from a different perspective. And compare it not with the top-end iPad of the previous generation, but with the basic iPad (2018). This is a relatively simple but very successful tablet.

Review of Apple iPad (2018): a tablet of national importance

Alexander Pobyvanets

Which one is prettier and more comfortable?

Externally, they are very similar to each other: iPad Air (2019) is slightly larger, but it is thinner and lighter compared to iPad (2018). Does 1.4mm thickness and 13g weight matter? Of course, the new Air feels nicer, but it also costs more.

What's with the screens?

The display sizes differ, but not very much. The iPad Air (2019) has a larger 10.5-inch screen, while the iPad (2018) has a smaller 9.7-inch screen.

The iPad Air (2019) has a higher resolution, but the dot density is the same as the iPad (2018). This means you won’t feel the difference, and you won’t have to complain about the graininess of the Retina display.

But this is not the only difference. For example, the iPad (2018) screen is made using older technology: it has an air gap, while the iPad Air (2019) does not have one. And the image quality is noticeably better and higher, especially if you place the tablets next to each other.

Less glare, better visibility of the data on the screen when viewed from an angle. Plus there is also support for P3 color gamut and True Tone technology. Its essence is that, depending on the lighting, the tablet changes the color temperature and selects the optimal value.

Which one is more powerful?

The filling is as follows. iPad (2018) received not the newest, but still powerful Apple A10 Fusion processor and 2 GB of RAM. Just like the iPhone 7. For comparison, the very fresh iPad Air (2019) has an Apple A12 processor. And this is already the level of the iPhone XS or XR.

Another thing is that in practice, the experience of using tablets greatly depends on the tasks assigned. Judging by the stories of friends, few people do video editing or large-scale photo editing on a tablet. Therefore, for watching videos on the couch or reading social networks, the performance of the iPad (2018) is enough. By the way, there will be no problems with games either.

Another thing is that tablets are usually bought for a long time and, unlike smartphones, they are used for 4-5 years, and not 1-2 years. Therefore, it makes sense to buy a more expensive device if you plan to use it as a media and entertainment center to its fullest.

Where is more memory

For the iPad (2018), Apple offers 32 or 128 GB of memory, while the iPad Air (2019) gets 64 or 256 GB. In my opinion, living with 32 GB in 2019 is already difficult, especially if you plan to play on a tablet or watch videos by downloading movies. Heavy content eats up a lot of space, so life is much more fun with 64 GB.

What about the cameras?

In terms of camera, perhaps the tablets are the same. At least judging by the characteristics, they have the same 8-megapixel sensors with an f/2.4 aperture and the ability to record video in Full HD.

But the front camera is definitely better in the Air (2019): it has a 7-megapixel sensor versus the ancient 1.2-megapixel sensor in the iPad (2018).

Data protection

There is no Face ID system in “people’s” tablets yet: this privilege remains exclusively with the iPad Pro. Therefore, simpler models use a Touch ID scanner. Moreover, the iPad (2018) has a first-generation sensor from the iPhone 5s era.

There have been no details yet about the iPad Air (2019), but if you consider that the tablet is almost a complete copy of the iPad Pro 10.5, then it had a second-generation scanner. It works faster, and therefore is more pleasant to use.

Where is the sound louder?

If you look at the characteristics, stereo speakers are announced for both models. I can’t say how much they differ in sound quality, you need to listen. Another nice feature: both tablets received a 3.5 mm audio jack, unlike the more expensive Pro-series models.

Accessory support

Both tablets work with Apple Pencil. The main thing is not to confuse the stylus! Because now Apple has a first generation stylus, and there is a second one designed for the iPad Pro. So choose your accessories carefully.

The advantage of the iPad Air (2019) is that you can connect a keyboard to it via the Smart Connector and type texts. Therefore, if you plan to use the tablet not only to watch videos on YouTube, but also want to work with it, then it makes sense to look towards the iPad Air (2019).

Working on the Internet

A distinctive feature of the iPad Air (2019) is eSIM support. Perhaps the new generation technology will work in Russia very soon. The function is, as they say, “in reserve”. In any case, you can install your usual SIM card. You can put it in an iPad (2018), but it doesn’t know how to work with eSIM.

Almost there: eSIM will appear in Russia officially

Ilya Kichaev

The iPad Air (2019) also has Bluetooth version 5.0 versus 4.2 in the iPad (2018).

What's wrong with the battery?

Judging by Apple's data, the results are the same: tablets can withstand up to 9 hours of browsing the Internet over a mobile network, and if you use Wi-Fi, it's an hour longer.

Price decides

The iPad (2018) costs $329 or 25,414 rubles, while the iPad Air (2019) is priced at $499 or 42,990 rubles.

Price, as usual, decides, so if you need a modern and not very expensive iPad, it is more logical to buy an iPad (2018). Moreover, the difference in price is about 18 thousand rubles. And this, for a minute, is the price of the new iPhone SE.

We would like to thank the friendliest gadget store for the Apple iPad (2018) provided.

The thinnest and lightest full-format tablet

Global sales of the iPad Air started on November 1. The new generation of full-length Apple tablets was presented on October 22 (we told you about this event), and this announcement turned out to be sensational in some sense: no one expected 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 weight 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 the Apple presentation, we will not repeat it. We just note that the previous major update to the iPad design was already two and a half years ago, when the iPad 2 came out. The third and fourth generation iPads had no major design differences from the iPad 2. Therefore, the current update is doubly important. Here is a list of iPad Air specifications.

• Apple A7 SoC 1.4 GHz 64 bit (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, multi-touch
• Cameras: front (1.2 MP, 720p video via FaceTime) and rear (5 MP, 1080p video shooting)
• 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 connector
• Lithium polymer battery 32.4 Wh
• A-GPS (version with cellular module)
• Dimensions 240×170×7.5 mm
• Weight 480 g (our measurement of the version with cellular module)

A separate explanation needs to be made regarding LTE bands. As we know, previous generations of iPads did not support Russian LTE bands in hardware. Now hardware support has appeared: in the characteristics 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 bands will most likely receive a software update, after installing which it will be possible to connect to the LTE network. However, there remains some possibility that Apple does not certify Russian LTE networks - for example, due to their insufficient coverage. Therefore, if it is important for you to be able to use 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 are already working. A little later, confirmation appeared that iPad Air works without problems in Russian LTE networks, so there are no risks in this regard.

Let's compare the iPad Air to its competitors, as well as the fourth-generation iPad.

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

As you can see, in many characteristics the iPad Air is inferior to top Android devices. However, since Apple devices exist in their own closed software ecosystem, it is impossible to draw any conclusions from the fact that the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 has three gigabytes of RAM, and the iPad Air only one. But weight and thickness are undoubted and objective indicators, and they are certainly on Apple’s side. In principle, we can already say that the iPad Air is the thinnest and lightest full-size tablet. But let's see how this affects the feel when using it.

Packaging and accessories

The packaging of the iPad Air is practically no different from the packaging of the previous generation tablet.

As for the packaging, everything here is also similar to the iPad 4: leaflets, 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 equipment has not changed, then the tablet itself looks significantly different. The most important thing: it has become thinner, lighter and more compact. These are not just numbers on scales and rulers - these are sensations that are impossible not to notice if you have used an iPad before.

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

And here's another telling photo: the iPad Air rests on top of its predecessor.

No less revealing is a photograph of this couple from a different angle.

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 point of “cutting bread with a tablet,” then the iPad Air does not have such a narrowing, so at a quick glance at the edges it seems that there is almost no difference or it is not even in favor of the new product. But in reality this is not the case.

In general, the iPad Air borrows its 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: the iPad mini is three tenths of a millimeter thinner. But the second iPad mini (announced on October 22 along with the iPad Air) is already exactly the same thickness as the iPad Air. But if the thickness of the iPad mini does not surprise anyone, in the case of the full-size iPad it really makes an impression.

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

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

On the top edge we see the Power button, a 3.5 mm jack for connecting a stereo headset, and a microphone hole. On tablets with a cellular module, most of the top edge is covered with a plastic insert (moreover, on light-colored tablets it is white, not dark, as is the case with the iPad 4). Honestly, it spoils the appearance of the device. But, apparently, it is impossible to ensure 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 its competitors. When you hold this almost weightless (compared to previous iPads) and thin glass-metal board, you experience almost the same sensations as you did from the first iPad when it first appeared. Perhaps this feeling will gradually dull, but at first you can’t get enough of it: how great it is to read magazines, surf the Internet, play on such a tablet...

At the same time, it’s gratifying that Apple was able to achieve such outstanding performance by 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). To summarize, we can say that at the moment the iPad Air simply has no competitors in design among full-size tablets.

Screen and software

Like the iPad 3 and iPad 4, the iPad Air features a Retina display with a resolution of 2048 x 1536. If a year and a half ago this figure was unsurpassed, and a year ago the only tablet with a higher resolution was the Google Nexus 10, which never reached Russia, now tablets with a resolution of 2560x1600 no longer look like such a curiosity. In addition, since the release of the iPad 4, our test laboratory has seen many tablets with excellent screens. How does the iPad Air screen look against their background?

Here is a detailed examination of the Retina screen, previously conducted by the editor of the “Monitors” and “Projectors and TV” sections, Alexey Kudryavtsev.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface that is scratch-resistant. Judging by the reflection of objects, there is a very effective anti-glare filter, approximately equal in reducing the brightness of the reflection to the screen filter of the Google Nexus 7 2013 (we will compare it with it below).

For clarity, here are photographs in which a white surface is reflected in the switched off screens of both tablets:

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

The reflection in the screen triples, which suggests 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 separate outer glass (also known as a touch panel) is easier and cheaper to repair. The outer surface of the screen has a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (effective, but still worse than that of the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed much more easily and appear at a slower rate than with regular 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-glare properties, the image on the screen should be clearly visible in bright daylight. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable level. There is automatic brightness adjustment based on the light sensor (it is located to the left of the front camera eye). In this case, the brightness can only automatically increase - when the level of external illumination decreases, we did not wait for a corresponding decrease in screen brightness. However, if you put the tablet into sleep mode and turn it on again, the brightness will be set in accordance with the external 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, 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 (corresponding to lighting on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight), the maximum brightness is 425 cd/m², in an office illuminated by artificial light - 145 cd/m² (normal), in the dark - 38 cd/m² (acceptable). If the slider is at a minimum, then under the above conditions the values ​​are as follows: 425, 14, 7 cd/m². Thus, this function works adequately only at some average brightness adjustment positions. At the extremes, the brightness is either always maximum, or decreases too quickly when ambient light decreases. At any brightness level, there is virtually no backlight modulation, so there is no screen flickering.

This tablet uses an IPS matrix. The microphotographs show a typical IPS subpixel structure:

The screen has good viewing angles without inverting shades and without significant color shifts, even with large viewing deviations from perpendicular to the screen. For comparison, here are photos in which the same images are displayed 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 field:

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” on both tablets. White field:

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

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

And along the other diagonal:

It can be seen that the iPad Air has a different color tone of the black field depending on the diagonal, but its brightness in any case is slightly lower than the brightness of the black Nexus 7 at the same angle.

When viewed perpendicularly, the uniformity of the black field is good, since in fact only along the bottom edge there are dim areas with increased brightness of the black field (bright points are dead pixels on the camera matrix):

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

Color gamut is close to sRGB:

Apparently, the matrix filters mix the components with 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 the vast majority of them) have natural saturation. The balance of shades on the gray scale is good, since the color temperature is close to the standard 6500 K, and the deviation from the blackbody 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. (Dark areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since color balance there is not very important, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)

The range of brightness adjustment for the iPad Air screen is quite wide, 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 up, which will force the user to either set the brightness manually, or force the brightness to decrease, putting the tablet into sleep mode and turning it back on. Apparently, this implementation makes the transition from previous versions of the iPad easier - habits can be maintained. The advantages of the iPad Air screen include an effective oleophobic coating, close to sRGB coverage, good color balance and excellent black stability to deviation of the gaze from perpendicular to the screen surface, as well as good black field uniformity. In general, the screen quality 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 pre-installed, while the previous model left the factories with iOS 6. But it can also be updated to iOS 7. We also note that iPad users Air is available for free popular Apple applications - Pages, Numbers, Keynote and GarageBand.

Performance

Like the iPhone 5s, the iPad Air runs on Apple's new A7 SoC. It is curious that Apple did not create an 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 “desktop-class” architecture (as 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. Among other things, it allows applications to use the information of these modules more efficiently, and also saves 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 true for the iPad Air.

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

Let's start with browser tests: 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 gap from the fourth generation iPad is especially 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. The iPad Air outperforms (albeit within the margin of error) even the eight-core Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1. Well, in single-processor mode it is a third faster than its 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 look at 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 Offscreen modes (in which the scene is displayed on the screen in Full HD resolution, regardless of the tablet screen resolution), the new iPad Air is quite a bit ahead of its Android competitors. But in Onscreen mode, which reflects the real “life” performance of games on a particular device, the iPad Air takes a big lead: the super-resolution of Android tablets plays against them.

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

As we can see, Apple, despite the tougher competition, still manages to maintain leadership in productivity. Add to this the fact that all the best games are still released on iOS first, and also the fact that they are optimized best for iOS (because there are a limited number of configurations), and we get the obvious conclusion: iPad Air is the best gaming tablet for 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 will feel this difference when looking at the screen is a big question. But you can feel a decrease in performance due to this resolution in top games.

Autonomous operation

We tested the tablet for only a short time, and it was not possible to do detailed tests of battery life. But, nevertheless, we were able to test the new product in the most difficult mode, simulating a 3D game. This is the Epic Citadel (Guided Tour). With the screen brightness set to 100 cd/m², the tablet worked for just over six hours. The previous generation iPad showed the same result. 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.

No less interesting is the comparison with other current tablet models. As you can see from the table with the results, both the new Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 and tablets based on NVIDIA Tegra 4 and Intel Atom Z2560 outright lost to the iPad Air. However, it is worth considering that the screen resolution of Samsung and Toshiba devices is higher than that of the iPad. But the fact remains: in high-load scenarios, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition will last less than the iPad Air.

Camera

The 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 on the iPad 4. This is not very high, especially by modern standards, but on a full-size tablet the camera should still be perceived as more of an addition. Although many (for example, Japanese tourists) do not think so. In any case, a good camera is a plus, but its quality is not determined by megapixels alone. Therefore, we decided to fully test the iPad Air camera using our smartphone camera testing methodology. Anton Soloviev photographed the stand and commented on the photos from the street.

The iPad Air's camera turned out to be quite good. In general, it copes with shooting in good lighting, but perhaps does not show anything outstanding, with the exception of excellent macro. The camera not only manages to choose the focus well on a close object, but also gives the photo an artistic touch by blurring the background well. Macro photography in the camera is really implemented very well, it feels like this is where the emphasis was placed. On the one hand, this is very reasonable, since the camera in a tablet is often useful for shooting documents; on the other hand - to each his own.

In varying lighting conditions, the camera performs slightly better than the iPhone 5s camera. Unfortunately, the iPad Air does not have a flash, which significantly limits the range of its camera. Also, the camera's capabilities are limited by its low resolution - only 5 megapixels, which does not allow it to be classified as a documentary camera.

The camera can be positioned as an artistic camera with good macro and document photography capabilities.

Video

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

The camera manages video quite well, with slight ripples, but without significant delays or lags between different parts of the frame from each other.

Conclusions

Well, Apple has again released a great tablet, showing all its competitors (including the most aggressive ones who have already decided that they are the new leaders) who knows how to combine design, functionality and a great user experience better than anyone else. You can list for a long time the disadvantages of the Apple platform and, conversely, the advantages of the Android platform, but if you ignore the “religious wars” and just pick up the iPad Air, it will become clear that this is truly an excellent product. And if among your needs there are none that cannot be fulfilled without, say, connecting an external drive, the most convenient access to Google services and a stylus, then perhaps you should opt for the iPad.

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

But even those users who have any specific preferences that are incompatible with Apple’s restrictions should also say thanks to 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 on many top models should fall. Otherwise, they are unlikely to be able to compete with the iPad Air.

But who seems to us to be the most formidable competitor to the iPad Air is the new iPad mini, which, at a price of $100 lower, has all the same capabilities and qualities (including a screen resolution of 2048 × 1536 and the 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 controversial issue: 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 its comparison with the iPad Air is a topic for a new article, which will be published immediately after the updated iPad mini goes on sale worldwide. Stay tuned!

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