The Apple iPad Air with this, the fifth generation of the iPad line, Apple has delivered a proper exterior redesign, crafting a substantially thinner and lighter tablet that finally eliminates the chunky bezels handed down since the first generation — at least on the left and right. But, despite this significant exterior reduction, the iPad Air maintains the battery life of its predecessor and offers significantly better performance.
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. Cellular models — with LTE and support for AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon in the United States — cost an additional $130 beyond the above prices.
So, yes, it’s still very much the premium-priced choice, just as it’s always been. However, the market continues to shift, offering more and increasingly sophisticated alternatives at far cheaper prices, tablets like the Kindle Fire HDX and Google Nexus 10. That, plus strong competition from within Apple’s own ranks with the upcoming iPad Mini with Retina Display, means the iPad Air has to be better than ever.
Specifications:
| GENERAL | 2G Network | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
|---|---|---|
| CDMA 800 / 1900 | ||
| 3G Network | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 | |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | ||
| 4G Network | LTE | |
| SIM | Nano-SIM | |
| Announced | 2013, October | |
| Status | Available. Released November 2013 |
| BODY | Dimensions | 240 x 169.5 x 7.5 mm (9.45 x 6.67 x 0.30 in) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 469 g (Wi-Fi) / 478 g (3G/LTE) (1.03 lb) |
| DISPLAY | Type | LED-backlit IPS LCD, capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 1536 x 2048 pixels, 9.7 inches (~264 ppi pixel density) | |
| Multitouch | Yes | |
| Protection | Scratch-resistant glass, oleophobic coating |
| SOUND | Alert types | N/A |
|---|---|---|
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | |
| 3.5mm jack | Yes |
| MEMORY | Card slot | No |
|---|---|---|
| Internal | 16/32/64/128 GB storage, 1 GB RAM DDR3 |
| DATA | GPRS | Yes |
|---|---|---|
| EDGE | Yes | |
| Speed | DC-HSDPA, 42 Mbps; HSDPA, 21 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps, LTE, 100 Mbps; EV-DO Rev. A, up to 3.1 Mbps | |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, Wi-Fi hotspot | |
| Bluetooth | Yes, v4.0 with A2DP, EDR | |
| USB | Yes, v2.0 |
| CAMERA | Primary | 5 MP, 2592 x 1944 pixels, autofocus, check quality |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, HDR | |
| Video | Yes, 1080p@30fps, video stabilization, check quality | |
| Secondary | Yes, 1.2 MP, 720p@30fps, face detection, FaceTime over Wi-Fi or Cellular |
| FEATURES | OS | iOS 7.0.4 |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Apple A7 | |
| CPU | Dual-core 1.3 GHz Cyclone (ARM v8-based) | |
| GPU | PowerVR G6430 (quad-core graphics) | |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, gyro, compass | |
| Messaging | iMessage, Email, Push Email, IM | |
| Browser | HTML (Safari) | |
| Radio | No | |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS support and GLONASS | |
| Java | No | |
| Colors | Space Gray, Silver | |
| – Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic- Siri natural language commands and dictation- AirDrop file sharing- iCloud cloud service- iCloud Keychain – Twitter and Facebook integration – TV-out – Maps – Audio/video player/editor – Organizer – Image viewer/editor – Document viewer/editor (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) – Voice memo – Predictive text input |
| BATTERY | Non-removable Li-Po 8,820 battery (32.4 Wh) | |
|---|---|---|
| Stand-by | ||
| Talk time | Up to 10 h (multimedia) |
Video Review:
The good: 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.
The bad: 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.
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.
Source – Cnet
