The first iPad Air tablet is arguably the best tablet ever produced, so we were surprised when we heard that Apple began work on an even finer model, the iPad Air 2. Sometimes, the company takes a mediocre technology and transforms it into premium art.
Other times it takes one of its iconic gadgets, tweaks and perfects it and obtains an even better, polished version of it. The iPad is not the only Apple product to receive substantial improvements. The iPod and MacBook Air may have kept their unique design, but they have benefited from serious improvements over time.
Critics can rant all they want about how the iPad Air 2 is too thin, but the truth is that there is no other tablet on the market to have pushed the limits of premium art to this level.
As a matter of fact, Apple’s relentless desire to create the thinnest tablet has resulted in a better screen. That’s because the layers which cover the screen (the LCD, touchscreen digitizer & backlight) have almost no air in between them.
Ultimately, Apple obtained a less reflective, more colorful and bright display. This is only one of the many superb features that the iPad Air 2 boasts.
The iPad Air 2 is a nice refinement and finesse of last year’s model, with a bevy of tweaks, enhancements, a much faster processor, and the welcome addition of Touch ID. Simply put: it’s still the gold standard for tablets.
A Quick Overview of the iPad Air 2
The first thing that consumers take into consideration is the price of a tablet. The iPad Air 2 is by no means cheap. The basic version sits around the sum of 499.99 U.S. dollars, while the fully specced version (with Wi-Fi and 4G) costs around 829.99 U.S. dollars. Granted, the price is a bit spicy, but it is not more than what Samsung & Sony are charging for their tablets, and you can also get it in the gold-ish tinged metal design.
The question on everyone’s mind right now: Is the iPad Air 2 worth buying? We hope to find the answer to this question with the following review. One thing you should keep in mind, though, is that the iPad Air 2 is a stellar tablet, despite not bringing any new & shinny features to the table. Because it was released recently, it also means that the original iPad Air, which is still one of the best tablets on the market, will be available for a discounted price. So if you are planning on surprising a loved one for Christmas, you might want to purchase the iPad Air 2’s predecessor.
Before we begin our review, let’s take a look at the tablet’s most important specs:
iPad Air 2 Specifications & Features
- Display:
- Resolution: 2048 x 1536 (264 ppi)
- Touchscreen: multi-touch
- Special features: anti-glare, fingerprint resistant, fully laminated display, retina display, oleophobic coating
- Connectivity:
- Wireless – 802.11a/b/g/n/ac & Bluetooth 4.0
- Camera:
- Rear-facing camera: 8 megapixels with HD video recording 1080 p
- Front-facing camera: 1.2 megapixels
- Special features: iSight camera, FaceTime HD, slow motion video, burst mode, face detection in still images, video stabilizer, photo & video geo-tagging, tap to focus
- Dimensions & Weight
- Dimensions: W 6.7 inch x Depth 6.1 mm x H 9.4 inch
- Weight: 4 oz
- Processor: A8X processor chip, 64-bit computing, 2GB RAM, M8 Motion coprocessor
- Storage: 16 GB
- Multimedia:
- Supported digital video formats: motion JPEG (up to 1280×720), H.264 High profile level 5.0 (up to 1080p), MPEG-4 SP (up to 640×480)
- Audio: speaker + 2 microphones
- Supported audio formats: HE-AAC, MP3, WAV, AAC & protected AAC, Apple lossless, audible, AIFF
- Battery:
- Capacity: 3 Wh
- Run Time: 10 sec
- Run time details: web browsing over Wi-Fi (10 hours), video playback (10 hours), Audio Playback (10 hours)
- Software:
- Pre-installed software: app store, camera, clock, messages, mail, maps, game center, contacts, FaceTime, clock, iBooks, videos, Siri, Safari, reminders, Podcasts, iCloud, iTunes, music, newssstand, notes, photobooth, photos etc.
- PC Connection Requirements
- Microsoft Windows 7, Vista, XP Home Edition SP3 or later, XP Professional SP3 or later, Windows 8
- Apple MacOS X 10.6.8 or later
- Expansion & Extras:
- 1 x headphones
- 1 x lighting
- Miscellaneous:
- Color: space gray / golden
- Extra Features: AirDrop, AirPlay, Apple M8 Motion, coprocessor, NIMO technology, VoiceOver screen reader, USB charging, iBeacon microlocation, Assistive Touch, Dictation, parental controls
1. Design: It’s Like the Original Air, Only Thinner
In terms of design, the iPad Air 2 hasn’t man any notable changes, apart from the thinner frame. At 6.1 millimeters it is probably thinner than the iPhone 6 and any other gadget you might find on the market. According to Cnet, it’s thinner than a magazine. According to official reports, the iPad Air 2 is the thinnest iOS device in the current crop.
It’s clear that Apple’s new mission is to make the thinnest gadgets on the market, but we are not sure why. Nobody even complained about the thickness of the original iPad Air, but Apple took it upon itself to slim down all of its devices, including laptops and phones.
When you put the tablet in a bag, you won’t feel the difference in thickness, but from the moment you take it in your hands, you will. The iPad Air 2 is noticeably lighter than its predecessor. It only weighs 0.96 pounds (437 grams) –for the Wi-FI version – and 1 pound (444 grams) – for the Wi-Fi – 4G model. The clear cute, refined details, sharp & easy hold haven’t changed.
Granted, the iPad Air 2 may be, potentially, as fragile as before, but the clean, solid, metal and glass work looks spectacular. We strongly advise you to treat it gently. Considering that the iPad Air is an expensive device, it would be unwise to bang it against the floor or walls.
As far as colors are concerned, the iPad Air comes in gold, silver and space gray options with black or white colored glass around the display. The gold color feels a lot like a subtle bronzing.
Display & Sound
The iPad Air 2 graces us with a stunning 9.7-inch Retina Display which preserves the previous resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels. It looks slightly better than the previous model. According to Apple, the screen is more „directly laminated to the glass” this time. The device also comes with an anti-glare coating. Slight improvements can be seen, even if they seem minor.
But what about sound? First of all, it comes from two speakers that can be found on both sides of the lightning port. We weren’t impressed by the device’s sound capabilities, mostly because it resonates more (probably because of the tablet’s thickness). To put it simply, the iPad Air 2 vibrates. Nevertheless, the tablet was never intended as an audio system, and when volume is set on medium levels, it performs nicely.
2. Battery Life: Good but not Impressive
Apple hasn’t made major changes to its battery specs. After several benchmark tests we have concluded that the iPad Air 2’s battery life holds for approximately 10 hours under various circumstances. This is by no means impressive. At the moment, there are many tablets, and even laptops, that last 10 hours and longer. It would be a good thing if Apple decided to improve the battery life of the iPad Air 2.
You should keep in mind, however, that the iPad Air 2 can make it through an entire day without being charged. You can watch two or three movies with it, and play your favorite game for hours. It will also get you safely through a plane flight.
3. Key Features of the Apple iPad Air 2
For the release of the iPad Air 2, Apple has trimmed some weight off the device, made it thinner, and added a more powerful processor, improved screen capabilities and Touch ID, all to provide with a very complete package for users. Tech enthusiasts who already have the Apple iPad Aid might not jump at the opportunity of an upgrade, but the new device is far superior to the iPad 3 and earlier models. Let’s take look at the most important features of the new and improved iPad Air.
#1 Touch ID & Apple Pay
The Touch ID feature is undoubtedly one of the most exciting additions for the iPad Air 2. Do you ever happen to forget your pass-code or swipe gesture when locking your tablet? You won’t have to worry about this anymore, because with TouchID you can add a pass-code without even noticing that it’s there. This is just a stepping stone for future transactions, because when the feature will become widely implemented, it will be possible to pay for things without having to pull out your credit card. We strongly believe that this is a valuable addition to the mobile ecosystem. Apple also believes that this feature will be extremely useful for locking certain apps, which admittedly, some people want secure.
#2 The Beautifully Refined New Screen
Another great improvement on the Apple iPad Air 2 is the new screen technology. Thinness may be overlooked, camera flow is not that important, but when brightness and touch capabilities are improved on a screen, you can tell. Sharpness and clarity of images has been maintained, but because internal layers are better laminated together, colors are deeper and more vibrant. Reflectivity is also reduced due to the anti-reflection coating.
DisplayMate Technologies has tested the iPad Air 2 extensively, and concluded that reflection and brightness of the reflected ambient light are ‘outstanding’. The iPad Air 2 isn’t just a small improvement from its predecessor. It has nearly doubled the score of the iPad Air.
#3 New A8X Chip
Apple declared that its A8X Chip is screamingly fast, and we have to admit that the tablet has performed superbly under various circumstances. It’s safe to say that a tablet with these capabilities cannot be pushed to the limits. The graphical capabilities of the Air 2 are 2.5 times that of the Air, and the new chip offers better flow for apps and other tools. Battery life is slightly improved and the touchscreen runs more effectively. Of course, these things are not directly related to the chipset, but the new addition helps.
#4 New Camera
I have to start by saying that I find it slightly unorthodox to use a tablet camera as a main camera, but nowadays it has become the norm to take photos of friends and family with this slightly over-sized device. Somehow, it has become acceptable for people to take selfies with tablets. Apple does not discriminate, and this is why it improved the camera on the iPad Air 2. The resolution will give you a clearer picture, although it will never be as crisp as that of a next-generation smartphone camera. In addition to this, the iPad Air 2 has been imbued with several high-power tricks such as slow motion video, lapse mode, built-in Photos Suite for editing, iCloud shared photo stream and more.
4. Interface & Performance
As you probably already know, iOS 8.1.1 was recently released, but the iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3 are the first devices to run this OS right out of the box. For Apple users, the interface is nothing new. If you are worried about crashes and bugs on iOS 8.1.1, don’t be. While it is true that the iPhone 6 and 6 plus are experiencing some technical difficulties with the new OS (especially with Google Chrome and the inbuilt Mail app), both tablets are performing nicely and issues are being kept to a minimum. The 9.7-inch screen equipped on the new iPad Air perfectly fits the grid of apps and icons.
There is no need to detail on the usefulness and wonderful capabilities of the new operating system. It is now possible to answer messages without exiting apps, or check social media feeds without disrupting other activities. If you are not using iOS 8.1.1 on your device right now, you are losing out. Everything is brilliant on the new iPad Air: screen responsiveness perfectly complements the new suite of features made available.
I never felt like the latest Samsung tablet lagged, but after using the iPad Air 2 I realized that Apple redefined the concept of screen responsiveness (also due to the fact that the new A8X chipset is 40% faster than the competition). From a performance point of view, Apple has definitely delivered outstanding results.
5. Media Overview
The one thing I couldn’t quite understand was the new increments (or should we say old) for storage options. Apple has upgraded the middle storage option from 32GB to 64GB, but the lowest storage option is still 16GB. Maybe it should have been upgraded to 32GB as well? Anyway, the Apple iPad Air 2 is a perfect device for consuming media one, as long as you organize storage space wisely.
Installing all the free apps from Apple will take up a large portion of your storage. In addition to this, games are now a lot bigger, and they will also consume a lot of GB. For this reason we recommend that you don’t purchase the cheapest storage option (the 16GB one). If you enjoy watching movies and TV series, the iPad Air 2 is the perfect device to do it on. Even more amazing than movies are games. The reach, HD quality and immersive screen is absolutely perfect for playing games. It is very probable that new games that take advantage of the strong GPU performance and resolution will appear in the foreseeable future. If you are a game enthusiast, you should definitely consider purchasing this device.
How Does the iPad Air 2 Handle ‘The Basics’?
Up until now we have only covered apps, games, media capabilities, performance and design. Sure, the iPad Air 2 works perfectly with all the clever apps, but how well does it perform basic tasks? Let’s take a look at some of the most important things that a tablet should be capable of doing:
- Messaging: I have always been extremely pleased with the performance of Apple keyboards. Screen responsiveness makes it impossible to miss-type something. Because the iPad Air 2 comes with better screen capabilities, you can expect great things from it. Besides the text message problem, the iPad Air 2 performs perfectly: the expansive keyboard will make it extremely easy for you to blurt out interminable messages. Even the Mail app, with the infamous boring view, remains a powerful tool on iOS 8.
- Internet Browsing: I am positive that you are planning on browsing the internet with your brand new tablet. Thanks to the new A8X chip, navigating online has never been faster. You will virtually experience instant tapping and loading with this new gadget. Safari and Chrome perform equally impressive.
- Connectivity: The Apple iPad Air 2 offers better connectivity than previous models and tablets. That’s mostly due to the inclusion of 802.11ac technology. The addition of Apple’s own SIM available for US and UK markets is also nice.
- Handoff: The select few who own an iPhone with the latest software and an iPad Air 2 can enjoy the Handoff feature, which instantly links your devices to the same iCloud account and enables you to receive calls on the tablet.
Price & Availability
The Apple iPad Air 2 was released on October 17. Users have had plenty of time to play with the new gadget, and they were extremely satisfied with it up until now. In the United Kingdom, the price of the iPad Air 2 starts at 399 pounds for the 16GB Wi-Fi version. If you want to add cellular connectivity you have to add 100 more pounds to the price.
Verdict
The challenge of delivering truly useful to the markets is increasingly difficult. The market has evolved significantly, and new tablet models have to deliver truly unique and practical features to be considered worthy. Don’t forget that the iPad Air 2 is competing with companies such as Samsung, Sony and Google/HTC. So how has the tablet performed? There are many things that we liked about this gadget, and also some that we didn’t enjoy. Here they are:
The Good:
- The iPad Air 2 is perceptibly lighter than other tablets
- Superior screen responsiveness and image quality
- Battery life is impressive (even if it hasn’t been greatly improved upon)
- Seamless performance (exceptionally fast)
- Sleek and elegant
The Bad:
- Too little storage space for the 16GB option
- Tablet vibrates from loud sounds
- Seems fragile
- Not a big change from the iPad Air 1 in terms of overall function
All in all, the Apple iPad Air 2 is a superb tablet, worth every penny. If you are an Apple enthusiast or simply looking for a tablet with unparalleled performance and capabilities, this is the perfect choice.
