Apple surprised audiences today by revealing a new iPad called the iPad Air. Curious to know how it works and if its worth the price? These are the top five reviews you need to read.
1. Nilay Patel – The Verge
The 9.7-inch, one-pound, 7.5mm-thick device feels much better in one hand than it used to, though it’s certainly not as portable as the iPad mini — which now has a 2048 x 1536 screen to match the Air’s as well. Along with the new A7 processor and a handful of under-the-hood improvements, this is just about the upgrade we expected, but more than ever the iPad Air feels like you’re just holding a big screen full of the internet. That’s probably a good thing.
Apple tried to think outside the box with this new creation. Considerably lighter, Patel thinks this was a good upgrade for the line of tablets.
2. Anand Al Shimpi & Brian Klug – AnandTech
We just played with the iPad Air, which is much thinner and lighter than the previous generation iPad. In the hands, it’s shocking how much of a difference the change in profile makes, analogous somewhat to the way moving from the iPhone 4 or 4S to 5 felt. The chamfered edge and narrower profile makes it easier to grip the iPad Air in the hands, and there’s still enough bezel around as well, though it is smaller.
The iPad Air feels a lot more like a larger iPad mini than it does a newer generation of the previous iPad. The iPad Air includes the same Apple A7 SoC as the iPhone 5s and also includes the M7 sensor fusion hub.
The guys at Anandtech thought it was a strong update. The tablet’s feel and look was greatly refined.
3. Chris Davies – Slash Gear
Of course, inside there’s a big step up in power, too, thanks to the Apple A7 processor – which we saw used to good effect on the iPhone 5s. Apple is saying twice the processing and graphics performance of the previous-gen model, though we’ll need to spend some more time with the tablet in order to see how well that makes itself known in everyday use.
Chris Davies was most impressed by the processing power but still needed more time to experiment with it.
4. Brian Heater – Engadget
It’s the iPad that’s so light, they needed a whole new name. At first glance, there’s not a heck of a lot new about the Air (though the more discerning amongst you may well notice the new dual-mics at top). There’s a brushed metal backing (which is awfully shiny under these bright lights), a power switch and volume buttons on one side and that lighting port and speaker grilles on the bottom. And while the new tablet is, in fact, around 20 percent slimmer than its predecessor, it’s not immediately apparently until you put the iPad up against its older sibling. What is apparent, however, is the weight. As its name implies, this guy is light — impressively so at one pound (down from 1.4).
Heater was skeptical on the iPad Air when he got his hands on it. The lightness is impressive since this gadget is significantly slimmed down.
5. Stuart Miles – Pocket Lint
Of course the 9.7-inch Retina display helps, as does having virtually the same innards as the iPhone 5S launched in September. This is Apple not messing around with processor speeds or specs, but merely chucking all the power it can at the device.
Once you get over all that, the new space grey / black colour is, well slightly greyer than the original black iPad, and you realise that it’s very much the same as what you’ve probably already got.
Miles was another critic who enjoyed the speed housed within the specs. Overall, he thought the color schemes could have been altered a bit.
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Apple’s New iPad Air: Top Five Reviews You Need To Read