IN "tablet manufacturing" Apple is following the same path trodden by the example of the iPhone: minimum large-scale changes, more productivity. In case of iPad Air In addition to everything else, we also received an updated appearance. Now full-length "apple" The tablet is made in the same design as , and the filling of the device is as close as possible to . Except that there is no fingerprint scanner in the tablet button.

iPad Air and iPad mini

Apple has unified the appearance of its tablets. Whether this is good or bad is up to the buyer to decide. Be that as it may, the iPad Air is now different from the iPad mini second generations only in size. Some market analysts express concern that such a strategy could "blur" audience of potential iPad buyers. However, it is too early to judge this, and we have no choice but to take a closer look at the new product.

Appearance

If you've seen the iPad mini, then you know what the iPad Air is. Of course, the new product is wider and longer than its compact brother. But compared to its predecessor, the device looks like a model of elegance. Judge for yourself, the dimensions of the iPad fourth generation were 241*186*9.4 mm. The new product has become a millimeter shorter, one and a half centimeters narrower (some manage to grasp the device with one hand!) and almost 2 mm thinner (7.5 mm - just like the updated iPad mini).

iPad Air and first generation iPad

But the most important thing is that the tablet is about 200 g lighter. This is very significant when it comes to a portable device that often has to be held in one or two hands. The 9.7-inch Air is only 100g heavier with a 7-inch display.

iPad Air and fourth generation iPad

So, the metal iPad has become, strange as it may sound, even more metal. In accordance with the mini concept, all buttons and the lever for switching to silent mode (or locking the screen orientation) are now also made of metal. Traditionally, the insert in the upper part is made of plastic - this is a feature of all models with support cellular communications. On the same insert you can see a pair of holes for two microphones.

Unlike previous full-length iPads, in Air engineers were able to significantly reduce the distance from the edges of the screen to the ends of the device. Please note that this does not cause any inconvenience. While testing the tablet, we didn't have any problems with erroneous presses or anything like that.

On the right side, almost at the very bottom, there is a slot for a nanoSIM card. For some reason, the iPad mini is a little higher. The kit comes with a tool for removing the tray, but there are no headphones included.

The new iPad is primarily attractive due to its reduced size and weight. Perhaps the word air really suits the new model best as a name.

Display

Specifications The display installed in the iPad Air has not changed. We are still offered a 9.7-inch matrix with Retina resolution of 2048*1536 pixels. Today, not even the most famous tablet manufacturers can boast of similar ppi, and Samsung has even released a model with a resolution of 2560*1600 pixels.

In fact, all major changes are hidden from the eyes of users. The screen became one of the two main elements, due to which the developers managed to reduce the thickness and weight of the tablet.

For the first time in an Apple product, the iPad Air matrix is ​​made using IGZO technology. The name of the new semiconductor material is an abbreviation of its underlying chemical elements: In-Ga-Zn-O (indium gallium zinc oxide). This semiconductor is just coming to replace amorphous silicon, from which the transistors of most current displays are created. The advantage of IGZO is that this technology provides electron mobility that is 50 times higher compared to conventional solutions.

Thanks to the increased mobility of electrons, it has become possible to reduce the size of the transistors responsible for turning on and off each pixel in the matrix. This, in turn, led to an increase in pixel density, an increase in the switching speed of transistors, and due to their transparency, there was no need for powerful backlighting.

In general, IGZO allows you to make the screen thinner, increase contrast and color accuracy, and also cut power consumption in half compared to the fourth-generation iPad matrices. More economical energy consumption is associated with a reduction in the number of LEDs required to backlight the display. In the previous tablet there were 84 of them, but only 36 remain. At the same time, the brightness even increased slightly, but the load on the battery was significantly reduced.

So far, Sharp and LG are engaged in mass production of IGZO panels. Most likely, our copy had a matrix installed from a Korean company. Judging by messages on the Internet, defects are typical for LG displays. Unfortunately, we also encountered a problem. In the test iPad Air, a gray stripe is visible on a white background, stretching from the bottom to the top edge. To be fair, it is worth noting that the defect is almost invisible. We are sure that 90% of users simply will not see it, and the remaining 10% will not pay attention.

There is still an air gap between the matrix and protective glass. Because of this, the screen glares in the sun, but this solution does not cause any particular inconvenience. The oleophobic coating seemed too weak to us - marks appear on the screen instantly, which cannot be said about the rough metal body.

Problems

The iPad we tested originally ran iOS 7.0.3 and was later updated to iOS 7.0.4. With one and the other firmware, we have encountered the same bugs more than once.

With enviable persistence, our test subject often crashed while surfing the web. It is curious that both the iPhone 5 on iOS 7.0.4, and the fourth generation iPad, and even the very first "apple" The tablet didn’t even think of stumbling on pages, the transition to which for some reason led to a crash to the desktop in the case of Air.

Updating the firmware, closing applications manually, rebooting - none of this helped, Safari still crashed.
More rare "glitch" met only twice. Both times, for some reason, the tablet refused to change the orientation of the desktop on the display, no matter how we turned the iPad Air. Let us clarify that the lever on the right side was responsible for switching to silent mode, so there is no need to blame it. In both cases, it was possible to get rid of the hanging misunderstanding only with the help of a reboot.

This is what the desktop looked like when the tablet was oriented vertically

It seems like a small thing, but encountering such problems when it comes to Apple products is unusual and therefore doubly unpleasant. Well, we are counting on another batch of fixes in the next mobile OS update.

Camera

Apple, not without reason, believes that the camera in tablets is an auxiliary function. The 5-megapixel photo module, judging by the quality of the images, has not been changed since the third generation iPad. No more or less interesting modes, as in the iPhone 5s, the Air does not. All you can do is press the shutter button and activate HDR.

The flash never showed up, so it’s unlikely to be possible to shoot anything visible in the twilight. At daylight can be done nice photos, macro photography is good. In general, 5 megapixels are fair, at the level of smartphones from two years ago.

Productivity and time battery life

This time, Apple didn’t bother with the indexes and installed almost the same processor in the iPad Air as the iPhone 5s is equipped with. Dual-core 64-bit A7 runs on clock frequency up to 1.4 GHz (100 MHz more than iPhone 5s), system has 1 GB random access memory and PowerVR G6430 graphics chip.

In the era of 8-core mobile processors Having crossed 2 GHz frequencies and 4 GB of RAM, the Air's specifications seem mediocre. But this is exactly the case when quality (hardware, software, etc.) decides, not quantity. The new iPad is for once incredibly fast and works no slower than the recently released iPhone.

It’s a pity that there is nowhere to use all this power yet. Even the camera, unlike "apple" smartphone, does not know how to shoot slow-motion video. M7 coprocessor, which processes data from the gyroscope, compass and accelerometer and at the same time reduces the load on CPU, is also out of work for now. But what a good reserve for the future!

There was an interesting story with the battery. In order to further reduce the thickness of the tablet, the manufacturer was forced to reduce the battery capacity from 42.5 to 32.4 Wh - by almost a quarter! The loss was compensated by the IGZO display, which is not greedy for electricity, thanks to which the battery life indicators did not change - the new product can withstand its 10 hours on the Internet.

Conclusion

The iPad Air is definitely a success. Many people say that this is best tablet from Apple. Perhaps this is so. The device turned out to be incredibly light, compact and convenient for a full-size tablet with a 9.7-inch display. Finally, the iPad has not just enough, but even excessive performance, while maintaining long battery life. Those who like to take evening pictures for Instagram may find the built-in photo module modest. We do not rule out that this is the basis for the next iPad.

But with software problems and the “overexposed” display needs to be done something now. We are confident that Apple will cope with the first one. There will only be "tighten the nuts" at partner factories that produce matrices for Air.
A source of information:

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. GPU younger - 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 - this is the iPad Air 2 and iPad Pro. Comparison of 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 also increased a little - instead of 0.3 megapixels, it received 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 one who managed to fit such a device into a thin body. powerful battery. 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's thinner, prettier, has an updated processor inside and a new version 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, although the changes are noticeable, they are still practically identical 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, has 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, exactly latest model 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.

Over the six years of its existence, iPads have turned from a beautiful toy into serious gadgets that easily compete with laptops. Moreover, more and more often people give preference to these “thin” and mobile “Apple” devices. Tablet PC Apple iPad Air 2 has become not only lighter and thinner than its predecessors, but also noticeably more powerful and productive. In general, Apple knows how to surprise its fans, and the next line of iPads is no exception.

So, the subject of today's review is the Apple iPad Air 2. Characteristics, advantages and disadvantages, as well as the opinions of experts, along with reviews from ordinary users of the device, will be discussed in detail below.

The previous generation of Air and the new one are similar only in appearance - the main differences lie inside: better performance, better camera, the screen is better, almost everything has become better...

Contents of delivery

The equipment of the new device is similar to the previous lines. Strict white packaging made of high-quality cardboard with a few inscriptions and other information. Everything is spartan, but with a bit of grace, so it’s hard to call the box simple; rather, everything is done in a unique style.

Inside the package you will see:

• the device itself;
• USB cable for charging and synchronization with PC;
• Charger;
• manual and warranty card;
• case for Apple iPad Air 2 (variable).

The equipment is standard - nothing extra, because the gadget already costs a lot of money, and any accessory in the box raises the price tag. There are more than enough individual branded items for iPads in stores, so it’s a matter of taste. Otherwise, everything is beautiful and in its place. In addition, the company included some cute brand-themed stickers in the box, so die-hard fans will be happy.

Appearance

The brand does not change the style of its devices very often. The company can be called one of the most conservative manufacturers in the mobile gadgets segment. Having carefully worked out the appearance of the next hit, the brand leaves patterns for the next generation of devices, or even two at once.

If we take a particularly close look at the design evolution of iPads, we will see that almost all generations of gadgets had the same features and features. In fact, the whole difference came down to changes in interfaces and the thickness of the case. The previous line was distinguished by a relatively thin bumper - only 7.5 mm, but in the case of the Apple iPad Air 2, the brand again set a record, and the device shrank to 6.1 mm. Moreover, it is worth noting that we are not holding a smartphone, for which such dimensions are very good, but a full-fledged ten-inch tablet.

In addition to noticeable weight loss, the gadget received a slightly different placement of the main elements. Some owners are not very happy with this innovation in the Apple iPad Air 2. User reviews are full of confusion about the previously purchased Smart Case for previous generations. The new gadget fits perfectly in the branded case, but the camera lens does not match the standard hole. Therefore, especially careful owners will have to fork out for a new accessory for the Apple iPad Air 2.

Models from the assembly line have the usual colors - silver or gray. But the company gave a gift to its fans by releasing a variable series in golden coloring. This was done exactly after the release of an iPhone of the same color.

Interfaces

Another difference between the new product and its older brothers is the Home button, which completely copies the design of the iPhone and has a built-in fingerprint sensor. The FaceTime-class camera eye is located exactly in the center on the front panel. At the top end there is a “mini-jack” and a screen lock key. At the bottom we will see speaker grilles and the Lightning interface for synchronizing with a personal computer and charging the device.

There is a volume rocker on the side, but the functional sound switching button is now missing from new Apple iPad Air 2. User reviews on this matter are mixed, because many liked the additional functionality, albeit slightly, but it expanded the usability of the device, while for others it only confused. In any case, the company abandoned this key and, most likely, we will not see it in the near future.

As for the general impressions of the arrangement of elements and the assembly of the device, there is nothing to complain about here - the Apple iPad Air 2 tablet is made conscientiously and in the proper quality. Nothing creaks, plays or sticks out. Moreover, the matte finish does not attract fingerprints or other dirt.

Ergonomics

The Apple company is firmly convinced and strongly promotes its idea that the tablet should be light and thin. The Apple iPad Air 2 tablet fully meets the selected criteria. If we look at similar devices in this segment, we will see that the gadget is not only the thinnest device in its class, but also the lightest. If we compare it with the previous generation of Apple iPads, we can see that the new product has become 29 grams lighter and 18% thinner.

The round-shaped bumper is pleasant to hold in your hands, and it is equally comfortable for your palms to grasp the device in both horizontal and vertical orientations. Despite the fact that the body seems frighteningly thin, the gadget rotates surprisingly easily and with proper comfort in your hands. In general, describing the ergonomics of Apple devices is a waste of time - suffice it to say that on this point the brand traditionally occupies a leading position in the IT industry.

Display

If we trace the history of iPads since 2012, we will see that the layout of ten-inch gadgets has not changed and is firmly established at 1536 by 2048 pixels with 264 dots per inch. Today the company offers the same screen, but without any air gaps and with lamination technology, which could not but affect the picture quality of the Apple iPad Air 2.

The overview has become noticeably better, the picture looks more realistic, and direct Sun rays Now it’s not a hindrance to work, because the screen glare is 56% less than its predecessors. In addition, intelligent automation almost perfectly adjusts the backlight and other display parameters based on environmental conditions.

Besides this, everything Apple models iPad Air 2 (gray/white/gold) is equipped with a very high-quality oleophobic coating, which allows you to get rid of fingerprints and other contaminants in a matter of seconds.

As for color rendition and other visual parameters, there are no noticeable differences from the previous generation: excellent calibration, natural gamma and rich picture.

Hardware platform

The Apple iPad Air 2 tablet (64Gb/128Gb) runs on the iOS platform version 8.1. Of course, it is far from the capabilities of the tenth version, but for the average user all the available bells and whistles will be more than enough. In any case, if you wish, you can always update to the latest platform.

All useful functionality is fully revealed in conjunction with Yosemite. Take, for example, the same file transfer to Personal Computer: It will be quick and hassle-free using AirDrop. And if you use the Apple iPad Air 2 (Wi-Fi) as a modem, say with a laptop, then the remaining charge will be visible on the latter battery mobile gadget. Many owners in their reviews have repeatedly thanked the company for such a useful feature.

In addition, useful widgets appeared in the notification center, and a function was added to replace the built-in keyboard with any other one. The same “iCloud” is used to store data, where the owner has 5 GB of space available for free, and beyond the exceeded limit you will have to pay additionally. Russian language recognition and voice input of information work as they should, so typing without a keyboard should not be a problem. The only thing that Apple iPad Air 2 owners sometimes complain about in their reviews is the Siri assistant, who never bothered to learn Russian. Otherwise, everything is in place: seething, working and functioning as it should.

Performance

Among other similar gadgets from Apple, the Apple iPad Air 2 also stands out because it has 2 GB of RAM on board. Moreover, the tablet was equipped with a smart 64-bit process (A8X), running on three cores with a frequency of 1.5 GHz. An equally powerful chip, PowerVR from the G6650 series, is responsible for the graphics component.

In addition, engineers equipped the device with an additional set of chipsets (coprocessor), which is responsible for the operation of the compass, barometer and accelerometer. The company abandoned models with 32 GB of internal memory, so in stores you can find more expensive gadgets with 64 and 128 GB. If you are running out of money, you can always buy the basic version - Apple iPad Air 2 (16Gb). According to an already firmly established tradition, the brand does not equip its devices with memory cards, so we work with what is inside.

More early models It was difficult to blame Aira for lack of performance. Yes, there were some shortcomings, but it’s difficult to call them critical. For example, the problem with websites constantly reloading in the browser while opening resource-intensive applications has been completely resolved. Doubling the amount of RAM/RAM played an important role here.

In addition, viewing streaming video in Full HD scanning now takes place without any delays or other brakes, and you can scroll through website pages with amazing speed, as well as scale to any pixelation, and all this happens smoothly and with due beauty.

One of the main Apple differences The iPad Air 2 from its predecessors is a smart multitasking device, that is, comfortable work with several applications. You can safely keep Safari open with a dozen sites and simultaneously work with other, no less demanding utilities. This whole process occurs quite comfortably and without any lags, without requiring restarting applications, as was the case with previous generations of gadgets.

As for games, everything is just fine here. And although the response speed of applications in the old and new Air differs slightly, nevertheless, an advance of 2-3 seconds is felt.

Touch ID

The presence of Touch ID has become one of the main features of the Apple iPad Air 2 tablet (16Gb/64Gb/128Gb). Moreover, this functionality easily defines a new model. Touch ID is a kind of guarantee that ensures the safety of your personal data. The fingerprint sensor was migrated to the device from the iPhone 6 series, which uses a more modern and intelligent sensor than that of the same 5S. The fingerprint scanner has not become an innovation on the market, but it is in Air 2 that its operation is as comfortable as possible.

You can designate up to 10 prints in the menu, and the sensor works very clearly and accurately, and recognition occurs in a few fractions of a second. Anyone who is even more or less familiar with the settings will understand the settings. Apple products user: a competent settings wizard will guide you through all the necessary steps and in a couple of minutes your data will be perfectly protected.

Sound

It’s hard to find fault with the sound characteristics - high-quality and clear sound. The only thing that tablet owners sometimes complain about is the insufficient maximum volume threshold, so for greater effect it is better to get a good headset in advance.

However, home speakers are quite loud and can adjust (automatically or manually) to suit different environments. The grilles are sometimes blocked by hand while watching videos or games, but no critical drops in sound were observed.

Camera

The front camera with a 1.2 megapixel matrix works using FaceTime HD technology and can record video in high (720p) resolution. In a normal environment, it is quite enough for normal selfies and video calls.

The company paid great attention to the iSight-class rear camera with an 8-megapixel sensor matrix and f/2.4 aperture. The brand does not strive to equalize smartphones and tablets in terms of shooting quality, so the Air 2, although it takes good photos and videos, is still inferior to the capabilities of the sixth series iPhones. The device has slightly smaller pixels, a slightly lower aperture ratio, and lacks automatic phase focusing.

Nevertheless, among the entire tablet fraternity, our respondent has the best camera. In addition, when compared with previous generations of Air, the new one has made a clear step forward. Users in their reviews note well-made HDR shooting modes, face detection, slow motion video, competent work with panoramas and the presence useful function Timelapses.

Daytime shooting from a tablet is comparable in quality to the similar capabilities of iPhones of the fifth series, but as soon as the lighting worsens, the capabilities of the Air-2 cameras drop sharply.

In general, 10-inch tablets are not the devices you need to shoot with. Their purpose lies in a completely different area, so the capabilities of the cameras are not an argument that needs to be taken into account during the purchase, which means we are content with the already good capabilities of the matrices and weigh other characteristics.

Autonomous operation

Extremely important nuance- this is that in pursuit of “thinner” gadgets, the company stubbornly monitored the autonomy of its devices. Even despite the more modest battery due to the reduced size of the tablet (32.4 Wh), the device can withstand more than nine hours of intensive use. For example, in just over an hour of spending time in gaming applications, the device lost only 7% of its battery charge.

Field tests have shown that even if the Apple iPad Air 2 is fully loaded (Wi-Fi, frequent conversations, SMS correspondence, etc.), the battery will more than last the whole day. When watching a video in high resolution and at 100% brightness the battery lasted a little more than ten hours. In general, you can discharge the device in one day, but then you will just have to “rape” it every hour. If you use the tablet from time to time, for a few hours in the evening, the battery will last for two to three days.

Summarizing

The new Air-2 has been improved in all respects: high performance, good cameras, an updated screen, an up-to-date fingerprint sensor, and increased RAM to 2 GB. With similar battery life to its predecessors, the tablet has become thinner and lighter. The model will certainly be of interest to all those who want to get a smart device with an excellent set of characteristics from a venerable brand.

The average model with 64 GB of internal memory costs about 40,000 rubles. Simpler or more serious gadgets (16/128 GB) differ by about 10,000 rubles. Although the prices are steep compared to Huawei, Samsung, Asus and other manufacturers, if you want excellent quality, then most likely you won’t be able to do it any other way.

The main advantages of the Apple iPad "Air-2" tablet:

• light and thin metal body;
• pleasant and stylish appearance;
• the fastest model in its segment;
• excellent battery life;
• presence of a fingerprint sensor.

Flaws:

• the base model is equipped with too little built-in memory;
• There is no ability to work with external SD media.

In general, the gadget was a success, and fans of the brand will certainly appreciate all the advantages of the new device. And for those who are not familiar with the company’s products, Air-2 will provide an excellent opportunity to get acquainted.

So we've been waiting for this moment, on October 22 Apple announced a new Tablet PC, which is already the fifth in a row. It's called the iPad Air, and according to the Cupertino team, it's the smallest and most powerful tablet to date.

Also on this day, they presented a new one, which is equipped with a display with Retina technology and has a resolution of 2048 × 1536 pixels.

Let's take a closer look at what the apple company offered us.

iPad Air Dimensions

The tablet has become 28% lighter than its younger brother and now weighs just under half a kilogram, or more precisely 450 grams. Thickness decreased by 20%.

The iPad Air is 24.6 centimeters long and only 7.5 millimeters thick. The display size remains the same - 9.7 inches.

iPad Air specifications

The internal filling of the tablet runs on a single-chip A7 system, exactly the same as on the iPhone 5s. The processor is 64-bit and its speed is 72 times faster than the first iPad of 2010. But here it is clear that progress does not stand still and it would be surprising if system indicators did not increase several times.

There is also a standard Wi-Fi support with a combination of an LTE class modem. The camera, called iSight, has 5 megapixels and makes it possible to record high-quality video in Full HD format.

The operating time of the iPad Air remains the same as that of the younger model - until 10 o'clock.

Now there are two microphones and the quality of photo modules has been significantly improved, which will allow you to take better pictures.

Prices for the new model remained unchanged:

• $499 for the model with 16 GB of memory + Wi-Fi and $629 for the model with LTE connection models;
• $599 for 32GB model;
• $699 with 64GB.

For more details about prices and when sales of the iPad Air will begin in the world and Russia, wait in the following publications, we are just starting to prepare the material.

About what was said

In principle, a very interesting model was announced by Apple at this moment There are no competitors yet in terms of system and technical characteristics. The potential of the hardware is very good and we will only be able to see it in full action in the future, when more demanding applications appear.

In short, the most interesting thing about this new iPad model is its size and weight characteristics, which are very interesting compared to its closest competitors.

I decided to do iPad review Air for those who have not yet decided on buying a tablet. The review was not done in a hurry, but after prolonged use of the tablet. I will also allow myself to periodically make changes to this review in order to make it relevant at any time.

The review will contain both technical data and a lot of personal impressions and observations.

• iPad Air equipment
• iPad Air appearance
• iPad Air Dimensions
• Internal characteristics
• iPad Air screen
• iPad Air and iOS 7
• Cameras in iPad Air. Examples of photos and videos
• Battery life and charging
• Why should you buy an iPad Air?

iPad Air equipment

• iPad Air tablet
• Lightning to USB connector
• 12W USB Power Adapter
• Printed documentation
• Apple stickers (2 pcs.)
• Clip for removing the SIM card tray (Wi-Fi+Cellular model only)

In order not to repeat myself, I provide a link to a full description of the iPad Air configuration. It describes in detail with photographs what is supplied in the Apple box.

iPad Air appearance

iPad Air comes in two colors: Space Gray and Silver. Space Gray has black edges at the front and a gray surface at the back. The Silver iPad has a white front and a silver finish on the back.

The back surface of the iPad Air, unlike previous models, feels a little softer. Some call it plastic, but it's still the same aluminum unibody case. The iPad feels expensive and pleasant in your hands. The edges of the case are cut with monocrystalline diamond to make the iPad more comfortable to hold. Because of this, there are completely no sharp corners in the case - using the iPad Air at home, you definitely won’t get blisters!

Does the back of iPad Air get scratched? After a couple of months of use without a cover, I can say with confidence that YES - it gets scratched! Even if you use your iPad Air with extreme care, scratches will appear sooner or later. But with all this, I will note the resistance of the surface to scratches. Ordinary plastic with the same use will look many times worse. I still recommend at least some kind of cover. I bought Smart Cover.

All physical buttons iPad Air has metal ones. They need to be pressed with little force. The iPad Air has volume buttons on the side. They are separate - it’s easier to switch the sound by touch than in previous tablet models, where the volume buttons were a single block.

iPad Air Dimensions

Here are the dimensions of the iPad Air. In brackets for clarity iPad specifications 4:

• Length:240mm(241.2mm)
• Width:169.5mm (185.7mm)
• Thickness:7.5mm (9.4mm)
• Weight: 469 gr. (652 g.) wi-fi model, 478 g. (662 g) model with LTE module

As you can see, the iPad Air has become much narrower due to the side edges (the screen has not shrunk).

The iPad Air has also become thinner. These two facts have led to the fact that the weight of the tablet has decreased to record minimum values. The difference is especially noticeable if you use the old ones for a long time. iPad versions. My wife and I’s first reaction after the iPad 2 was: “How light it is!”

In practice, this translates into the fact that the iPad has become comfortable to hold with one hand. The weight gap between the older iPad Air model and the younger iPad Mini 2 has been greatly reduced. And now when choosing between these two iPad models With Mini, tablet size comes to the fore rather than weight.

Due to the reduced width of the tablet, older iPad 1-4 cases will not fit the iPad Air. The iPad Air will wobble in the old Smart Case. Therefore, for the iPad Air you need to buy a new case.

Internal characteristics

iPad Air has an A7 processor with 64-bit architecture and an M7 motion coprocessor. A7 is the first 64-bit mobile processor.

The A7 is a dual-core processor with a frequency of 1.4 MHz. It is twice as productive as the previous A6 model. I’m a little surprised when stores sell Android tablets and emphasize that the tablet has a quad-core! And they reproach the iPads with this fact. The performance of the A7 processor is enough for All programs and games that are available in App Store. All the latest and most demanding 3D games run like a charm on the iPad Air. The system responds to any action instantly. So don’t be fooled by these “core” numbers!

M7 motion coprocessor- measures the movements of the iPad, receiving data from the accelerometer, gyroscope and compass. This saves energy, since if A7 were doing this, more energy would be consumed.

The RAM in the iPad Air is only 1 gigabyte, which in my opinion is not enough. The lack of RAM can only explain the fact that the standard Safari browser cannot keep many tabs in memory and reloads them.

Also inside the iPad Air there are modules:

Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n (frequency ranges 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz)

Bluetooth 4.0

iPad Air screen

iPad Air has a 9.7-inch retina screen with LED backlighting and IPS technology. Screen resolution 2048 by 1536 pixels. In fact, the iPad Air screen is best screen on the market at the moment. The screen is bright and high quality. The surface is glossy; if you wish, you can see your reflection in it.

The screen gets quite dirty in just a few minutes of active use. Fingerprints are clearly visible if you turn off the screen. But when turned on, prints do not interfere with operation. Be prepared to periodically wipe the display with a soft cloth, or close your eyes to this fact.

The contents of the screen are clearly visible from different viewing angles. Even at an angle of 75 degrees, you can see what is happening on the screen. That is, you can watch movies on iPad Air comfortably with two or even three.

iPad Air and iOS 7

The world never saw iPad Air on iOS 6. iOS 7 released to great fanfare on September 18, 2013, and the iPad Air on October 22, 2013. That's why minimal configuration, which can be found on iPad Air - iOS 7.0.3. When purchasing, you may find that installed version later, but this only means that your iPad was produced later.

The first versions of iOS were subject to merciless criticism: it happened that the tablet slowed down during the simplest animations. The situation was corrected by iOS 7.1. This is a heavily modified version operating system silenced critics.

Latest at the time of writing iOS version— 7.1.1. The iPad Air works perfectly on it. The screen is very responsive. Multitasking gestures are performed without delay. The animation is smooth. Multitasking works seamlessly for the user. I didn’t close the applications for more than two weeks and didn’t experience any performance problems at all. At one point I remembered this and for about two minutes closed more than a hundred applications.

Since the iPad Air was released after September 1, 2013, it was activated after this date. This is important because in this case, when you buy an iPad Air (even a used one), you get everything Apple apps for free.

There is nothing stopping the user from downloading these applications on the iPad Air under his account, and then installing them for free on all his other older devices.

Camera in iPad Air. Examples of photos and videos

Rear camera

The iPad Air has a so-called camera iSight. Here are its characteristics.

• 5 megapixel photos
• Autofocus
• Face recognition
• Five-element lens
• Hybrid IR cut filter
• Aperture ƒ/2.4
• Touch focus when shooting video or photo
• HDR photos

The camera does not protrude from the tablet. This is important because not everyone uses covers.

It feels like the iPad's rear camera takes photos at the same level as a point-and-shoot camera. Using the iPad Air as the main means of photography is hardly convenient or reasonable. It's more of a nice bonus.

Among the software standard features are pictures with an aspect ratio of 1:1. There is no panoramic photo function, like in the iPhone and iPod Touch. This can only be solved by installing the appropriate utilities from the App Store.

Example of photos taken on iPad Air.

For greater convenience and objectivity, I uploaded the original photographs without processing to Yandex.Disk. Each photo taken with iPad Air without compression takes up approximately 2.3-2.6 megabytes.

But the iPad Air’s video camera shoots in very decent quality. Output file resolution: 1920 by 1080. File format - mov.

Video recording characteristics:

• 1080p HD video recording
• Video stabilization
• Face recognition
• Touch focus when shooting video
• Light sensor on the rear panel
• 3x zoom when shooting video

Example video made on iPad Air:

Front camera

FaceTime HD Camera Features:

• 1.2 megapixel photos
• HD video 720p
• Make FaceTime video calls over Wi-Fi or cellular5
• Face recognition
• Light sensor on the rear panel
• Control exposure by touch when shooting photos and videos
• Linking photos and videos to the shooting location

The front camera does not claim any laurels. It is designed for video conferencing and video calls. Taking good photos with the front camera is a complete utopia.