Apple has unveiled its much-awaited fifth-generation iPad, the iPad Air, which is set to hit the shelves in November, but is it worth the upgrade?
On Tuesday, October 22, Apple introduced the 9.7-inch iPad Air, which is thinner and lighter and has smaller bezels when compared to its predecessor, the iPad 4.
"iPad created an entirely new mobile computing experience, and the new iPad Air is another big leap ahead. It is so thin, light and powerful, once you hold one in your hand you will understand what a tremendous advancement this is," said Philip Schiller, Apple's SVP of Worldwide Marketing. "iPad Air with its 9.7-inch Retina display weighs just one pound and packs the incredible performance of iOS 7 running on a 64-bit desktop-class Apple A7 chip, and delivers all-day battery life in the lightest full-sized tablet in the world."
We take a look at how the iPad Air measures up against the iPad 4 and if it is worth the upgrade.
Processor
The iPad Air packs in the A7 chip (M7 motion coprocessor) when compared to the iPad 4's A6X. The A7 chip offers 64-bit desktop-class architecture as well as "improved image signal processing from previous generations." Apple claims that it is two times more powerful than the previous-gen A6X chip on the iPad 4.
If speed and faster CPU and better GPU performance is what you're looking at, especially for your gaming needs, then you can consider upgrading to the iPad Air.
Form Factor
The iPad Air measures 9.45 x 6.67 x 0.29 in, whereas the iPad 4 sports 9.50 x 7.31 x 0.37 inches, which basically means that the newer offering is 20 percent thinner, and has 43 percent smaller bezels.
Weight-wise, at 1 pound, the iPad Air is 28 percent lighter than iPad 4, which weighs 1.46 pounds.
"Precision-engineered to weigh just one pound, iPad Air is 20 percent thinner and 28 percent lighter than the fourth generation iPad, and with a 43 percent narrower bezel the borders of iPad Air are dramatically thinner," boasts Apple.
So, if you want a leaner and lighter tablet with a no-bezels feel then you can consider upgrading to the iPad Air. However, it's not much of a noticeable difference and based on looks, sticking to the iPad 4 won't hurt either.
Display
The iPad 4's 9.7-inch LED-backlit multi-touch display with IPS technology has been retained for the iPad Air. Both the tablets have the same pixel resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels, as well as the pixel density of 264 ppi.
Even though Apple has discontinued the iPad 4, if you own the tablet, upgrading to the iPad Air based on the display resolution does not make sense.
Camera
Like the iPad 4, the iPad Air comes with a 1.2-megapixel secondary and a 5-megapixel primary iSight camera.
However, the iPad Air's FaceTime HD camera has "improved backside illumination sensors featuring larger pixels for better low-light performance" when compared to the iPad 4.
This is a minor upgrade and not one which would make too much of a difference and, therefore, consumers can hold off the upgrade.
Battery
The iPad Air, like the iPad 4, offers support for 10 hours of battery life. However, the A7 chip enables the iPad Air's battery to be more compact and due to its smaller size, it reduces the "overall volume by 24 percent from the previous generation while doubling its performance."
The support for battery life remains the same and the performance enhancement seems to be a minor upgrade and depending on your usage, you could consider the upgrade.
Colors
The iPad Air is available in Space Gray and Silver instead of the traditional black and white options for the iPad 4.
If you have a fancy for a specific color then you could opt for the upgrade, but it's not much of an option.
Had Apple imbibed the fingerprint sensor of the iPhone 5s in the iPad Air it would have been a leap of faith and would have given consumers something to look forward to, instead of minor (cosmetic) updates to hardware and software.
However, with the iPad 4 discontinued, those looking to purchase a new iPad can opt for iPad Air, as the next best available option would be the iPad 2.
