Apple recently took the wraps off the iPad Air, the successor of the fourth generation iPad, which was dubbed iPad 4.
Weighing at just one pound, the iPad Air touts a 9.7-inch Retina display and packs in Apple's new 64-bit A7 chip, which is an improvement on the iPad 4's A6X chip. Apple also claims that the iPad Air is 20 percent thinner, and has 43 percent smaller bezels than the iPad 4 (which, incidentally, has been discontinued).
The iPad Air comes with a 1.2-megapixel front-facing FaceTime and a 5-megapixel primary iSight camera. However, the FaceTime camera has "improved backside illumination sensors featuring larger pixels for better low-light performance" in comparison to the iPad 4.
The battery too sees an improvement and will reportedly last for up to 10 hours on a single charge.
We take a look at what the tech experts have to say about the latest Apple tablet, which is lighter and faster than its predecessors.
AnandTech
Lal Shimpi of AnandTech delves into the improvements of the iPad Air when compared to its predecessors. Simpi thinks that the iPad Air is a "significant re-imagining" of the original tablet.
"A significant re-imagining of the original 9.7-inch iPad, the Air breathes new life into the platform. Trying to summarize what makes the iPad Air special quickly turns into a list of the things Apple likes to have with any evolution of an existing product: it's smaller, lighter and faster with absolutely no tradeoffs made in the process," says Shimpi.
CNET
CNET's Tim Stevens opines that the iPad Air is "thinner, lighter, faster, best"; however, he is disappointed by the lack of Touch ID fingerprint sensor found on the iPhone 5S.
Stevens also finds the price of the tablet on the steeper side, but is impressed by the improved FaceTime camera.
"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," says Steven
TIME
Harry McCracken of TIME too compared the iPad Air to the previous generation versions. The svelte design of the iPad Air makes McCracken feel that it is "like a new class of Apple tablet."
"To steal the phrase that Jeff Bezos used to describe Amazon's original Kindle e-reader, you want a tablet to disappear in your hands. And there's so much less of the Air that it comes closer to doing that than any previous full-sized iPad, letting you focus on the app you're using rather than the device you're holding. You can even support it in one hand, at least for a bit, without giving yourself a sore wrist. It's just plain more approachable," says McCracken.
Engadget
Brad Molen of Engadget praises the tablet's improved battery power and showers praise on the iPad Air's sleek design. He opines that the tablet lives up to its name "Air" as it is "ridiculously small and light."
"Surprise: the iPad Air is the best iPad we've reviewed. In addition, though, it's also the most comfortable 10-inch tablet we've ever tested. Not every manufacturer can produce a thin and light device without also making it feel cheap or flimsy, but Apple nailed it," says Molen.
TechCrunch
Darrell Etherington of TechCrunch waxed eloquent when reviewing the iPad Air and opines that Apple has made "big tablets beautiful all over again." He calls the iPad Air a "game changer" and it could well be the new champion in the tablet arena.
Etherington finds the iPad Air more comfortable to hold than its predecessor, the iPad 4. Moreover, the A7 chip which per Apple is two times more powerful than the A6X chip on the iPad 4, lives up to its reputation and Etherington says it gives a major fillip to apps like iLife and iWork.
"The iPad Air is a huge improvement over the iPad 4th-gen, or the iPad 2, pictured in the gallery. Its form factor is the best currently available for a 10-inch tablet, and it provides a great blend of portability and usability that leans towards the media device end of the spectrum," notes Etherington.
