Apple launched a new 9.7-inch iPad for $329 a couple of days ago, which would replace the iPad Air 2. While none of the new iPad's features particularly surprised consumers, one claim from Apple caught everyone's attention.
Apple asserted that the new iPad has a significantly brighter display, when compared to the earlier iPad Air.
"Apple today updated its most popular-sized iPad, featuring a brighter 9.7-inch Retina display and best-in-class performance at its most affordable price ever," noted the company at launch.
The Cupertino-based company's assertion of a brighter display was taken with a grain of salt, until actual tests could be performed.
Now, iFixit has put to test Apple's claims by dismantling the new 9.7-inch iPad. It has performed a teardown of the new tablet and its findings suggest that Apple is not bluffing.
New iPad Has 44 Percent Brighter Screen
iFixit put the new iPad under rigorous tests. These tests were conducted to check the reparability and overall design of the new tablet.
The iPad was dismantled systematically to check its internal settings. The iFixit team revealed that the new device looked similar to the first-gen iPad Air, barring minor differences.
iFixit shared that new iPad lacks a lock switch, which was present in the earlier device. It also comes with a single row of speaker holes. However, the headphone jack is still present.
During the teardown, iFixit did not find anything extraordinary about the display of the new iPad, which put Apple's statement that the device is "brighter" under scrutiny.
"It doesn't look that different from the Air 1's display. If they mean brighter than the Air 2, then that may simply be due to reverting to the unfused display design of the Air 1," stated iFixit.
However, later, iFixit tweeted that the display brightness in the new iPad was roughly 44 percent better than the first-gen iPad Air.
We put the new iPad through more tests: The display on the iPad 5 has ~44% greater luminance than the LCD in the Air 1.
— iFixit (@iFixit) March 30, 2017
Overall Repairability Score
The test results were not promising as iFixit scored the new 9.7-inch iPad just 2 out of 10 in terms of repairability. The team shared that the new iPad comes with a front panel, which is glued to the rest of the tablet. They also revealed that battery removal during repair would be problematic.
New 9.7-inch iPad: Specs And Price
The new iPad boasts a 9.7-inch multi-touch Retina display (2,048 x 1,536 pixels resolution). The tablet is powered by Apple's 64-bit A9 processor, with a M9 motion coprocessor. Consumers can purchase the iPad in 32 GB or 128 GB storage options.
An 8-megapixel rear-facing iSight camera and a 1.2-megapixel front-facing shooter are also featured in the new device. While the primary camera supports 1,080p, the secondary one supports 720p pictures and video recording.
The new iPad is priced at a modest $329 and people looking to buy a standard Apple tablet can pick it up from the company's online store.
