Michal Marek The iPad has been around since 2010 and it's incredible how much it has transformed an entire consumer electronics industry. This revolutionary tablet changed the way people perceive computers and introduced a whole new concept of content consumption. The iPad earned immense popularity, became mainstream, and for quite a while it seemed only a matter of time before it pushed the dying laptop segment. However, the rocket growth of the iPad began to slow down, despite the assumptions.
The market is obviously changing and with it the preferences of the users. Competition is fierce and all kinds of products are attacking the iPad. Laptops are experiencing a renaissance, thanks to cheap Windows machines and Chromebooks, phones are getting bigger and the market for tablets seems to be shrinking. Last but not least, Apple probably overestimated the willingness of users to regularly change their existing iPad for a newer model. So the question arises as to how things will look with tablets and whether they are running out of breath.
At least for the larger of the two offered iPads, however, in Cupertino they do not allow anything similar and send the iPad Air 2 into battle — a literally inflated piece of hardware that confidently oozes power and elegance. Apple followed up on the first generation iPad Air and made the already light and thin tablet even lighter and thinner. In addition, he added a faster processor, Touch ID, a better camera to the menu and added a gold color to the menu. But will it be enough?
Thinner, lighter, with a perfect display
If you take a close look at the iPad Air and its successor this year, the iPad Air 2, the difference between the two machines is barely noticeable. At first glance, you can only notice the absence of a hardware switch on the side of the iPad, which was always used to lock the rotation of the display or mute the sounds. The user must now solve both of these actions in the iPad settings or in its Control Center, which may not be so convenient, but that is simply the price for thinness.
iPad Air 2 is even 18 percent thinner than its predecessor, reaching a thickness of just 6,1 millimeters. Thinning is essentially the main advantage of the new iPad, which despite its incredible thinness is a very powerful tablet. (Incidentally, the iPhone 6 puts its slim line to shame, and the first iPad looks like it's from another decade.) But the main benefit is not the thickness as such, but the weight associated with it. When held with one hand, you will undoubtedly appreciate that the iPad Air 2 weighs only 437 grams, i.e. 30 grams less than last year's model.
Apple engineers achieved the thinning of the entire machine mainly by rebuilding its Retina display, merging its original three layers into one, and also "gluing" it closer to the cover glass. When examining the display in detail, you will find that the content is actually a little closer to your fingers. However, it is far from a change as drastic as with the new "six" iPhones, where the display optically merges with the top of the phone and also extends to its edges. However, the result is a really perfect display, which is as if you are "physically within reach" and which, compared to the first generation iPad Air, displays slightly brighter colors with a higher contrast. Thanks to its 9,7 × 2048 resolution, an incredible 1536 million pixels fit on its 3,1 inches.
A new feature of the iPad Air 2 is a special anti-reflective layer, which is said to eliminate up to 56 percent of glare. This improvement should therefore help the display to be read better in direct sunlight. In fact, compared to the first generation iPad Air, I did not notice any major difference in the readability of the display in bright light.
Basically, the last noticeable change in the new iPad Air is the differently designed speakers on the bottom of the device, in addition to the Touch ID sensor. These have been redesigned to target the sound better and be louder at the same time. In connection with the speakers, one ailment of the iPad Air 2 can be mentioned. This is the fact that the iPad vibrates slightly when playing sound, which is certainly caused by its extreme thinness. Apple's obsession in this direction thus entails more than one minor compromise.
Addictive Touch ID
Touch ID is certainly one of the biggest innovations and a welcome addition to the new iPad Air. This is the fingerprint sensor already known from the iPhone 5s, which is elegantly located directly on the Home button. Thanks to this sensor, only the person whose fingerprint is captured in the device's database can access the iPad (or knows the numerical code that can be used to access the iPad if it is not possible to use a fingerprint).
In iOS 8, in addition to unlocking and confirming purchases in iTunes, Touch ID can also be used in third-party applications, making it a really useful tool. In addition, the sensor works really well and I didn't have the slightest problem with it during the entire testing period.
However, even such an innovation has one unfortunate side effect. If you are used to opening the iPad using a magnetic Smart Cover or Smart Case, Touch ID successfully eliminates this pleasant ability of some cases. So you'll have to decide for yourself whether privacy and data security come first for you. Touch ID cannot be set, for example, just to verify purchases or use it in third-party applications, but can either be used everywhere, including the device lock, or nowhere.
It is also necessary to mention Touch ID and its role in connection with the iPad and Apple's new service called Apple Pay. The iPad Air 2 partially supports this service, and the user will certainly appreciate the Touch ID sensor for online purchases. However, neither the iPad Air nor any other Apple tablet has an NFC chip yet. It will not yet be possible to pay in the store with a tablet. Given the iPad's proportions, however, it probably won't bother too many users. Moreover, Apple Pay is not yet available in the Czech Republic (and actually everywhere else except the United States).
Significantly higher performance, same consumption
Like every year, this year the iPad is more powerful than ever. This time it is equipped with an A8X processor (and an M8 motion coprocessor), which is based on the A8 chip used in the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. However, the A8X chip has improved graphics performance compared to its predecessor. The increase in performance can be seen, for example, in faster loading of web pages or launching of applications. However, in the applications themselves, the difference compared to the previous generation with the A7 chip is not significant.
This is probably caused primarily by insufficient optimization of applications from the App Store for a device with such performance. It is extremely difficult for developers to develop an application that will be perfectly optimized for a chip with such great potential and at the same time still for the already outdated A5 processor, which is still on sale with the first iPad mini.
Although one would say that a processor such as the A8X must consume an enormous amount of energy, the increase in performance did not significantly affect the endurance of the iPad. The battery life is still at a very good level of several days with average use. Rather than the iPad's processor, its extreme thinness, which did not allow the use of a larger battery, slightly reduces endurance. However, the decrease in endurance compared to the first generation iPad Air is in the order of minutes when surfing on Wi-Fi. However, under heavy load, the battery capacity of almost 1 mAh can be reduced, and if you really compare the two models head-to-head, you will get worse numbers from the latest generation.
Perhaps even more than a powerful processor supplemented by a battery that is able to keep up with it, users will be pleased with the increase in operating memory. The iPad Air 2 boasts 2GB of RAM, which is twice as much as the first Air, and this increase is really noticeable when you use it. The new iPad will pleasantly surprise you when exporting video, but especially when using an Internet browser with a large number of open tabs.
With iPad Air 2, you will no longer be held back by reloading pages when switching between tabs. Thanks to the higher RAM, Safari will now keep up to 24 open pages in the buffer, which you can switch between smoothly. Content consumption, which has been the iPad's main domain so far, will thus become much more enjoyable.
iPad photography as a trend today
We don't have to lie to ourselves. Walking around town taking pictures with an iPad might still make you look a little silly. However, this trend is becoming more and more popular worldwide, and Apple is responding to this fact. For the iPad Air 2, he has worked extensively on the camera and made it really passable, so it will serve more than well to capture snapshots of daily life.
The parameters of the eight-megapixel iSight camera are similar to those of the iPhone 5. It has 1,12-micron pixels on the sensor, an aperture of f/2,4 and allows recording 1080p video. If we ignore the absence of a flash, the iPad Air 2 certainly does not need to be ashamed of its photography. In addition, the iOS 8 system, which brought many software improvements to the Camera application, also uploads for photographers. In addition to regular, square and panoramic images, slow-motion and time-lapse videos can also be shot. Many will also be pleased with the option to manually change the exposure, set the self-timer, or edit photos using all kinds of photo extensions directly in the Pictures system application.
Despite all the mentioned improvements, the current iPhones are of course a better choice for taking pictures, and you will use the iPad more in an emergency. However, with image editing, the situation is completely opposite, and here the iPad shows how powerful and convenient a tool it can be. The iPad is primarily loaded with the size of its display and computing power, but nowadays also advanced software, which can be evidenced, for example, by the new Pixelmator. It combines the power of professional editing functions from a desktop with the comfortable and simple operation of a tablet. In addition, applications for working with photos on the menu for iPad are increasing rapidly. Among the most recent, we can randomly mention, for example, VSCO Cam or Flickr.
iPad Air 2 the king of tablets, but a little lame
The iPad Air 2 is certainly the best iPad, and although not everyone will agree, it's probably the best tablet ever made. There is basically nothing to complain about the hardware, the display is excellent, the processing of the device is perfect and the Touch ID is also perfect. However, flaws can be found elsewhere — in the operating system.
There is no point in dealing with the not-so-perfect tuning of iOS 8, which still has a lot of bugs. The problem is the overall concept of iOS on the iPad. Apple overslept with the development of iOS for the iPad, and this system is still a mere extension of the iPhone system, which absolutely does not use the performance or display potential of the iPad. Paradoxically, Apple has done more work to adapt iOS to the larger display of the iPhone 6 Plus.
The iPad now has roughly the same performance as the MacBook Air had in 2011. However, Apple's tablet is still a device mainly for consuming content and is not very suitable for work. The iPad lacks any more advanced multitasking, the ability to split the desktop to work with multiple applications at the same time, and a clear weakness of the iPad is also working with files. (Just remember example the Microsoft Courier tablet, which remained in the stage of an early prototype, even six years after its "introduction", the iPad would still have a lot to learn.) Another inconvenience for a certain part of users is the absence of accounts. This prevents the convenient use of apple tabet within the company or perhaps in the family circle. At the same time, the idea of a shared tablet, where each member of the family can find their own thing on a single device, be it reading a book, watching series, drawing and much more, is easy.
Although I am an iPad owner and a happy user, it seems to me that Apple's inaction is reducing the iPad's competitiveness compared to related devices. For a MacBook and iPhone 6 or even 6 Plus owner, the iPad loses any significant added value. Especially after the introduction of new functions such as Handoff and Continuity, the transition between computer and phone is so easy and smooth that the iPad in its current form becomes an almost useless device that often ends up in a drawer. Compared to the "six" iPhones, the iPad only has a slightly larger display, but nothing extra.
Of course, there are also users who, on the other hand, do not allow iPads at all and are able to transfer their entire work workflow from a computer to an Apple tablet, but usually everything is accompanied by various advanced actions that the average user does not want or can handle. Although Apple is still the leader in the tablet market, the competition in various forms is starting to step on its heels, as evidenced by the declining sales of all iPads. Tim Cook and co. faces the fundamental question of where to direct the iPad after five years of life. In the meantime, at least they're presenting users with the best iPad ever to leave Apple headquarters, which is a good foundation.
Invest in slimming evolution?
If you are thinking about buying a 9,7-inch iPad, the iPad Air 2 is clearly the best choice. Although compared to its predecessor, it does not bring any truly revolutionary news, Apple proves that even an evolutionary generation can create something so magical that it is not worth looking back too much. A significantly larger operating memory that you will feel during normal use, a faster processor that can be used especially in more demanding games or when editing photos and videos, as well as an improved camera and, last but not least, Touch ID - these are all talking points for buying the newest and thinnest iPad.
On the other hand, it must be said that despite all the points listed above, the iPad Air will offer the vast majority of average users of an Apple tablet practically only a thinner body (and the associated weight loss), the option of a gold design and also Touch ID compared to the first generation. Many people won't even notice the performance increase because of how they use their iPad, and for others, battery life may be more important than making their device a little thinner again.
I mention these facts mainly because, while the iPad Air 2 is most charming, it is definitely not a necessary next step for all owners of the original Air, and probably not even for some new users. The first iPad Air also has one thing that can be irresistibly attractive: the price. If you can get by with 32GB of storage and don't necessarily need the latest scream of progress, you'll save over four thousand crowns, because that's what you'd have to pay extra for the 64GB iPad Air 2. The difference between the sixteen gigabyte variants of both iPads is not that big, but the question is how much this configuration iPad relevant for at least slightly more advanced users.
You can buy the latest iPad Air 2 at Alza.cz.
Nice article. Read, stylish, on a reviewed device. For myself, I would like to add a small thing that I don't often mention in reviews... Music reproduction is significantly better. iPad placed on the table plays very well. Reproduction in the hand is also very good. It's just not such a rattle anymore.
Very nicely written review, kudos to the author, I especially liked the part "iPad Air 2 the king of tablets, but a bit lame", I totally agree
Thank you very much for the compliment. :)
Mic, I would like to know if the tested iPad has the effect that when you hold the iPad in your right hand, thanks to its thinness, you can observe the deformation of the display in the right part. Visible on white background. Just a little pressure is all it takes. It is also due to the thinness, but it does it for most devices. Did you notice?
I didn't notice anything like that during testing.
I also just finished reading the article on the reviewed machine. I would respond to the discussion about whether the iPad bends, so I can say no. And as for music reproduction, it mainly just vibrates and it's not entirely pleasant. But I take it as a tax for the thinness of the device. Otherwise, there is nothing to add to the review.
Vibrations during music reproduction are mentioned in the review.
Same performance as Macbook Air 2011? What is this nonsense? The one I have has an Intel i5 processor at 1,7 GHz. The CPU is about 5% more powerful than the current Macbook Air, which is more economical, but clocked at 1,4 GHz. I don't know how you figured it out, but I don't think the iPad Air has the same performance as the Macbook Air :-)
Geekbench 3 multicore 64 bit, MacBook Air i5 2011 - 4271 points
iPad Air 2 -4527 points
http://browser.primatelabs.com/ios-benchmarks
http://browser.primatelabs.com/mac-benchmarks
it's always a completely different category, test and units... like saying that 1100 CZK is more expensive than 1000 tractors :-)
He's right.. The performance of the iPad may be even greater for the system in it.. iOS certainly doesn't take as big a percentage of the total performance as OS X.. Take it that way.. Different system, different performance with the same hardware...
You are very wrong sir, Geekbench is a test that is designed to realistically compare performance on different platforms. So we're comparing apples to apples. Accept that your 2011 machine is less powerful than the iPad Air 2.
I don't care if you do them or not, they didn't slow down my laptop if I release a new ipad :D I just don't think so. I believe that it is faster, for example, when starting an application, in an Internet search, etc., etc., so the system there will be faster than on mem. but it is a completely different architecture, a different type of processor. I don't believe it has the computing power to run mac os and all the applications that can run a macbook.
Exactly, thanks for the addition.
If I buy it, it's only for Heroes III. HD Yeah! Oh no, I'm just kidding. I was using an iPad 3 with a keyboard. I switched to a MacBook a year ago, and I hardly ever sighed after an iPad. Although the iron is really beautiful (space gray). Hello
I note that the battery life on the iPad Air 2 is about a quarter lower than the Air 1.
Very nice article. Thanks! In essence, he confirmed to me as an iP6+/128 owner that I will not be in a hurry to replace the working oldies iPad 2 just yet. It's enough for my needs so far.
outgrown and overpriced ipod touch. The HW is relatively nice, but as written in the article, it's simply not enough with the system that crashes on the spot. in addition, apple makes its priorities for the iphone clear, and even they understand that tablets were just a seasonal toy. iPad mini is dead after the arrival of the big iPhone. and as mentioned, the difference in the system between the large iPhone and the Air is practically zero points. even a bigger ipad won't help, that's just pure desperation...a pro tablet...a beautiful oxymoron.
For example, I switched from iPad 3 to Air mainly for connecting to a projector, because the 30-pin connector gave poor resolution in contrast to the same presentation played from iPad Air via Lighting. At the moment the iPad2-4 feels like a brick compared to the iPad Air :-)
I can't imagine that my iPhone, even a 5,5″ one, could compete with a 9,7″ iPad. Likewise, the 15″ Mac Book Pro cannot compete with the iPad in certain activities. Especially if I can get by with a touch keyboard, or I have a Logitech keyboard for the iPad Air and I just don't want to drag a heavy thing. For comparison, iPad Ait with keyboard has 750 g and Mac Book Pro approx. 2000 g.
I use all these devices in my personal and professional life. On the contrary, my demands on the iPhone are reduced, because I will do most things elsewhere. Especially when SMS and phone calls can also be handled from an iPad or Mac Book.
So now I have the new iPad Air 2 along with the iPad mini with retina. There are several things that are disappointing for me.
1) I guess I was naive when I thought that everything would go better. No way - the instability and unreliability of the apple system is not solved by this. You need to stay grounded in this.
2) The display is bigger and a bit more colorful, but many things look better on the smaller one - the mini has a lot more pixels per inch (the transition from better to worse is still a little noticeable) and in many cases the colors of the Air seem a bit fair.
3) The missing mute switch is a seriously big deal - unfortunately the volume buttons can't mute everything. Does anyone have a trick for this? Do I really have to search for all the sound control options somewhere in the settings every time to achieve what I have one switch for on the mini? Embarrassment.
4) Why does the iPad Air 2 have to vibrate in my hands at any sound? The engineers from Apple really couldn't do this. Those who don't try won't believe it, but this is really a tragedy.
So at least I'm happy with Touch ID - it solves security wonderfully, if you don't have problems with the readability of your fingerprints. And hopefully I'll appreciate more powerful hardware soon. It's a shame, especially points 3) and 4) - that's a real mess.
Hello, thanks for the good article. Does anyone know how to unlock and block rotation on the iPad Air 2 when the comrades canceled the switch on the side. Thank you Peter