Ondrej Holzman During the development of the successor to the iPad 2, Apple - certainly to its displeasure - had to make a compromise and increased the thickness of the tablet by a few tenths of a millimeter. During the performance, he could not brandish his favorite adjective "thinner". However, he has now made up for all this with the iPad Air, which is thinner, lighter and smaller, and is probably closer to the ideal that Apple envisioned its tablet from the beginning...
When the first iPad mini was introduced a year ago, perhaps even Apple did not expect how massive the success would be with the smaller version of its tablet. Interest in the iPad mini was so great that it significantly overshadowed its bigger brother, and Apple needed to do something about it. One of the reasons is that it has larger margins on a larger tablet.
If the answer to the current state of Apple tablets is the iPad Air, then Apple has really distinguished itself. It offers customers, on a larger device, exactly what they loved so much about the iPad mini, and practically now the user can choose from two identical models, which differ only in the size of the display. The second important factor is, of course, weight.
There is constant talk that tablets are replacing computers, that the so-called post-PC era is coming. It is probably really here, but so far only a few people can get rid of their computer completely and use only a tablet for all activities. However, if any such device is supposed to replace the computer as much as possible, it is the iPad Air - a combination of amazing speed, great design and a modern system, but it still has its flaws.
Design
The iPad Air marks the second major design change since the first iPad, which was released in 2010. Apple relied on the proven design of the iPad mini, so the iPad Air perfectly copies its smaller version. The larger and smaller versions are practically indistinguishable from each other from a distance, unlike the previous versions, the only difference now is really the size of the display.
Apple achieved a significant decrease in dimensions mainly by reducing the size of the edges around the display. That's why the iPad Air is more than 15 millimeters smaller in width than its predecessor. Perhaps an even greater advantage of the iPad Air is its weight, because Apple managed to reduce the weight of its tablet by a full 184 grams in just one year, and you can really feel it in your hand. The reason for this is the 1,9 millimeter thinner body, which is another masterpiece of Apple engineers who, despite the "drastic" reduction, were able to keep the iPad Air at the same level as the previous model in terms of other parameters.
Changes in size and weight also have a positive effect on the actual use of the tablet. The older generations became heavy in the hands after some time and were especially unsuitable for one hand. The iPad Air is much easier to hold, and it doesn't hurt your hand after a few minutes. However, the edges are still quite sharp and you need to find the ideal holding position so that the edges do not cut your hands.
Hardware
We would probably be most worried about the battery and its durability during such changes, but even here Apple worked its magic. Although he hid an almost a quarter smaller, less powerful 32 watt-hour two-cell battery in the iPad Air (the iPad 4 had a three-cell 43 watt-hour battery), in combination with other new components, it again guarantees up to ten hours of battery life. In our tests, it was confirmed that the iPad Air really lasts at least as long as its predecessors. On the contrary, he often exceeded the given times by far. To be a little more specific, a fully charged iPad Air gives 60 percent and 7 hours of use after three days of standby time with normal use like taking notes and surfing the web, which is a very nice finding.
[do action=”citation”]Apple has done magic with the battery and continues to guarantee at least 10 hours of battery life.[/do]
The biggest enemy of the battery is the display, which remains the same in the iPad Air, i.e. the 9,7″ Retina display with a resolution of 2048 × 1536 pixels. Its 264 pixels per inch is no longer the highest number in its field (even the new iPad mini now has more), but the Retina display of the iPad Air remains a high standard, and Apple is in no rush here. It is speculated that Apple used Sharp's IGZO display for the first time, but this is still unconfirmed information. Either way, he was able to reduce the number of backlight diodes to less than half, thus saving both energy and weight.
After the battery and display, the third most important part of the new tablet is the processor. Apple equipped the iPad Air with its own 64-bit A7 processor, which was first introduced in the iPhone 5S, but it can "squeeze" a little more out of it in the tablet. In the iPad Air, the A7 chip is clocked at a slightly higher frequency (around 1,4 GHz, which is 100 MHz more than the chip used in the iPhone 5s). Apple could afford this because of the larger space inside the chassis and also the larger battery that can power such a processor. The result is clear – the iPad Air is incredibly fast and at the same time very powerful with the A7 processor.
According to Apple, the increase in performance compared to previous generations is double. This number is impressive on paper, but the important thing is that it works in practice. You can really feel the speed of the iPad Air as soon as you pick it up. Everything opens quickly and smoothly, without waiting. As far as performance is concerned, there are practically no applications that would properly test the new iPad Air. Here, Apple was somewhat ahead of its time with its 64-bit architecture and inflated processor, so we can only look forward to how developers will use the new hardware. But this is definitely not just some idle talk, even owners of fourth-generation iPads will recognize the switch to iPad Air. Currently, the new iron will be tested mainly by the well-known game Infinity Blade III, and we can only hope that the game developers will offer similar titles in the coming weeks.
Like the iPhone 5S, the iPad Air also received the M7 motion co-processor, which will serve various fitness applications that record movement, as its activity will only slightly drain the battery. However, if there are few applications that use the power of the iPad Air, then there are even fewer applications that use the M7 coprocessor, although they are gradually increasing, its support can be found, for example, in the new Runkeeper. So it is still too early to draw conclusions. In addition, Apple did not quite manage to properly manage the transfer of information about the availability of this coprocessor to developers. Recently released app Nike + Move on the iPad Air reports that the device does not have a coprocessor.
[do action=”citation”]You can feel the speed of the iPad Air as soon as you take it in your hand.[/do]
Unlike the interior, few changes have taken place on the exterior. Perhaps a little surprisingly, the five-megapixel camera remains on the back of the iPad Air, so we can't enjoy, for example, the new slow-motion function offered by the new optics in the iPhone 5S on the tablet. If we take into account how often users take photos with their iPads, and Apple must be very aware of this, it is a little incomprehensible, but in Cupertino they have the trump card for the next generation. At least the front camera has been improved, thanks to better capture in low light conditions, high-resolution recording and dual microphones, FaceTime calls will be of better quality. As expected, the iPad Air also has two stereo speakers. Although they are louder and it is not so easy to cover them both with your hand, however, when using the tablet horizontally, they do not guarantee perfect stereo listening, because everything is playing from one side at that moment, and so the outputs relatively limit the possibilities of holding the iPad, for example, while watching a movie.
An interesting innovation in the iPad Air concerns connectivity. Apple has opted for a dual antenna for Wi-Fi called MIMO (multiple-input, multiple-output), which guarantees up to twice the data throughput, i.e. up to 300 Mb/s with a compatible router. Our tests mainly showed greater Wi-Fi range. If you are further away from the router, the data speed will not change much. However, some may miss the presence of the 802.11ac standard, just like the iPhone 5S, the iPad Air can only do 802.11n at most. At least low-energy Bluetooth 4.0 is already standard in Apple devices.
The only thing still theoretically missing from the iPad Air is Touch ID. The new unlocking method remains exclusive to the iPhone 5S for now and is not expected to make its way to iPads until the next generation.
Software
The operating system also goes hand in hand with every piece of hardware. You won't find anything other than iOS 7 in iPad Air. And one experience is very positive about this connection - iOS 7 really feels like a fish in water on iPad Air. The powerful performance is noticeable and iOS 7 works without the slightest problem, about how ideally a new operating system should run on every device, but unfortunately it is not possible.
[do action=”citation”]You feel that iOS 7 just belongs on the iPad Air.[/do]
As for iOS 7 itself, we will not find any changes in it in the iPad Air. A pleasant bonus is the free iWork and iLife applications, i.e. Pages, Numbers, Keynote, iPhoto, GarageBand and iMovie. That's a decent portion of more advanced apps to get you started. Mainly iLife applications will benefit from the internals of the iPad Air. Higher performance is noticeable when rendering video in iMovie.
Unfortunately, overall, iOS 7 still doesn't work as well as it does on iPhones. Apple more or less just took the system from the four-inch display and made it bigger for iPads. In Cupertino, they were significantly behind the development of the tablet version in general, which became evident during the summer testing, and many ended up wondering that Apple released iOS 7 for the iPad so early, so it is not yet ruled out that it will modify the iPad version. A lot of control elements and animations would deserve their own design on the iPad, usually a larger display encourages this, i.e. more space for gestures and various control elements. Despite the often incomprehensible behavior of iOS 7 on iPads, it gets along very well with the iPad Air. Everything is fast, you don't have to wait for anything and everything is immediately available. You get the feeling that the system simply belongs on this tablet.
So it's clear that Apple has so far focused primarily on iPhones in the development of iOS 7, and now may be the time to start polishing the version for iPads. He should begin immediately with the redesign of the iBooks application. The iPad Air is clearly going to be a very popular device for reading books, and it's a shame that even now, almost two months after the release of iOS 7, Apple still hasn't adapted its app for the new operating system.
Despite some shortcomings that users may see with the iPad Air and iOS 7, this combination guarantees something that is hard to find competition in today's world. Apple's ecosystem works perfectly, and the iPad Air will greatly support it.
More models, different color
iPad Air isn't just about a new design and new guts, it's also about memory. Following the experience of the previous generation, where it additionally released a 128GB version, Apple deployed this capacity in the new iPad Air and iPad mini immediately. For many users, twice the maximum capacity is very important. iPads have always been much more demanding on data than iPhones, and for many even the previous 64 gigabytes of free space was not enough.
It's not too surprising. The size of applications, especially games, is constantly increasing with demands for graphics and the overall experience, and since the iPad Air is an excellent tool for consuming content, it is possible to fill its capacity with music, photos and video relatively easily. Some even claim that Apple should not even offer the 16GB variant anymore, because it is already insufficient. In addition, this could also have a positive impact on the price, as the top-of-the-line iPad Air is really expensive at the moment.
The color design has also changed slightly. One variant remains the traditional silver and white, for the other Apple opted for space gray like the iPhone 5S, which looks more elegant in contrast to the slate black. You will pay 12 crowns for the smallest Wi-Fi version of the iPad Air, and 290 crowns for the highest. What is important for Apple is that it now offers only one version worldwide with a mobile connection, which handles all possible networks, and it is available in our country from 19 crowns. Apple already charges 790 crowns for the 15GB variant with a mobile connection, and it is worth considering whether it is already too much for such a tablet. However, those who use such capacity and have been waiting for it, will probably not hesitate even in spite of the higher price.
For the new dimensions of the iPad Air, Apple also introduced a modified Smart Cover, which is three-part compared to the previous generation, which gives the user a slightly better angle than the four-part one. The Smart Cover can be purchased separately for 949 crowns in six different colors. There is also a Smart Case, which compared to last year is made of leather instead of polyurethane and looks much more elegant. Thanks to this, its price rose to 1 crowns.
Verdict
Looking at the new Apple tablets, it is evident that Apple has made it much harder for customers to choose. It is no longer the case that if I want a more mobile and smaller tablet, I take the iPad mini, and if I demand more comfort and performance, I choose a large iPad. The iPad Air erases the vast majority of differences between it and a small tablet, and the decision is now much more complicated.
[do action=”citation”]iPad Air is the best large tablet Apple has ever made.[/do]
The choice of a new iPad will be greatly influenced by the fact that you have already used an iPad. Even though the new iPad Air may be the smallest and lightest, the current iPad mini user will not be impressed by the reduced weight and dimensions, especially when the new iPad mini will offer a Retina display and identical performance. The changes will be felt especially by those who used iPad 2 or iPad 3./4. generation. Nevertheless, it should be mentioned that the weight of the iPad Air is closer to the iPad mini than to previous large Apple tablets.
iPad mini will continue to be better as a one-handed tablet. Although the iPad Air has been significantly optimized for holding with one hand, which until now was mostly an unpleasant activity, the smaller iPad still has the upper hand. In short, there are more than 100 grams to know.
However, from the point of view of a new user, the close proximity of iPads can be an advantage, because he practically cannot make a mistake when choosing. Whether he picks up an iPad mini or an iPad Air, both devices are now very light and if he doesn't have any significant weight requirements, only the size of the display will really decide. The existing user will then make a decision based on his experience, habits and also claims. But the iPad Air can certainly confuse the heads of existing iPad mini owners.
The iPad Air is the best large tablet that Apple has ever produced and is unrivaled in its category across the entire market. The supremacy of the iPad mini is coming to an end, demand should now be evenly split between the larger and smaller versions.
[one_half last="no"]
advantages:
[Checklist]
- Very thin and very light
- Great battery life
- High performance
- Improved FaceTime Camera[/checklist][/one_half][one_half last=”yes”]
Disadvantages:
[bad list]
- Touch ID is missing
- Higher versions are too expensive
- No improvements for the rear camera
- iOS 7 still has flies
[/badlist][/one_half]
Tomáš Perzl collaborated on the review.
Nicely written, just saying that the supremacy of the iPad mini is ending is very bold. Only time will tell, and especially how the second generation mini will go on sale. In contrast to the large air, the iPad mini has one more ace up its sleeve, apart from the fact that it will be lighter, more compact and far more practical for one-handed use. And that's the price. And that is a very important factor. I had an aira in my hand and as a mini owner I will wait for the new mini. After a year of use, the classic size seems like a truck tarpaulin :-)
i agree I have 1-2 iPads from each generation and I rotate them in the company between power users and the air just didn't appeal to me, I'm waiting for the mini with retina. I had the air in my hand and I say I will buy it (unfortunately I was disappointed that there was no Lte version in the first batches) mini. this is the order of tablets "at home" and there are simply ipad2s that work great (facebook, e-mails, perch, some news) i.e. consumption "at home".
I had a mini for a year and I bought an iPad for a change because I will do the same with the iPhone as on the iPad, so why should I lose weight by two inches if it is already supposed to be big ;-)
On the other hand, Air appealed to me, I use an iPhone outside and an iPad 9,7″ inside. iPad air ro has no use for me.
I really like the iPad Air, it's a pity that I have a 4, I would buy it right away.
As an iPad 4 owner, I am amazed by the M7 motion coprocessor. Even though the iPad Air is lighter than the iPad 4, I can't imagine playing sports with it. That's what I'd expect from an iPhone...
I'm just wondering when we'll get the iPhone air...
According to my opinion, the M7 file is intended for games, so that it does not burden the main processor and battery so much :P
The article says that so far the only app that uses the M7 chip is Runkeeper, which is a "sports" app. In addition, regarding game controls, I would rather expect a trend of game controllers, because Apple made an API in iOS 7 and Logitech is going to come out with some controllers or has it already?
Which is not true, because the M7 already uses, for example, the Nike Move, and I think they are not the only two today. :)
Please read my first post - the bottom line is that I can't imagine playing sports with the iPad Air, not that it has so many apps for the M7 chip. That's how it is when someone doesn't read the whole thread and hangs on every word... :-)
I'm not getting caught and I'm not responding to the first post, I'm just informing you that there are already more applications, and you will definitely find one for your use in a short time :)
And to the first post – of course the iPhone 7S also has the M5 coprocessor, as you would expect. :)
Cool. :-) We'll see what the developers come up with on the M7 (apart from the aforementioned sports apps)... I personally would rather have a game controller for games, even though I play Real Racing 3 by tilting my iPhone / iPad. :-))))
In my opinion, it's not intended for games at all :-) The M7 is primarily intended for sports applications :-) but that doesn't mean that everyone has to start running :-) it also determines the steps and walking around :-) when I have an iPad in my bag and I'm walking through the city, Argus counts my steps :-)
However, the M7 is not for sports, only its existence can help sports applications, which were impossible until now due to the constant load on the processor. The M7 just collects the data, and after some time the application processes it in bursts with the help of the A7. The M7 also helps with the ubiquitous parallax effect, and it will also reduce the load on the A7 in games where you need to move the iDevice.
In the future, I think the M7 can be used for other fun purposes - agoritmization can even be used to determine whether you are driving, standing, riding a tram or walking. That way iDevices will be able to, for example, turn off Wi-Fi and other devices while they are running - when they are not needed.
I'm a moron, it should have been your contribution.
As I may have criticized only a week for reviewing recently, I see that it is enough and the review is a pleasant read (when an unnamed server did a review of the Nexus 5 in 2 days, it was only a quick batch...)
Otherwise, I have a question, in the last picture is the iPad Air and the iPhone 5s in the new "black"?
Both devices are in space gray, yes :)
Mnoo... I'm already looking forward to it. I ordered the 128GB version from the AppleStore and found out today that they already have it on iStyle :/ … well, it's already on its way and they're actually sending it from China :)
I want to ask when the ipad mini with retina will be available to order?
No one knows yet, it is said that it should be available from 25.11., but nothing is official.
I know this is off topic but I just wanted to ask. Thank you
I heard that there is speculation again about November 21st :) the day before Black Friday in the USA :)
And how will it be with Black Friday this year? :)
:-) But this is an iPad Air review. :-) The new iPad Mini is not yet sold anywhere, and no sale date has been announced.
Two things stand out to me about iZarizenich. Unbelievable price of the basic version with minimal memory :-( new superduper functions every year, but the price is pushed up by the fact that every doubled memory is for $100. Why not $100, but why can't the base be 16GB for several years?!
The second thing that drives me crazy is the impossibility of uploading images and other documents within the Safari web browser. What kind of restrictions are these in this day and age?
Image upload is supported by safari tusim from iOS 5.x or 6.x, anyway it has been there for a long time.
I wonder how long the original iPad (2010) would have with daily batteries... old A4 processo, r non-retina display, big sasi... do you think it would last 20 hours?
I don't think it would make such a difference. The A4 had much larger transistors, thus the overall power consumption.
But then again, it doesn't have a retina display ;-) if the battery from the iPad mini can keep it alive for 10 hours at 4400mah, then the battery from the iPad 4 could keep the mini alive for, say, 20 hours :-) but we have to count the stim from the ipad mini and ipad 2 have one essential different equipment :-) the ipad mini has a smaller processor manufacturing process than the ipad 2 and also has a smaller display :-) if the A7 manufacturing process was used for the A4-A5 chip while using the iPad 4 body without retina it would be interesting device with regard to battery life :-) unfortunately, Apple will not make such a device :-) but then I would suggest charging once every 14 days :-D s lasts around 20-25 hours
I got over 2 hours of use on an iPad 6 with iOS 20 (iBooks, Safari, YouTube, maybe a simple game).
Wouldn't there be a link to the wallpaper in one of the photos?
http://d.pr/i/zEnU
Very insightful review. It is also interesting that the A7 on the iPad can work longer at its maximum operating frequency thanks to the larger surface of the aluminum body, and thus a larger cooling surface. Whereas with the iPhone 5S, the performance drops slightly after a while.
I don't think so ;-) The iPhone has a completely different A7 code than the ipad air :-) the ipad air only has 100hz more clocks :-) not that the iPhone will drop over time ;-) on the iPhone it still runs at 1,3, XNUMX ghz
I can't find the buttons on the ipad air to put the ipad to sleep using the magnetic cover. Don't you know?
I also can't find it there ;-) I ordered a cover for it because I don't want to pay 2 thousand for a case from Apple :-) either it's there automatically or there's some instruction that can be unlocked, maybe with the right resistance magnets that only Apple smartcovers have :-D but I hope not :-DD
I have the original cover from Apple and everything works as it should, so I'm afraid that it will only work with the original cover. :)
I bought it from China for about 400,- and it doesn't hold 100%, but the screen turns off automatically and opens when the cover is removed, so I wouldn't worry at all :)
I'm probably in the minority, but I personally think that iOS 7 is much more usable on the iPad than on the iPhone (4S) thanks to the larger screen (mini in my case). Although it is true that the last update and the ability to turn off this or that helped a lot.
I wouldn't take the fact that the ipad air doesn't have touch id as a minus..
CLICK HERE http://www.hraj.to/soutez/?ref=7551
how long does it take to charge? From 20% let's give it?
4.30 from a fully charged air, 3.30 at 80 percent
I am asking for advice on the best place to sell an iPad, I want to buy new ones. Is there a seller who would buy my old device in return and sell me a new one? I have an ipad retina third generation completely without signs of use (like new) but I would like an air. I'd rather sell it somewhere for around two thousand and let the seller take care of it. Is there a store like this please??? Thank you.
If you make a thousand or two, start advertising on Aukro, sBazar, Bazos and you don't have to have it in the afternoon.
Email me what you have and where you're from and I'll make a deal :-). Send it to vilduv on the list.
I personally bought an iPhone like this... Try the iWant store... it works like this there.. you come, sell, buy and leave :)
In my opinion, this review sucks. It celebrates the best iPad and that's it.
I am personally interested in what a person discovers after a month of use.
That is the display can be easily squeezed when held in one hand, so it changes colors easily.
Or, for example, compared to the iPad 4, it has a better/worse backlight.
When I'm connected to the charger and I'm playing a 3D game, the back cover is completely cold/cold/warm/hot exactly where I'm holding it in my right hand, etc...
It's about finding all the flies that can bother someone, and then the person focuses on them to see if that's exactly what bothers them or not.
In any case, when I know where the weak point is, I make better decisions. Also needed between mini and air.
Odes to how everything is super-sexy-cool-awesome we know from the keynote.
PS: The fact that iOS doesn't fit is exactly how I would expect the whole review to be.
Personally, I hesitate whether to buy an iPad with LTE or not... because there is a considerable difference of 3. CZK. I'm going to buy the 64GB version. In larger cities, even in smaller ones, it is possible to connect to WiFi in most places. Theoretically, I could possibly need to use my smartphone as a hotspot or solve it later with something like this… http://cz.tp-link.com/products/details/?categoryid=218&model=M5350
It's simple: Do you want to use your tablet for Geocaching or as GPS navigation? Go LTE. Do you often use a tablet on the bus or tram? LTE. Do you only take out your tablet in cafes or at home and sometimes somewhere where they don't have it? Buy WIFI only + hotspot in mobile
It doesn't seem that simple to me. :-) I haven't had a tablet yet, so I'm not sure how I'll use it and how much I'd use the mobile internet. I'm not interested in geocaching and I wouldn't buy it because of the GPS. If I put the price first, then it's clear.
Question:
Are there apps, pages, keynote and numbers on the iPad or do I have to download them?
they are not Must be downloaded from AppStore (free with new device)
Hello, I offer for rent:
3x apple air The rental price depends on the length of the rental. The minimum period is one day (24 hours). The maximum is a week. I offer loans in and around Prague. The loan is made on the basis of a rental agreement. A refundable deposit is payable (20% of the device price). It's the airbnb way, in case anyone didn't know or didn't quite believe. Like renting a car. Info at businessinczech(@)gmail.com