Apple iPad Air Pro Reviews

The iPad Air is one of our favourite tablets. It takes everything that the iPad 4 did and does it better, in a smaller case. However, it's the smaller size that really starts to confuse matters. Before, the choice between the iPad and iPad Mini was based on the compromises that you wanted to make: the full-size iPad was more powerful and had a larger, higher-resolution screen; the iPad Mini was smaller and easier to carry, at the expense of performance and screen resolution. Now, with the iPad Mini with Retina Display, you can have the same resolution and performance, so the choice you have to make really comes down to size. If you travel all of the time and want a tablet that you'll barely notice you're carrying, the iPad Mini with Retina Display is the clear choice. If you carry your tablet less often and want the benefits of a larger screen, the iPad Air is the clear winner and it's not actually that much bigger. In terms of size, price and performance the iPad Air is our favourite tablet.

It goes without saying that a buyer spending $500 or more on a tablet would expect getting something worthy in return. And that is indeed what you'll get should you choose to own Sony's new tablet. It wows you with its lightweight, ultra-thin construction the very instant you pick it up, the stereo speakers it is outfitted with make your movies much more enjoyable to watch, and the microSD card slot ensures that adding extra gigs of storage is easy as pie. Yet ultimately, is the Z2 Tablet better than the iPad Air? Well, we wouldn't say so, although we wouldn't call it inferior either. It is just that Apple's tablet is still the better-looking slate thanks to its premium metallic construction. Plus, with an iPad Air you'll be enjoying superior battery life and your eyes will be treated to a display with higher color fidelity. On a hardware level, the Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet may seem like the more powerful device among the two as it is powered by one of Qualcomm's fastest SoCs, namely the Snapdragon 801. Clock rate figures and number of cores, however, suddenly lose much of their significance once you take the iPad Air for a spin and experience its almost unbeatable responsiveness. To sum it all up, both tablets are on the same level when it comes to performance, and the future-proof hardware they pack ensures that they'll serve you well for years to come. At the end of the day, both the Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet and the iPad Air are well worthy of your attention should you be on the looks for a high-end tablet. Whichever you invest your money in, it will be money well spent.

In many respects a triumph, the iPad Air also introduces compromises to hit the low-weight/thin-case targets. Sound quality through the new stereo speaker has deteriorated, and although a matter of taste we found the iPad mini-style case loses the premium feel of preceding generations of iPad. The iOS 7 interface, not popular with every user, cannot be avoided on this device and it suffers some stickiness in app zooming. Ultimately though the iPad Air will suceed by simple nature of its new weight – the lose of almost 200g is so significant to its handling, and means it could encroach on E Ink ebook readers; only with the power and versatility, not to mention gorgeous colour screen, of a real iPad.

This match was a close one, but the iPad Air wins by a score of 8 to 7. Apple’s tablet bests the Kindle Fire HDX on design, audio quality, user interface and performance. We also prefer the Air for productivity, thanks to Apple’s free iWork suite. The biggest advantage the Air has is the App Store’s huge selection of apps specifically designed for tablets.The Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 is a great tablet as well, especially for families. It sports a lighter design, a better camera and robust parental controls. Plus, if you’re an Amazon Prime member, you get tons of free content. Having the Mayday button onboard is yet another perk for those who want instant tech support. Both tablets have a ton to offer, and they tied for multimedia experience and display quality. However, while the Kindle Fire HDX 8.9-inch wins on price, the iPad Air is the better tablet overall.

With the iPad Air, Apple once again delivers an outstanding tablet. The device both looks and functions as if it were born whole, operating system and software included. The Californian company once again manages to create a device that stands out from the crowd. The Retina display may not be especially new and innovative, but it was improved. Moreover, when it comes to professional image editing and presentation, there is not really an alternative to the iPad. Multimedia fans, on the other hand, should perhaps take a closer look at a different tablet. The Microsoft Surface 2 has a very good panel in 16:9 format without any annoying bars. In addition, the Surface 2's battery holds out longer during movie playback. The iPad also has trouble with heat retention. Gaming fans will have a lot of fun on the high-performance tablet, but its surface temperatures will spike during the game. Also, though the speakers are actually very good, they are not well positioned. Even so, the iPad remains the exemplary model of good manufacturing. Such a lightweight and thin device at this display size is simply impressive. The associates at iFixit still will not be happy with how difficult it is to service the tablet, of course. The great selection of apps and Apple tools that are now free of charge complete the package. Still, the Surface 2 lends itself better to productivity, not least because of its full Office suite and well-designed keyboards. The Microsoft device's biggest shortcoming is still its comparably lean app selection. At long last, it will be worth it for iPad 2 owners to make an upgrade, since the Air is finally thinner and the most worthy successor to the device's second generation. How useful the processor's 64-bit architecture will be depends on future programs, but it is a logical step in the right direction. Overall, Apple once again delivers a great product that functions well and looks attractive. Even if the competition has begun to closely resemble the pioneer from Cupertino, the iPad Air is still safe on the throne for the moment, though it does have to share it with the Surface 2.

We can call the exterior design a draw with two incredibly well-made tablets like the iPad Air and the Xperia Tablet Z, both of which are at the top amongst the thinnest, lightest 10-inchers out there. The chassis materials are a matter of personal preference between a beautifully crafted but somewhat slippery aluminum on the iPad Air, and the rubbery but waterproof body of the Tablet Z. The advantages of Sony's Xperia Tablet Z over the iPad Air, besides the watertight chassis, are the expandable memory, IR blaster and the tad lower price. Currently hovering close to the $400 mark for the basic Wi-Fi version with 16 GB, Sony's tablet storage can be expanded with a 64 GB memory card for $50 extra, whereas a 64 GB iPad will run you $699, but the difference between the basic versions is only $100. When it comes to screen quality and speed, however, iPad Air has the upper hand with brighter, more resolute display that flaunts very accurate color representation, and blazing fast 64-bit processor. When we couple those two main tablet selling points with the close to half a million apps written specifically to be viewed on an iPad, then the Tablet Z would be chosen before the iPad mainly for the price, or if you are certain you'll need some of its extra features. Despite the relatively weak processor, the Xperia Tablet Z is holding up very well to the formidable iPad Air, mostly thanks to Sony's industrial design mojo. Thus you can't really go wrong with either tablet in terms of design and features, but we can only hope Google's recent push for developing more tablet-oriented apps will give results quick, so as Android slates can stand up to the iPad in the software department, too.

That line was prominently displayed to audiences at Apple’s June developer conference and the iPad Air event, during a video about the company’s values and commitment to design. “If everyone is busy making everything,” the video asks, “how can anyone perfect anything?” These lines are both a deep statement of Apple’s purpose and mission and an easy shot at Samsung, which has never said no to any half-baked product idea. But they also reveal an Apple that now thinks its primary task is to refine and enhance — an instinct that’s in tension with the idea of the iPad as a replacement for traditional PCs. That mission requires invention and exploration and risky bets that may not pay off, but the iPad Air instead puts its money on sure winners: thinner size, more power, longer battery life. These qualities are terrifically important, and not to be understated: the iPad Air is the best large tablet ever made, and its only real competition will be the forthcoming Retina iPad mini, which will offer the same experience in a smaller form factor for a lower price. If you have anything older than the fourth-generation iPad, the upgrade to the Air will be worth it. I’m certainly going to buy one. (I would advise fourth-gen owners to wait a year; the performance boost of the Air won’t be all that noticeable yet, and I’m betting next year’s model will add the TouchID sensor.)

The iPad Air is Apple's offering for those who want a tablet to get things done -- creating content rather than just consuming it. The changes incorporated in this fifth-generation model are designed to make it more appealing to this group: it's faster but also more portable, with the same high-quality display and long battery life as its predecessors.The addition of the free iWork and iLife suites help make it more interesting to serious tablet users as well. Which isn't to say the iPad Air is without flaw. More RAM would have been welcome, as well a micro-USB port and a removable memory card slot.

Critics of Apple often say that the company merely makes incremental upgrades and then repackages them as something new to sell to their naive followers. Even Apple's staunchest critics couldn't reasonably say that about the iPad Air. Aside from being noticeably faster thanks to its A7 chip, the tablet has made significant improvements to its design. There isn't a huge gulf between how iOS 7 runs on an iPad Air compared to previous iPads, but there is a major change in the feel of the tablet. The lighter size and new materials alter the way that someone uses an iPad, which makes the iPad Air something worth holding onto. An iPad with Retina display (iPad 4) owner will be content to continue using the device until next year, but everyone else should consider upgrading. Thanks to its lighter build, the iPad Air is probably a better bet than the iPad Mini as well. An iPad Mini is a great device because of its portability. Apple has found a way to make the iPad Air light enough to offer the same benefits and still up the ante for internal power and its large display.

It's obvious that the Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 is the inferior tablet here, but the questions is – is its price cheaper enough to make it a worthy alternative to the iPad Air? The Wi-Fi only model can be yours for $360, which is $140 cheaper than the starting price of the iPad Air. While this shouldn't be overlooked, if we consider the way better experience one would have across the board with the iPad Air, we believe that Apple's tablet is worth it the extra cash. With its premium design, great platform and unsurpassed application catalog, you can do so much more with the iPad Air, and all of it will feel so much better. Still, if you can't afford to spend $500 on a tablet, then the Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 will not be such a bad choice. It has decent performance and camera, plus the Android OS has its advantages like homescreen widgets, and higher customizability.

If you’re looking to pick up a full-sized tablet this holiday season, the iPad should be near the top of your list if Android isn’t a priority for you. In the event you already own an iPad, an upgrade to the Air should be a justifiable investment should you have the third generation tablet or older. If you’re rocking the fourth generation, I would probably stick with it until next year’s model shows up.

At the end of this tough and heavy fight, the iPad Air has managed to reinforce its position as the leading mobile tablet available on the market. With its wonderful design and blazing-fast performance, it really has no weak spots in comparison with the rest of the offerings on the market, and that includes the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition. Samsung's tablet is a fine gadget with a lot of capabilities, and it'll prove to be quite useful if you're really into TouchWiz Android and the S Pen stylus, but if that's not the case, then we see no solid reason why you should pick this one instead of the iPad Air, which can offer you so much more entertainment and productivity, courtesy of its richer application ecosystem.

Apple has managed to make the iPad Air both thinner and slimmer and it simply is one of the best 10-inch tablets you can buy today.

It’s still early in the holiday season, but you know that the competition is going to be fierce between these two prized tablets. In its attempt to try and gain ground on Apple’s stranglehold, Microsoft strategically prices the Surface 2 at the base price of $450; $50 less than the iPad Air’s starting price of $500. Of course, it’s a great tactic that should help to shine some light on it – especially when the Surface 2 is more PC-like than your average tablet. Meanwhile, the iPad Air is gearing up to take the holiday season by storm, despite the competition it sees from the lower priced Surface 2. Should it be scared at all? Well, not really.Donning a new design, one that’s remarkably thin and lightweight, it’s sure to catch some eye brows from prying shoppers who are eager to pick up a tablet. And as we’ve seen, it continues to prove itself as a venerable competitor – mainly due to its excellent performance and diverse apps ecosystem. Seriously though, we can go either way with this comparison. Depending on your needs, either tablet can suffice in a number of ways – albeit, the savings is found with the Surface 2. If you’re in the mood to experiment, or want something that can almost double as a laptop, the Surface 2 is a fantastic choice. If not, the obvious decision is to go with the safe route of picking up the iPad Air. Whatever decision you make, there’s no arguing that they’re equipped in dealing with a handful of needs.

If we’re going to wrap it all up, we really need to compare apples-to-apples. Honestly, we need to look at the base model of the Surface Pro 2, the 64GB Wi-Fi one, which is attached with a $900 price point. A bloated figure for most tablets no doubt, but we have to stress that it’s more PC-like at the same time, so it makes perfect sense. In comparison, the 64GB Wi-Fi only version of the iPad Air is priced at $700, which really gets us thinking more. Separated by a mere $200, it seems as though there’s more value out of the Surface Pro 2 – even more when it’s running a desktop OS and features ports that give it more versatility. On the other end of the spectrum, if we’re to compare the base model of the Surface Pro 2 with the base model of the iPad Air, the $500 16GB Wi-Fi version, there’s enough room to suggest that there’s an advantage to go with Apple’s pride and joy. For those looking for a fun and delightful tablet to use on the road, we’d suggest going with the iPad Air and its balanced set of features and performance. Additionally, it’s incredibly thin and delivers a significant amount of battery life and the iOS 7 platform is diverse with its healthy ecosystem of tablet optimized apps. However, if you’re more inclined to get down and dirty with work, the Surface Pro 2 is equipped in accomplishing the task – plus, it eliminates the need to have a separate laptop, since it can double as one.

Both the iPad Air and iPad Mini with Retina display are great choices for those in the market for a new tablet. If you want a slate that’s slightly cheaper, easier to tote in your bag and lighter to hold in one hand, go for the iPad mini with Retina display. If you want something a little larger that you can use with a keyboard, or if you need the extra screen space for creating content or watching movies, the iPad Air is a better choice. We also slightly prefer the more saturated colors offered by the Air’s screen. Both slates are nearly identical in terms of most specs and software, so you won’t be compromising any features or functionality by choosing one over the other.

The iPad Air improves on its predecessor in every respect and replaces it at the top of the A-List

The iPad was already the best large tablet out there. If it had any deficiencies, it was really in terms of weight and size, and that’s where the iPad Air shines. It’s still got a battery that will last for 10 hours, and now it’s twice as fast as it was before, opening the door for even more apps that can boost personal productivity or just entertain you that much faster. It’s right there in the name: The iPad Air is still an iPad, but it’s lighter and thinner and twice as fast to boot. If you want a tablet you can comfortably hold with one hand, look elsewhere. Otherwise, look no further than the iPad Air.

Apple's best tablet ever, it's small, light, incredibly powerful and has an amazing screen

The iPad Air follows in the same footsteps as its predecessor, where it’s a fantastic tablet that has a fine balance with everything it has to bring to the table – so you won’t be disappointed by what you get! First and foremost, we can’t deny the obvious here, as it continues to be a stunning looking thing with its updated design. It’s the thinner and lighter, which are the hallmarks of any outstanding successor, but at the same time, we get an updated iOS 7 experience that complements the new looks. Better yet, it’s a speed demon too with its performance – which is something we’ve come to expect with all iPads. However, we have this nagging feeling that it’s not trying to push the envelope hard enough to widen the gap between itself and the competition. We’ve come to appreciate all the things that come along with the iPad Air, but as a whole, it doesn't necessarily offer tremendous amounts of innovation outside of its industry-leading design and A7 chipset.. That's not really a bad thing per se, since it’s exceptionally equipped in dealing with all of our needs and wants in a tablet.We do have to mention some of its notable rivals, like the Google Nexus 10, Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition, and Microsoft Surface 2. It's worth noting that the Nexus 10 and Surface 2 are cheaper than the iPad Air, plus they have higher-resolution displays and base storage capacities. The Nexus 10 seems to be a better alternative to the Surface 2 at the moment, due to its richer application catalog and lower price ($399 versus $449). The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition retails for $549 for its base 16 GB variant, which is $50 more expensive than the iPad Air, but it does sport an S Pen for those who want to have the ability to draw and take hand-written notes. Like we said, you won’t be disappointed by the iPad Air, but it’s hard not to at least consider the other options that are available.

The iPad Air is the no-compromise tablet. Beautiful display, crisp design, premium build quality: it’s the gold-standard by which tablets are judged, and rightly so. If Apple’s full-sized slates had fallen into the shadow of their mini brethren over the past twelve months, the iPad Air brings the larger tablet right back into the spotlight.We can’t fault the performance or the connectivity, and the battery life defies superlatives. Yes, you pay a premium for the WiFi + Cellular version, but at least this time around there’s the reassurance of knowing that the same iPad will deliver LTE whether you jump from Verizon to AT&T or vice-versa. iOS 7 still divides opinion, but its simplicity and consistency looks great on the high-resolution Retina screen.For some, the more compact iPad mini with Retina display will be the more portable iOS tablet of preference. For others, the wider range of Android tablets, often more affordable will hold greater appeal. Yet, for its combination of connectivity, longevity, power, app selection, and relentlessly pared-back design, the iPad Air ticks the boxes that make it the tablet for the everyman.

The iPad Air is the most significant upgrade to the 9.7-inch iPad in its history. It’s lighter, more portable, more usable and faster than any previous iPad. It doesn’t fundamentally change what you can do with a tablet, but if you’re in the market for one the iPad Air really is the best iPad to date. Competition is definitely more stiff among the smaller tablets thanks to the Nexus 7, but in the nearly 10-inch tablet space it seems like Apple is going to continue to enjoy a great position there.

If you found yourself tuning out the last few generations of iPad thanks to their extreme familiarity, it’s time to get yourself dialed back in. The iPad Air is worth getting excited about. Though it brings no new functionality to the table, and we can’t help being disappointed about the lack of Touch ID, the performance increase and solid battery life show that progress is still being made on the inside. It’s the new exterior design, however, that really impresses. The iPad Air is thinner than any tablet this size deserves to be, and lighter, too. The old iPad always felt surprisingly hefty. This one, compellingly lithe. However, there is one tablet that’s thinner and lighter still, yet holds the promise of great performance and build quality: the upcoming iPad Mini with Retina Display. At $100 cheaper, that slate could prove the stiffest competition the full-size iPad has yet seen. Time will tell on that front (the new Mini won’t ship for a few weeks), so we’ll withhold judgment for now. If you’re willing to consider a smaller tablet, hold off clicking “buy” for just a little while longer. If you’re looking for a full-size tablet and don’t mind paying a premium to get the best, this is it.

Apple has done it again: the iPad Air is a tablet better than the last iPad. Simply put the iPad Air is the best iPad the company has ever made. It's light, it's thin, it's fast, it's amazing. For die-hard Apple fans we can see how you would be disappointed in terms of wow factor, there is no standout feature here that you will want to show your friends the moment they walk through the door in the same way you can with the iPhone 5S and Touch ID, however this is Apple creating the ultimate experience rather than focusing on specs for specs' sake. That's not to say the iPad Air is lacking. It's not. It is seamless, and you can see that through and through the moment you pick up the new tablet. You aren't left questioning why things work, they just do, and do every time. For millions of future customers that is and will be very much welcomed.