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UPDATED 29/10: More information on the controls and battery life
It turns out the one thing we were wrong about when writing about the next Apple tablets was that the new model was going to be called the iPad Air rather than the iPad 5. Having had a chance to play with the new tablet at the launch, the reason for the name change is self-evident and the new tablet encompasses everything that the Air name means thanks to the range of super-light laptops.
iPAD AIR BUILD QUALITY
Designed, as predicted, to look more like the iPad Mini than the previous-generation iPad 4, the iPad Air is a lot smaller than its predecessor. The incredibly thin side bezel means that the front of the tablet is mostly screen. More than that, Apple has managed to squeeze it so that the iPad Air is a lot thinner than its predecessor, too, at just 7.5mm compared to the 9mm of the iPad 4.
The new iPad Air, seen here with the new Mini, is a lot slimmer than its predecessor
All of this has the net effect that the iPad Air actually looks pretty small. Rather than Apple having a small iPad and a large iPad, Apple now has a small iPad with the brand-new iPad Mini 2 with Retina Display and an iPad that's just a bit bigger.
It's also a lot lighter, weighing just 469g. That's a big reduction on last year's model, which was 652g. However, it's only when you pick it up that you really notice the difference. The iPad 4 was far from big and heavy, but the iPad Air is so light that you'll happily carry it around everywhere and not feel it.
As with previous models, the iPad Air is made from aluminium. It's beautifully built and long way ahead of plastic tablets from other manufacturers.
The iPad Air has the same physical controls as on the previous generation iPads. On the side there are volume up and down buttons. These sit next to the switch, which can either toggle the screen's rotation lock or toggle silent mode; this is configurable through iOS 7's Settings app, so you can make it work the way you want. There's the usual on/off, sleep/wake button at the top right, too.
iPAD AIR CASES
A new design means that the tablet needs new cases. As you'd expect, there's going to be a big range of third-party cases coming out very soon, but Apple has also released its own cases. As with previous versions of the iPad and iPad Mini, Apple will be selling two official cases.
First is the Smart Cover, which attaches via magnets to the side of the case and protects the screen. It folds into three sections, so you can roll it back and use it as a stand, or just unveil part of the screen.
For people that want a bit more protection, there's the Smart Case. This has the same design for the screen cover as the Smart Cover, but it also has back that stops the rear of the iPad being scratched. Both covers come in a range of colours, so there's bound to be something that takes your fancy. All of the covers will be available on the 1st November when the iPad Air launches.
iPAD AIR SPECS AND BATTERY LIFE
Slimming down hasn't meant cutting any corners, either. First, the 9.7in screen remains from the previous generation, complete with its high resolution of 2,048x1,536. Now there may be tablets with higher resolutions, but the fact is you don’t need more resolution on a screen this size.
Despite the slimmer case, the iPad Air has the same screen as the iPad 4
The iPad Air's screen is incredibly sharp and detailed, viewing angles are just as good as on previous models. We didn't really get chance to run our normal test photos through the tablet, but colours looked every bit as vibrant and powerful as they do on the existing model.
Inside, there's the brand-new 64-bit Apple A7 chip as used in the iPhone 5S. It's the fastest mobile processor that we've tested, blitzing the SunSpider test in just 416ms, which is almost twice as fast as the nearest competitor. That in turn, should mean that the iPad Air is the fastest tablet. While the old iPad had to have quad-core graphics in the A6X chip, the A7 is powerful enough for the screen resolution.
You also get the same M7 motion co-processor as on the iPhone 5S. This can detect if you're walking, driving or even sleeping. All of this information can be used by apps, but we haven't quite seen the full potential of the system.
The slim exterior hides the powerful Apple A7 processor
You don't get everything that the iPhone has, though. Despite the A7 chip also having an image processor built in, you don't get the same camera modes. So, there's no Slo-Mo mode on the iPad. This is likely to be down to the lower-quality 5-megapixel iSight camera on the iPad Air. It's a little disappointing that there's not a higher-resolution sensor, but as we use our phone more for photography rather than our tablet, it's understandable. There's also no Touch ID fingerprint reader.
Wireless has been upgraded, too, with the iPad Air now having a MIMO 802.11n (dual-band) chip. This should help improve wireless speed and range, although 802.11ac would have been nice to see. For those wanting an iPad with built-in data, the new model supports a wider range of LTE bands, so it will work on all UK networks.
Despite the improvement in specs and slimmer case, which has resulted in a slightly smaller battery, Apple is still quoting the same battery life of 10 hours. This is largely down to the more efficient A7 SoC, which means that Apple doesn’t need as big a battery. This being Apple, quoted battery life is always on the more cautious side, so we'd expect this figure to be a minimum, rather than an absolute best in the optimum situation.
iPAD AIR PRICE AND CONCLUSION
On sale from the 1st November, the standard Wi-Fi iPad Air costs £399 for the 16GB model, £479 for the 32GB model, £559 for the 64GB model and £639 for the 128GB model. Getting the Wi-Fi + Cellular costs £100 extra per model.
If there was any danger that Apple wasn't going to up the stakes with a new iPad that has passed. It's a hell of a lot slimmer, the same price, has a brilliant screen and a super-fast processor. What more could you want?
Andoid Games
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