IPad Air is affordable but with Pro capability
Apple’s new entry-level tablet boasts a lot of high-end perks
THE new iPad Air is basically an iPad Pro ‘Lite’. It’s the same modern, flatedged shape as the Pro and, crucially, supports the same accessories —including the (magnificent) Magic Keyboard.
It has an even faster chip than the iPad Pro, even if that doesn’t quite mean it has a faster overall engine.
The only real negative difference, other than the lack of Face ID to unlock it, is that its 10.9-inch screen isn’t as bright or as ‘fast’,
being limited to a 60hz ‘refresh rate’ as opposed to the iPad Pro’s ultrasmooth, ultra-bright 120hz ‘ProMotion’ screen.
But starting at €230 less than the almost identically sized 11-inch iPhone Pro, this may siphon off a lot of people who were considering the upper model.
As a work or study tool, it’s superb. For the last week, I’ve been doing almost all work, projects and personal stuff on the Air. On the work side, this meant research, writing, form-filling and other Office-style stuff.
It also included putting together – and presenting over Zoom – a 30-minute slide-based talk. On the personal and household front, I used it to shop, pay bills, watch movies and edit some photos and videos I shot on a professional mirrorless camera.
For these tasks, I would normally use some mix of an iPad Pro, a MacBook Pro and a Windows laptop.
By and large, it was all pretty smooth.
This is at least partly due to the stellar Magic Keyboard accessory (€333) that I happen to have, which works for either the 11-inch iPad Pro or this model (but not more basic iPads).
One interesting difference between the iPad Air and other more basic iPads (including the previous iPad Air) is the way it uses Touch ID. For the first time, Apple has placed this functionality on the slim, narrow power button at the top of the iPad. This allows Apple to make more space for the display — up from 10.5 to 10.9 inches.
It works, but is taking me a while to get used to.
One curious thing to note is that it’s the first time I’ve ever used a phone or tablet where the fingerprint-unlock button is geared toward a left-handed person. What I mean is that on a regular iPad (or older iPhone), the Touch ID is always located on your right when physically connected to a keyboard.
With the Air, it’s up on the top left at the side – a natural left-handed position. Furthermore, in another first, it’s most likely to be your index finger that you use instead of your thumb as it’s awkward to wrap your hand around the side to facilitate a thumb-press.
The Air has a newer processor than the iPad Pro in Apple’s latest A14 Bionic (versus the iPad Pro’s A12Z Bionic).
Does this mean it’s faster? Not always. Despite the newer chip, the iPad Pro has eight cores instead of the Air’s four. That can make a difference in performance when you’re trying to do some heavy lifting, especially for photos or video. The Air also has less Ram memory than the Pro.
During my week of testing, I edited some photos and video to see if I noticed any difference.
Overall, the Pro felt slightly snappier, but not anything that would be meaningful to anyone who wasn’t doing a lot of this; the Air was still more than adequate. Physically, the iPad Air is gorgeous. Tinting the aluminium casing with a colour is never not an interesting and aesthetically attractive option.
It gives it a tinge of fun. My test model came with a very slight green accent, pleasing to the eye. Typical of Apple, there are also matching case covers.
I didn’t find any real difference in battery life between this and my 11-inch iPad Pro model.
Overall, the iPad Air is a huge step up from the last iPad Air model.
You’re getting an awful lot of what makes the iPad Pro such a compellingly able work tool for some €230 less.
For a more in-depth review of the new iPad Air, see Independent.ie