APPLE IPAD AIR

Dubbed the lightest, thinnest full-size iPad ever, the side profile of the Air measures just 7.5mm, which is 1.9mm thinner than both the iPad 3 and 4, 1.3mm thinner than the iPad 2, and 5.9mm thinner than the first generation iPad. Add to that, the new Air is about 200g lighter than its predecessors.

For consumers who have been using previous-generation iPads, these improvements can definitely be felt – but the degree in advancement really depends from which iPad you are comparing with. Nonetheless, the Air offers improved handling due to the new edge design, flat back and narrower screen bezel. The Xperia Tablet Z comes very close to matching the Air in terms of handling, but we are won over by the latter’s more premium build and finish.

Apple retains the same display size (9.7-inch) and resolution (2,048 x 1,536 pixels) on the Air. This works out to a pixel density of 264ppi, which is a tad lower than the ASUS, Samsung and Toshiba tablets. What’s significant about the display is not inside it, but around it. The bezel has shrunk in a similar fashion as the iPad Mini, resulting in a narrower width.

The Air runs on iOS 7, which in a nutshell, has a more colorful look and feel, with a thinner, more modern font and flatter overall design. iWork apps (Pages, Numbers and Keynote) and iLife creativity apps (Photos, iMovie and Garageband) are free for download on any iOS 7 device. Previously, they cost a total of US$45.

Like the iPhone 5S, the Air sports the 64-bit A7 processor and 1GB RAM though its processor clock speed is slightly higher at 1.4GHz. The imaging aspect remains unchanged; a 5-megapixel rear camera with f/2.4 aperture, 5-element lens, BSI sensor and a 1.2-megapixel FaceTime HD front-facing camera.

DISPLAY

Thinner bezels means narrower

width overall.

DIMENSIONS