iPad Air (2019) vs iPad Air 2
The iPad Air 2 was a true classic, but is the newcomer is a worthy successor? Martyn Casserly reports
Apple has announced it is resurrecting the iPad Air with a brand-new model for 2019 (pictured). We see how this compares to its predecessor, the iPad Air 2, which made its debut way back in 2014.
Price
The iPad Air 2019 comes in two storage capacities, either of which is available with Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity. The prices for these are as follows.
64GB Wi-Fi: £479 256GB Wi-Fi: £629 64GB Wi-Fi + Cellular: £599 256GB Wi-Fi + Cellular: £749
Since the iPad Air 2 was discontinued in March 2017, and replaced with the plainly named iPad (2017) you can’t easily find them, especially if you want a new one. They do sometimes appear in the Refurbished section of the Apple store, and if you’re happy with a second-hand unit, then places like SmartFoneStore ( fave.co/2WxvU8G) are a good source. Expect to pay around £250 for a 64GB version in good condition.
Design
When the iPad Air came out in 2014 it was an almost perfect combination of design and power. The lightweight frame shaved a few millimetres off the depth of the original iPad Air, making it the slimmest iPad at the time at 6.1mm (the same as the new iPad mini 2019 – see page 71).
Touch ID was added to the Home button, and the slimmer frame meant the 9.7in display was laminated, removing the slight air gap that had appeared on previous models. Generally, the iPad Air 2 was heralded as a true refinement of the tablet genre at that time.
Skip forward five years and the new iPad Air 2019 is equally as slim, albeit taller, wider, and with a few more added grams. This could be down to the larger display, 10.5in as opposed to the 9.7in on the Air 2, and the heft of powerful component that makes up its innards.
Touch ID remains on the front panel, no notches or Face ID here, but the camera on the front has stepped up a bit in the intervening half decade. Aside from some thinner bezels though, the successor doesn’t have too many outward differences to its older sibling.
iPad Air 2019: 250.6x174.1x6.1mm, 456g iPad Air 2: 240x169.6x6.1mm, 437g
Display
As we’ve already mentioned, the new Air has a larger 10.5in display, but that’s not all. It also comes with Apple’s True Tone technology that monitors the ambient light in an environment and adjusts the colour temperature of the screen to make things easier on the eyes. It also supports (P3) wide colour display ranges and is nearly 20 percent brighter than the Air 2.
Processors
The A8X chip Apple placed in the Air 2 was a powerhouse in its day. In fact, we’ve heard many Air 2 owners tell us they felt little need to upgrade their device as it kept on zipping along even years after the initial purchase. That might change now, as the A12 Bionic processor in the Air (2019) is once again a titan. It’s the same chip used in the current iPhone flagships and should ensure that the new model shares the longevity that honours its heritage. Storage Even back in 2014 16GB was a little tight for a base model, but that was where the Air 2 started. Other
options available were 32G-, 64-, and 128GB. The iPad Air 2019 reduces these variables somewhat, offering either 64- or 256GB.
Apple Pencil and Smart keyboard support
To be fair, when the Air 2 came out there wasn’t an Apple Pencil or Smart Keyboard to worry about. Now, both are an increasingly important part of Apple’s vision for the iPad as a do-it-all device.
It’s no surprise, then, that the Air 2019 can accommodate both, which does make the new model more versatile. It should be noted that the support is only for the first-generation Apple Pencil, and all of these accessories come with hefty price tags.
Cameras
When the Air 2 came out it was fitted with an 8Mp f/2.4 main lens and 1.2Mp f/2.2 FaceTime camera. The
first was capable of 1080p video at 30fps and Slo-Mo (720p) at 120fps.
It’s interesting, then, that the Air (2019) features the same specs for the rear optics, with the only apparent upgrade being a switch to a 7Mp f/2.2 FaceTime camera that captures 1080p at 30fps. Unless you shoot a lot of selfie videos or want the highest quality video calls, the iPad Air 2 is actually on par with the new version.
Software
iOS 12 is available for both devices, which does illustrate how the Air 2 has passed the test of time. While the Air (2019) avails itself of most features, minus the ones such as Emojis that requires the Face ID cameras, the Air 2 can also cope with many of the delights of Apple’s latest operating system.
Of course, performance won’t be up to the speed of the new Air, but it should still tick along nicely, especially as iOS 12 was partly intended to enhance the experience on older devices. What’s unclear is whether the upcoming iOS 13 will be made available to the Air 2. Some rumours have already begun doing the rounds that Apple might be more ruthless this time.
Verdict
The iPad Air 2 was a hugely impressive beast when it first arrived, but time stands still for no hardware and while it can deliver acceptable performance these days the older device can’t really hold a candle to the iPad Air (2019). The upgrade in processors, storage options, accessory support, and the larger True Tone display all make the new Air a premium package without the
Pro price. If you can pick up an Air 2 cheaply, then it will still be an excellent e-reader, video streamer, and general web browsing tool, but with the Air (2019) freshly out of the lab, it’s the easy choice to make if you can meet the cost.