It’s the best yet!

I’ve often regarded the iPad as being nothing more than a giant iPhone. It runs the same software, offers pretty much the same features, and each model has a similar appearance to their iPhone cousin. Sure there’s a variety of tablet apps available which is something that’s much too limited on the Google alternatives, but overall the iPad has always seemed rather pointless. To get real work done, you need a desktop.

This week however, I decided to trade in my iPad mini which has been sat quietly in the corner gathering dust, and I opted for the Air 2 with a 5GB data allowance (probably of which I’ll never use), just for the sake of having a new shiny device to play with.

I wasn’t expecting much. I thought after a while the new model wouldn’t really seem any better - after all the apps are still the same, the camera is still useless and touch ID doesn’t make a huge difference compared to using a standard passcode.

However, I was totally wrong - this is the best tablet I’ve ever used. With the extra RAM, a speedier processor and a screen that pushes the pixels so far forward, the user almost makes contact with the icons, the iPad now feels more useable than ever before.

And of course, this time round the slate is thinner, it seems lighter, and it also feels solid - as would be expected with any Apple product.

I’ve also paired up to the Logitech Type Plus keyboard case which enables Bluetooth connectivity and a typing experience similar to a real laptop or the Microsoft Surface minus the Windows software.

Lack of Windows aside, creative users can still downloaded pages, word and a whole range of photo editing apps, and find that the Air 2 just whizzes through tasks faster than any of its predecessors. Every year when the latest products are released, reviewers always say this is the fastest iPad yet and the truth is, there’s never much difference. But on the Air 2 it really is noticeable just how insanely fast everything runs. Safari loads web pages faster than ever, and downloading apps, games and magazines is a task completed in very little time.

I’ve barely touched my PC since getting the Air 2 except to transfer files to a hard drive - because overall it finally feels as though the tablet can replace the desktop and at a time when phones are beginning to substitute the tablet. Perhaps soon that’s all we’ll ever need, a phone with a 6.5 inch display.

Unless you need to use intensive editing tools like Photoshop or Audition or you enjoy graphically intensive games, look no further than the iPad for 95 per cent of your computing needs. The only downside to the Air 2 is the price. Like most Apple products, the iPad is more expensive than most other devices on the market, but does offer the greatest user experience.

Available in space grey, gold and silver, it costs £399 for the 16 GB model and the tablet shoots all the way to £559 for 128GB of storage.