HiGame

Apple’s latest iPad update includes a redesigned iPad Air, just one year after the device was first introduced. Typically, Apple keeps the outside case design on mobile gadgets around for two years before switching things up, so the new slimmer Air is a remarkable feat in terms of hardware engineering. The new iPad also now comes in a gold color option, and packs a better camera and beefier internals, including an A8X processor that improves on the version just introduced for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in September. Apple lavished attention on the Air this time around, and that investment has made it the best tablet available anywhere.

Basics

• 9.7-inch, 2048×1546 display with 264 ppi
• Antireflective coating
• A8X 64-bit chip, M8 motion coprocessor
• 8MP iSight (front-facing) camera, 1.2MP FaceTime HD (front-facing) camera
• Touch ID
• 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0
• 6.1 mm thick, under 1 lb
• MSRP: Wi-fi – $499 (16GB), $599 (64GB), $699 (128GB); Wi-Fi + Cellular – $629 (16GB), $729 (64GB), $829 (128GB)
• Product info page
• Incredibly thin and light
• Touch ID is great
• Antireflective coating effect not that dramatic
• The hardware lock/mute switch will be missed

Design

Apple’s new iPad Air features a design that probably had more than a few hardware engineers burning the midnight oil – it shaves off a full 1.4 mm vs. last year’s model, which was then celebrated for its incredibly thin profile. Apple also dropped the weight to below a pound this year, also a savings vs. the previous model. iPad Air 2’s thinner design necessitated some changes, however, including the remarkable feat of fusing display glass and components in a single layer to decrease the required internal space, and the unfortunate removal of the physical rotation lock/mute switch on the side. That missing switch is indeed missed, and despite the presence of its functions in the Control Center panel, there were many times when I wished the physical control was still present.

To build the iPad Air 2, Apple had to speed up and improve its usual hardware update process, and the intense focus and commitment required shows in the final results. There’s no question that if you’re in the market for a tablet, this is the best one available today.

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