While there is no doubt that Apple popularised and revolutionised the tablet market in April 2010 with the release of its first iPad, pretenders and competitors have been vying for Apple’s crown ever since. Samsung, Google, and Nokia-made Android and Windows tablets have been encroaching on Apple’s territory, with cheaper, yet capable tablets of their own. With that in mind, how does the California based company’s latest iPad incarnation, dubbed the iPad Air, compare with the myriad of tablets available in the market today?
While iPads of old have largely followed the design footsteps of the first iPad, Apple has opted for a noticeably different redesign for its fifth generation iPad. The Air is now substantially thinner and lighter than ever, with Apple doing away with its traditionally chunky tablet design to offer a sleek gadget beautifully integrated with the aesthetically pleasing iOS 7, the company’s recently released mobile operating system. The 9.7 inch screen, although the same size as the previous full-sized iPad, still looks as stunning as ever, with Apple’s Retina Display screen resolution of 2,048x1,536 pixels leading the tablet market in terms of display resolution and clarity alone, and weighing in at a mere one pound, the device is indeed as light as air.
Powered by Apple’s ridiculously fast 64-bit, 1.3 GHz A7 Chip and supported by 1 GB of RAM, the Air is the fastest and best performing mobile Apple device till date which is capable of handling graphic-intensive movies, web pages, and games with ease. As ever, the new iPad’s interface is beautifully clean and smooth, with the internal specifications brilliantly complementing the user interface.
The iPad Air is equipped with the same five MP pixel rear camera and 1.2 MP front camera as its predecessor, which although not market leading, are still competent. The gadget still boasts the iPad’s legendary battery life, with a full charge able to deliver approximately 10 hours of tablet usage and Apple’s App Store still leads the way in quality of the more than 4,000 apps.
Yes, the iPad Air is ridiculously expensive, with the cheapest 16 GB Wifi model priced at approximately RS 65,000 and yes a finger print scanner (like the iPhone 5S) would have been nice. However, there is no doubt that the latest iPad, slated to release November end, will only cement Apple’s position at the top of the tablet food chain.
Yantrick’s verdict: Apple-heads, take out loans if you must, but the latest iPad from the best tablet makers is one you must own.