In the wake of Apple's iPhone 5S launch speculation inevitably turned to what the company's next-generation iPad(s) would be like. Ahead of launch, the iPad 5 – or at least when we thought that was what it was called – was dubbed the most important iPad update since Apple introduced the first iPad way back in 2010.
The iPad Air
But it's not called the iPad 5 –– it's called the iPad Air. The reason for the name change, according to Apple, is that THIS iPad represents a new beginning for Apple's iPad business.
It's a stroke of marketing genius, according to the Telegraph's Matt Warman, who believes Apple was right to rebrand the iPad as the "ipad Air" because it suggests existing owners are missing out.
If it's a deliberate strategy, it certainly worked to convince Marc Flores of TechRadar, who writes, "Go ahead, throw your money at Apple."
So should you buy an iPad Air? "If you're in the market for a new tablet, the answer is yes," he says, "If you're even considering a new tablet, the answer is yes."
As our friends over at PC Pro say of the slimmed down frame "it really is a massive improvement". The real issue though, is the price – Warman warns that with a number of well-received rival tablets, such as the Tesco Hudl, "Apple must be wary that consumers will deem cheaper rivals good enough".
"If market share continues to fall, even if Apple continues to make enormous profits, shareholders may yet demand cuts in prices to sustain Apple's dominance", he added.
Design
As expected, the iPad Air has had a complete makeover and is now thinner (7.5mm), slimmer and lighter (1lbs) than its predecessor. It also features a design very similar to the iPad Mini. TouchID is not present, but it is rocking Apple's A7 chipset and M7 coprocessor.
iPad Air is 20% thinner and 28% lighter than the fourth generation iPad, and with a 43% narrower bezel the borders of iPad Air are dramatically thinner.
Specs
The iPad Air also features Apple's M7 coprocessor. Apple says the A7 processor inside the iPad Air is 8 times faster and has 72 times better graphics performance than its predecessor's processor.
You also get an updated 5-megapixel iSight camera and a FaceTime HD front-facing unit. Apple says battery life has been extended to 10 hours.
"Even though it's 20 per cent thinner and up to twice as fast as the previous-generation iPad, it still gives you the same incredible 10-hour battery life," said Apple. "That's because the A7 chip isn't just more powerful, it's also more efficient. So no matter where you go with iPad Air, you'll have the battery power to go even further."
You also get uber speedy data transfer rate on Wi-Fi thanks to the introduction of Apple's MIMO 802.11n support. The iPad Air and iPad Mini also support extended LTE bands just like the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C.
"iPad created an entirely new mobile computing experience, and the new iPad Air is another big leap ahead. It is so thin, light and powerful, once you hold one in your hand you will understand what a tremendous advancement this is," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing.
"iPad Air with its 9.7-inch Retina display weighs just one pound and packs the incredible performance of iOS 7 running on a 64-bit desktop-class Apple A7 chip, and delivers all-day battery life in the lightest full-sized tablet in the world."
The iPad Air is available in Space Grey and Silver and will be available from November 1st. Prices start from £399 for the 16GB Wi-Fi-only model. The iPad Air is available in four storage versions: 16GB, 32GB, 64GB and 128GB.
iPad Air: The 10 Most Significant Aspects of Apple's new iPad
The iPad Air is here –– don't call it the iPad 5! –– and it is the thinnest and most powerful iPad Apple has ever produced. The 9.7-inch iPad Air launched alongside a host of new hardware last night, as well as OS X Mavericks, and of course the iPad Mini (2) with Retina display.
Lauded as the most significant iPad update since 2010, Apple's iPad Air is certainly powerful, rocking the company's new 64-bit A7 chipset, but some features and attributes did not make the cut –– they're reserved for the 5S.
Here's our break down of the 10 most significant points about Apple's new iPad Air.
No TouchID
The iPad Air did not ship with Apple's TouchID fingerprint scanner, just as KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted. Ahead of launch multiple sources suggested both new iPads would ship with the iPhone 5S' TouchID technology.
The reason for their omission is pretty simple. Production of components related to TouchID are in very tight supply due to high demands for the iPhone 5S, and this isn't expected to change anytime soon.
Ah well, there's always next year, right?
No Gold version
The iPad Air is only available in two colour schemes: Space Grey and Silver. So while Gold might be best, according to the Conan O'Brien skit, it's currently an iPhone 5S exclusive.
64-bit A7 chip and M7 coprocessor
With the advent of a new iPhone came a new processor. That processor was the A7, and it was the first ever 64-bit chipset to feature inside a phone, further bridging the gap between smartphones and desktop computers. Increased speed and better power efficiency are just two of the things you can expect from this new setup.
"With up to twice the CPU and graphics performance on iPad Air, and up to four times the CPU and eight times the graphics performance on iPad mini with Retina display, almost everything you do is faster and better than ever," said Apple at launch.
You also get Apple's M7 coprocessor. Check out the two articles below to find out why that's awesome:
Check out our iPhone 5S review to see just how well the iPhone 5S performed in our benchmark tests. Note: it pretty much destroys everything else out there.
128GB of storage
Both the iPad Air and the iPad Mini are available in four storage variants: 16GB, 32GB, 64GB and, for the ultimate media hoarder, 128GB. There's still no SD-support, however. But that was never going to happen!
Loads of LTE support
Apple has packed 14 LTE bands into the new iPad Mini 2 and the iPad Air – that's one more than the iPhone 5C and 5S, which "only" runs 13 bands 4G bands. You will pay extra for a data-connected iPad, however, but at least you'll have plenty of carrier options – EE, Vodafone, O2, and Three [when it eventually rolls it services out later this year].
It looks different
The iPad Air doesn't look like a traditional iPad. No, this iPad has a thinner, iPad Mini-like bezel and is also quite a bit lighter (469g vs. 662g). Apple says the Air is 20% thinner and 28% lighter than the fourth generation iPad.
The bezel on the Air is also 43% narrower than previous iterations, which brings us onto our next point…
It feels different
With a thinner bezel the iPad Air handles differently, and because it is lighter too the overall feel and gait of the device is completely different. In the hand expect a slimmer, sleeker, and overall lighter tablet experience. Apple didn't call it Air for nothing, you know…
Updated Camera
The iPad Air does feature an updated camera but it's not the same as the one you'll find inside the iPhone 5S, which is a heavily modified 8-megapixel sensor that produces some utterly stunning images. Apple is keeping some of its more significant updates –– TouchID and imaging, specifically –– exclusive to its flagship handset.
With the iPad Air, you have a 5-megapixel iSight setup that supports 1080p video recording. On the front you have a HD FaceTime camera. The 5S's imaging tech would have been nice, but lets be honest: how many of you actually use your iPad for snapping pictures?
iWorks – free and 64-bit optimised
iWorks is now completely free and fully optimised for 64-bit chipsets, giving iOS and OS X users full access to a wealth of productivity applications like iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand, Pages, Numbers and Keynote.
And because they're fully optimised for the iPad Air's 64-bit chipset, performance should be off the charts. Factor in iCloud-support and switching between iPad and MacBook has never been easier. Now all we need is for Apple to increased its cloud storage from a rather paltry 5GB…
MIMO 802.11n support [faster Wi-Fi]
Apple said the iPad Air is the best connected iPad it has ever produced, and it wasn't kidding. Not only does the iPad Air feature better support for LTE than the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C, but it also features MIMO 802.11n support for rapid Wi-Fi speeds.
With dual-band (2.4GHz and 5GHz) 802.11n Wi?Fi and MIMO, download speeds can reach up to 300 Mbps — double the data rate of the previous-generation iPad.
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