When Apple launched the first iPad the world went mad for the never-seen-before tablet concept. Since then, the sector has grown exponentially with more and more tablet devices entering the competition. However, with the iPad Air, Apple has finally nailed the formula and really is head and shoulders above the rest.
Why? Impressive design coupled with a thinner, lighter chassis makes for a premium and smart-looking tablet. Apple’s powerful A7 and M7 chips under the hood means it chews through even the toughest tasks in next to no time.
Of course the price tag is still high, but it’s comparable to the likes of the Sony Xperia Tablet Z, finally making it a contender on an even playing field…. and with that in mind, there’s no competition.
With its 64-bit processing power and reams of battery saving techniques, your tablet will live for much longer in day to day use.
Add to that the fact Apple is lobbing in a lot of useful free software, as well as bringing a more refined experience with iOS 7, and you can see that it’s put a lot of effort into making the iPad Air the tablet that shows it’s not losing its relevancy in the market.
The light-weight design means one-handed holding is now an option – putting the Air into a complete new product category.
The sleek look is based on the iPad mini, with its smooth aluminium back it’s simple, smart and feels great.
The iPad Air is a fine device for a number of things – but you might not necessarily think that calling is one of them. But with the addition of Facetime Audio, and the improved Facetime HD camera, this is a great device for out-of-office meetings.
Messaging on the iPad is also a much better experience. There’s iMessage and the decent inbuilt email app on offer as standard, and the variety of other chat apps you can download is mind blowing. On top of that, emails are grouped together nicely when in conversation flow, email folders are easy to use and you can have all your messages in one inbox, even with a variety of accounts being used.
We also like the VIP setting, allowing you to tag only your boss and colleagues, so you know when to panic should you see a mail arriving there.
In summary, the iPad Air is a big step forward for Apple in so many ways – not least through design and setting a precedent for the future. It’s 28% lighter and 20% thinner, taking up 24% less volume overall. We can see that Apple has really pushed the envelope when it comes to design, and the result is pretty phenomenal.
If you want the best tablet on the market then look no further. The iPad Air has reclaimed top spot for Apple and it’s going to take some beating.
