What is the difference between the iPad Air and 2. What to choose: iPad Air (2019) or iPad (2018)? Comparing iPad with SIM card. Differences

The thinnest and lightest full-format tablet

Global sales started on November 1 iPad Air. The new generation of full-length Apple tablets was presented on October 22 (we told you about this event), and this announcement turned out to be sensational in some sense: no one expected that Apple would rename its tablet by adding the word Air to the name (previously used only in the line of ultra-thin laptops ). The manufacturer explained this by the significantly reduced weight and thickness of the device. And today we have the opportunity to check how revolutionary the changes turned out to be, not only in form, but also in essence (we thank the online store for providing it for testing).

Because everything general information The new product has already been discussed in the report from the Apple presentation, we will not repeat it. We just note that the previous major update to the iPad design was already two and a half years ago, when the iPad 2 came out. The third and fourth generation iPads had no major design differences from the iPad 2. Therefore, the current update is doubly important. Here is a list of iPad Air specifications.

• Apple A7 SoC 1.4 GHz 64 bit (2 cores, Cyclone architecture based on ARMv8)
• GPU PowerVR G6430
• Apple M7 motion coprocessor including accelerometer, gyroscope and compass
• RAM 1 GB
• Flash memory from 16 to 128 GB
• No memory card support
• Operating system iOS 7.0
• Touch display IPS, 9.7″, 2048×1536 (264 ppi), capacitive, multi-touch
• Cameras: front (1.2 MP, 720p video via FaceTime) and rear (5 MP, 1080p video)
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n (2.4 and 5 GHz; MIMO support)
• Cellular (optional): UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), LTE Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26
• Bluetooth 4.0
• 3.5mm stereo headset jack, Lightning dock connector
• Lithium polymer battery 32.4 Wh
• A-GPS (version with cellular module)
• Dimensions 240×170×7.5 mm
• Weight 480 g (our measurement of the version with cellular module)

A separate explanation needs to be made regarding LTE bands. As we know, previous generations of iPads did not support Russian LTE bands in hardware. Now hardware support has appeared: in the characteristics above you can find Bands 7 and 20 used by Russian operators. However, this does not mean that the iPad Air will work in LTE from the very first day of purchase. The fact is that Apple has not yet certified Russian LTE networks for its devices. As soon as this happens, devices with hardware support for the corresponding bands will most likely receive a software update, after installing which it will be possible to connect to the LTE network. However, there remains some possibility that Apple does not certify Russian LTE networks - for example, due to their insufficient coverage. Therefore, if it is important for you to be able to use LTE, and not 3G, then buying an iPad Air is a risk, and perhaps you should take a closer look at other tablets that definitely have support for Russian LTE networks and are already working. A little later, confirmation appeared that iPad Air works without problems in Russian LTE networks, so there are no risks in this regard.

Let's compare the iPad Air to its competitors, as well as the fourth-generation iPad.

*according to manufacturer information
** for the version with 32 GB of flash memory and 3G/4G module, if available

As you can see, in many characteristics the iPad Air is inferior to top Android devices. However, since Apple devices exist in their own closed software ecosystem, draw any conclusions from what they have Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 has three gigabytes of RAM, but the iPad Air only has one, you can’t. But weight and thickness are undoubted and objective indicators, and they are certainly on Apple’s side. In principle, we can already say that the iPad Air is the thinnest and lightest full-size tablet. But let's see how this affects the feel when using it.

Packaging and accessories

The packaging of the iPad Air is practically no different from the packaging of the previous generation tablet.

As for the configuration, everything here is also similar to the iPad 4: leaflets, Charger(12 W, 2.4 A, 5.2 V), Lightning cable, stickers and a key for removing the SIM card cradle.

Design

But if the equipment has not changed, then the tablet itself looks significantly different. The most important thing: it has become thinner, lighter and more compact. These are not just numbers on scales and rulers - these are sensations that are impossible not to notice if you have used an iPad before.

Firstly, the tablet has become more elongated: this was due to a significant reduction in the side frames (to the right and left of the screen). In the photo below you can clearly see this in comparison with the previous generation iPad.

And here's another telling photo: the iPad Air rests on top of its predecessor.

No less revealing is a photograph of this couple from a different angle.

Here we can already appreciate not only the reduced edges around the screen, but also the thickness of the iPad Air. True, if in the previous three generations of iPad the edges narrowed almost to the point of “cutting bread with a tablet,” then the iPad Air does not have such a narrowing, so at a quick glance at the edges it seems that there is almost no difference or it is not even in favor of the new product. But actually it is not.

In general, the iPad Air borrows its design from the iPad mini: it feels like they took the same body and simply increased the length and width. They even have almost identical thickness: the iPad mini is three tenths of a millimeter thinner. But the second iPad mini (announced on October 22 along with the iPad Air) is already exactly the same thickness as the iPad Air. But if the thickness of the iPad mini does not surprise anyone, in the case of the full-size iPad it really makes an impression.

As for the placement of connectors and buttons, everything here is identical to the iPad mini - even the buttons are the same (metal, not plastic, like the iPad 4) and pressed with the same light force. In addition to the Home button on the front side, there are two volume buttons and a lever that, by default, blocks changing the screen orientation, located on the right side. On tablets with a cellular module, on the same side we see a slot for a Nano-SIM format SIM card.

The left side is completely free of buttons and connectors. On the bottom edge there is a Lightning connector and on the sides of it there are speakers.

On the top edge we see the Power button, a 3.5 mm jack for connecting a stereo headset, and a microphone hole. On tablets with a cellular module, most of the top edge is covered with a plastic insert (moreover, on light-colored tablets it is white, not dark, as is the case with the iPad 4). Honestly, she's spoiling appearance devices. But, apparently, it is impossible to ensure reliable 3G/LTE reception in an all-metal case.

In general, the design of the iPad Air is, of course, its main advantage, distinguishing the device from all its competitors. When you hold this almost weightless (compared to previous iPads) and thin glass-metal board, you experience almost the same sensations as you did from the first iPad when it first appeared. Perhaps this feeling will gradually dull, but at first you can’t get enough of it: how great it is to read magazines, surf the Internet, play on such a tablet...

At the same time, I am glad that Apple was able to achieve such outstanding results by using non-plastic materials, like Samsung in Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition, but metal (except for the plastic insert on tablets with a cellular module). To summarize, we can say that at the moment the iPad Air simply has no competitors in design among full-size tablets.

Screen and software

Like the iPad 3 and iPad 4, the iPad Air features a Retina display with a resolution of 2048 x 1536. If a year and a half ago this figure was unsurpassed, and a year ago the only tablet with a higher resolution was the Google Nexus 10, which never reached Russia, now tablets with a resolution of 2560x1600 no longer look like such a curiosity. In addition, since the release of the iPad 4, our test laboratory has seen many tablets with excellent screens. How does the iPad Air screen look against their background?

Here is a detailed examination of the Retina screen, previously conducted by the editor of the “Monitors” and “Projectors and TV” sections, Alexey Kudryavtsev.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface that is scratch-resistant. Judging by the reflection of objects, there is a very effective anti-glare filter, approximately equal in reducing the brightness of the reflection to the screen filter of the Google Nexus 7 of 2013 (we will compare it with it below).

For clarity, here are photographs in which a white surface is reflected in the switched off screens of both tablets:

Visually, the reflection has approximately the same brightness, and only statistics from the graphics editor show that the Nexus 7's screen is slightly darker (average brightness value 52.73) than that of the iPad Air (average brightness value 59.3).

The reflection in the screen triples, which suggests the presence of an air gap between the surface of the matrix and the outer glass. From the point of view of image perception, this is a minus, but a screen with a separate outer glass (also known as a touch panel) is easier and cheaper to repair. The outer surface of the screen has a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (effective, but still worse than that of the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed much more easily and appear at a slower rate than with regular glass.

With manual brightness control, its maximum value was about 425 cd/m², and the minimum was 7 cd/m². The maximum value is quite high, and, given the good anti-glare properties, the image on the screen should be clearly visible in bright daylight. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable level. Automatic brightness adjustment works based on the light sensor (it is located to the left of the front camera eye). In this case, the brightness can only automatically increase - when the level of external illumination decreases, we did not wait for a corresponding decrease in screen brightness. However, if you put the tablet into sleep mode and turn it on again, the brightness will be set in accordance with the external light level. Minimum and average levels in Auto mode depend on the position of the brightness adjustment slider. So, when the slider is set to maximum, automatic adjustment does not work - the brightness remains maximum regardless of external conditions. If the slider is approximately in the middle, then in bright light (corresponding to lighting on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight), the maximum brightness is 425 cd/m², in illuminated conditions artificial light office - 145 cd/m² (normal), in the dark - 38 cd/m² (acceptable). If the slider is at a minimum, then under the above conditions the values ​​are as follows: 425, 14, 7 cd/m². Thus, this function It works adequately only at some average brightness adjustment positions. At the extremes, the brightness is either always maximum, or decreases too quickly when ambient light decreases. At any brightness level, there is virtually no backlight modulation, so there is no screen flickering.

This tablet uses an IPS matrix. The microphotographs show a typical IPS subpixel structure:

The screen has good viewing angles without inverting shades and without significant color shifts, even with large viewing deviations from perpendicular to the screen. For comparison, here are photos in which the same images are displayed on the Nexus 7 and iPad Air screens, with the brightness of both screens set to approximately 208 cd/m², perpendicular to the screens:

And a white field:

Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen:

It can be seen that the colors did not “float” on both tablets. White field:

The brightness at an angle for both tablets decreased approximately equally (about four times, based on the difference in shutter speed), but the color tone did not change much.

When deviated diagonally, the black field is lightened weakly and acquires a red-violet tint or remains almost neutral gray. A photo from the Nexus 7 shows this for comparison (the brightness of both tablets is the same!):

And along the other diagonal:

It can be seen that the iPad Air has a different color tone of the black field depending on the diagonal, but its brightness in any case is slightly lower than the brightness of the black Nexus 7 at the same angle.

When viewed perpendicularly, the uniformity of the black field is good, since in fact only along the bottom edge there are dim areas with increased brightness of the black field (bright points are dead pixels on the camera matrix):

The Google Nexus 7's black uniformity is worse, but it has better black depth in the center of the screen. Indeed, the contrast (approximately in the center of the screen) of the iPad Air is not a record - about 850:1. The response time for the black-white-black transition is 21 ms (11 ms on + 10 ms off). The transition between halftones of gray 25% and 75% (based on the numerical value of the color) and back takes a total of 34 ms. The gamma curve constructed from 32 points did not reveal a blockage either in the highlights or in the shadows, and the index of the approximating power function turned out to be 2.24, which is not significantly higher than the standard value of 2.2, while the real gamma curve barely deviates from the power-law dependence:

Color gamut is close to sRGB:

Apparently, the matrix filters mix the components with each other to a moderate extent. The spectra confirm this:

As a result, the colors of images - drawings, photographs and films - oriented to the sRGB space (and the vast majority of them) have natural saturation. The balance of shades on the gray scale is good, since the color temperature is close to the standard 6500 K, and the deviation from the blackbody spectrum (delta E) is less than 10, which is considered an acceptable indicator for a consumer device. At the same time, the variation in color temperature and delta E is small, which also has a positive effect on the visual perception of color balance. (Dark areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since there the color balance does not have of great importance, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)

The range of brightness adjustment for the iPad Air screen is quite wide, and the anti-glare filter is very effective, which allows you to comfortably use the tablet both on a clear day outside and in complete darkness. There is an automatic brightness adjustment, and it works more or less adequately, but only up, which will force the user to either set the brightness manually, or force the brightness to decrease, putting the tablet into sleep mode and turning it back on. Apparently, this implementation makes the transition from previous versions of the iPad easier - habits can be maintained. The advantages of the iPad Air screen include an effective oleophobic coating, close to sRGB coverage, good color balance and excellent black stability to deviation of the gaze from perpendicular to the screen surface, as well as good black field uniformity. In general, the screen quality is very high.

In terms of software, the iPad Air has nothing fundamentally new except for the fact that it is sold with iOS 7 pre-installed, while the previous model left the factories with iOS 6. But it can also be updated to iOS 7. We also note that iPad users Air is available for free popular Apple applications - Pages, Numbers, Keynote and GarageBand.

Performance

Like the iPhone 5s, the iPad Air runs on Apple's new A7 SoC. It is curious that Apple did not create an original name for the tablet SoC. In iPad 3 and 4, the SoC name also had an X prefix: Apple A5X and Apple A6X. Now it’s just Apple A7.

The main feature of the new SoC is the 64-bit “desktop-class” architecture (as was said at the presentation of the iPhone 5s).

It is also worth paying attention to the presence of the Apple M7 motion coprocessor. The idea is this: the gyroscope, compass and accelerometer now transmit data to the M7 coprocessor, which collects and processes this data. Among other things, it allows applications to use the information of these modules more efficiently, and also saves SoC energy (which ultimately saves battery life).

We wrote about other characteristics of the Apple A7 in the article about the iPhone 5s. Everything said there is true for the iPad Air.

Well, let's see what results the new iPad Air shows in benchmarks.

Let's start with browser tests: SunSpider 1.0, Octane Benchmark and Kraken Benchmark. In all cases, we used the Safari browser from iOS 7 on Apple devices, and Google Chrome on Android.

It is clearly seen that the iPad Air is the undisputed leader. And, of course, the gap from the fourth generation iPad is especially impressive.

Now let's see how the iPad Air performs in Geekbench 3, a multi-platform benchmark that measures CPU and RAM performance.

As you can see, the results are generally similar to the previous test. The iPad Air outperforms (albeit within the margin of error) even the eight-core Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1. Well, in single-processor mode it is a third faster than its main Android competitor and almost twice as fast as its predecessor, which indicates a significantly more efficient architecture of the Apple A7.

Now let's look at the GPU performance. There are two multi-platform benchmarks available here: GFXBench (formerly GLBenchmark 2.7) and 3DMark. Let's start with the GFXBench results.

As you can see, in Offscreen modes (in which the scene is displayed on the screen in Full HD resolution, regardless of the tablet screen resolution), the new iPad Air is quite a bit ahead of its Android competitors. But in Onscreen mode, which reflects the real “life” performance of games on a particular device, the iPad Air takes a big lead: the super-resolution of Android tablets plays against them.

And again, the iPad Air shows the best results, outperforming both its predecessors and competitors from the Android camp.

As we can see, Apple, despite the tougher competition, still manages to maintain leadership in productivity. Add to this the fact that all the best games are still released on iOS first, and also the fact that they are optimized best for iOS (because there are a limited number of configurations), and we get the obvious conclusion: iPad Air is the best gaming tablet for today. Of course, in favor of the same Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition we can say that it has a higher resolution. But whether you will feel this difference when looking at the screen is a big question. But you can feel a decrease in performance due to this resolution in top games.

Autonomous operation

We tested the tablet for only a short time, and detailed tests battery life failed to do so. But, nevertheless, we were able to test the new product in the most difficult mode, simulating a 3D game. This is the Epic Citadel (Guided Tour). With the screen brightness set to 100 cd/m², the tablet worked for just over six hours. The previous generation iPad showed the same result. Thus, Apple's claims that the battery life of the iPad Air has not deteriorated compared to the previous generation of Apple tablets can be considered true.

No less interesting is the comparison with other current tablet models. As you can see from the table with the results, both the new Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 and tablets based on NVIDIA Tegra 4 and Intel Atom Z2560 outright lost to the iPad Air. However, it is worth considering that the screen resolution of Samsung and Toshiba devices is higher than that of the iPad. But the fact remains: in high-load scenarios, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition will last less than the iPad Air.

Camera

The iPad Air is equipped with two cameras - a front one with a resolution of 1.2 megapixels and a rear one with a resolution of 5 megapixels, similar to the cameras on the iPad 4. This is not very high, especially by modern standards, but on a full-size tablet the camera should still be perceived as more of an addition. Although many (for example, Japanese tourists) do not think so. In any case, a good camera is a plus, but its quality is not determined by megapixels alone. Therefore, we decided to fully test the iPad Air camera using our smartphone camera testing methodology. Anton Soloviev photographed the stand and commented on the photos from the street.

The iPad Air's camera turned out to be quite good. In general, it copes with shooting in good lighting, but perhaps does not show anything outstanding, with the exception of excellent macro. The camera not only manages to choose the focus well on a close object, but also gives the photo an artistic touch by blurring the background well. Macro photography in the camera is really implemented very well, it feels like this is where the emphasis was placed. On the one hand, this is very reasonable, since the camera in a tablet is often useful for shooting documents; on the other hand - to each his own.

In varying lighting conditions the camera performs slightly better than iPhone camera 5s. Unfortunately, the iPad Air does not have a flash, which significantly limits the range of use of its camera. Also, the camera's capabilities are limited by its low resolution - only 5 megapixels, which does not allow it to be classified as a documentary camera.

The camera can be positioned as an artistic camera good abilities for macro photography and document photography.

Video

The rear camera can shoot 1080p video at 29.97 fps.

The camera manages video quite well, with a little rippling, but without significant delays or lags different parts frames from each other.

conclusions

Well, Apple has once again released a great tablet, showing all its competitors (including the most aggressive ones who have already decided that they are the new leaders) who knows how to combine design, functionality and a great user experience better than anyone else. You can list for a long time the disadvantages of the Apple platform and, conversely, the advantages of the Android platform, but if you ignore the “religious wars” and just pick up the iPad Air, it will become clear that this is truly an excellent product. And if among your needs there are no those that cannot be realized without, say, connecting an external drive, the most convenient access to Google services and pen, then you might want to opt for the iPad.

If you just want to surf the Internet, read books and magazines, watch YouTube videos, play games, check email, and are willing to buy or rent movies from the iTunes Store, then the Apple iPad Air is a clear favorite among the candidates for purchase. Of course we are in this case we don't consider budget options, because we're talking about specifically about top-end devices.

But even those users who have any specific preferences that are incompatible with Apple's restrictions also have to say thank you to the company created by Steve Jobs and now headed by Tim Cook: thanks to the iPad Air Android tablets soon, too, one must assume, they will lose weight and lose weight, but for now their sellers will have to lose weight: prices for many top models should fall. Otherwise, they are unlikely to be able to compete with the iPad Air.

But who seems to us to be the most formidable competitor to the iPad Air is the new iPad mini, which, at a price of $100 lower, has all the same capabilities and qualities (including a screen resolution of 2048 × 1536 and the Apple A7 SoC), but at the same time it is more compact , which can be regarded as a plus by many users (although this is a controversial issue: after all, the pleasure of reading, watching videos and surfing the web on a 9.7″ screen is much higher than on a 7.9″ screen). However, the iPad mini and its comparison with the iPad Air is a topic for a new article, which will be published immediately after the updated iPad mini goes on sale worldwide. Stay tuned!

At the end of the article, we bring to your attention our video review of the Apple iPad Air tablet:

The iPad Pro 9.7 is quite easy to confuse with the iPad Air 2. It has the same dimensions and similar design elements. And yet, there is a big difference between the iPad Pro 9.7 and the iPad Air. And you can find some things without even turning on the screen, but if you turn it on...

First look at Apple iPad Pro 9.7 and differences from iPad Air 2

First look at the appearance

Yes, the iPad Pro 9.7 is almost like the iPad Air. Almost, but not quite. The differences are visible not on the front side, but on the left side and on the back surface.

On the left side you can see three prominent circles - this is a connector for a docking station with a keyboard. Previously, keyboard cases for iPad were produced by third-party manufacturers (for example, Logitech), but now Apple itself has decided to take care of this.

Dock connector for iPad Pro 9.7

And, I must say, their keyboard turned out amazing. We have never seen such a thin keyboard for the iPad, despite the fact that the buttons are very convenient to work with, they feel like regular mechanical buttons.

On the left - iPad Pro 9.7 in a branded case and with a keyboard cover, on the right - iPad Air 2 in a keyboard case from Logitech

However, there is a fly in the ointment here too. The keyboard is only in English for now. There is not yet only a Russian-speaking one, but even a Spanish-speaking or German-speaking one, for example.

Keyboard for iPad Pro 9.7

Other changes affected the back side. The 3G/LTE antenna is designed differently - instead of a black plastic covering, there is a metal frame highlighted, the same as on the rest of the cover. It’s too early to say how this affected the quality of reception - we’ll talk about it after testing, in the review.

Top - iPad Air 2, bottom - iPad Pro 9.7

Another design change is the iSight camera. For the first time, the iPad has the same camera module as the iPhone, and it is the top camera module - like the iPhone 6s or iPhone SE (there is no optical stabilization, so we don’t say “like the iPhone 6s Plus”).

Resolution - 12 megapixels, good quality- everything is in place. Here, however, there are also some drawbacks - the camera module protrudes above the body, as in the iPhone 6/6s (including Plus).

Top-right - iPad Air 2, bottom-left - iPad Pro 9.7

iPad Pro 9.7 12MP camera

That is, the “naked” iPad Pro 9.7 lying on the table does not lie completely flat. True, it does not “jump” at the same time, even if you press on different parts of the surface - it is not entirely clear how Apple achieved this, but it is a fact. However, you can completely correct the unevenness, as before, with a cover.

Speaking of covers. Previously, Cover “covers” and full-fledged Case covers were produced separately. The cases covered the iPad on all sides, also acting as a stand.

Now Apple has decided to separate cases and covers into two complementary accessories. The back part of the case remains - it protects the iPad from the sides and back. From the lid - the front part and the stand. These accessories can be used both together and separately - for this purpose, the case has a special cutout for attaching the lid.

However, many will probably see this as evil rather than good. First of all, because the cutout in the case is not suitable for old covers - they had a larger attachment area to the iPad. In addition, if previously you could get by with one case, now you will have to buy an additional cover if you want to have a stand and screen protection.

iPad Pro 9.7 with case and keyboard cover

Well, the main thing is that the cover is now only magnetic. When using a full-fledged case, previously the cover was rigidly tied to it, and the magnet was somehow less trusted. Although, using the example of the keyboard cover, we could not help but notice that the magnetic fastening in the iPad Pro 9.7 is much stronger than in the iPad Air 2.

However, all these disadvantages apply only to official Apple accessories; third-party manufacturers can (and will) still produce both regular covers and full-fledged cases. And for Apple accessories, this division is not a minus, but a plus - after all, the case can be easily combined with a keyboard cover or with a regular cover - without having to change the case or buy a second one.

Bottom - iPad Air 2, top - iPad Pro 9.7

The last external difference between the iPad Pro 9.7 and the iPad Air that can be noted is the speakers. Like the “large” iPad Pro, the iPad Pro 9.7 has four speakers located on the bottom and top ends.

First look at performance

Both iPad Pros are the most powerful iPads to date. This is both understandable and logical. But let's see what the difference is between the iPad Pro 9.7 and the iPad Air 2 in parrots.

Source: ZOOM.CNews

Now let's take a look at the characteristics.

Source: ZOOM.CNews

As you can see, the TX of the 12-inch iPad Pro is still higher. However, there is a logic to this.

First of all - half the amount of RAM. What RAM somehow affects the execution speed of applications - a myth. This is true for desktop computers where the page file on the hard drive is used to expand memory. Everything is logical there - the smaller the RAM, the more the page file is used, and the access time to the hard disk is noticeably longer than the access time to RAM, which generally tends to zero.

On mobile devices, swap files are not used, so the amount of RAM only affects multitasking capabilities, and in general the ability to run heavy applications. RAM can only indirectly affect the speed of operation - if, due to its lack of memory, the operating system had to close some application, and when you return to it, it starts again - this, of course, will be longer than if the application simply becomes active, being already in RAM.

However, the reduced amount of RAM in the iPad Pro 9.7 may be due to the reduced screen resolution: 2048x1536 pixels versus 2732x2048 pixels. In total, the total number of pixels on the iPad Pro 9.7 screen is 1.8 times less than that of the 12-inch iPad Pro. Those. almost twice. We think there is no need to explain that, due to the lack of a video chip of its own memory, the general RAM of the device is used as a video buffer (besides this, of course, it is used for many other things).

As for the processor, both iPad Pros use the same processor, but the iPad Pro 9.7 has a slightly lower core frequency: from 2260 MHz to 2170 MHz. By the way, we saw something similar in the iPad mini. This is done, among other things, to ensure the same autonomy with a smaller physical battery size. However, given the difference in screen resolution mentioned above, the overall performance of the iPad Pro 9.7 should be even better than the 12-inch iPad Pro. We will definitely check this during testing.

Apple Pencil

What the iPad Pro 9.7 has in common with the 12-inch iPad Pro, and distinguishes it from the iPad Air, is support for Apple Pencil. This electronic pen has unique capabilities, surpassing similar priced devices from Wacom. For example, Wacom pens do not have tilt recognition - only the Apple Pencil has this. However, Wacom pens can be used with any iPad, while Apple Pencil can only be used with the iPad Pro (we tested).

iPad Pro 9.7 and Apple Pencil, on the screen - the standard Notes application

The pen is an ideal tool for creating graphic images and handwritten notes, but, unfortunately, no one in our editorial office has the gift of an artist. But we will definitely try to find some opportunity to test the Apple Pencil as thoroughly as possible.

General impressions

It is inappropriate to write summaries during the “first look,” but at first glance, the iPad Pro 9.7 will displace the iPad Air from the market. So far, we don't see any reason to keep both devices, other than the price difference. However, there is a feeling that Apple is still testing various device formats (we mean screen diagonal), having moved away from the “3.5-4 inch smartphone, 9.7 inch tablet” paradigm a few years ago.

Today, buyers have a choice - and three screen diagonal options for current iPhone models, and three screen diagonals for tablets (let’s not forget about the iPad mini), and two options for tablet functionality. Surely Apple is looking at what will be most in demand by users and in the near future the variability will be reduced.

In any case, for us, despite the seemingly small difference between the iPad Pro 9.7 and the iPad Air, after even a short use of the iPad Pro 9.7 there is no desire to return to the younger model.

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Designed to replace the iPad Air 2 in the existing line of tablets. The company didn’t think too long about the name and simply called the new product “iPad.” What are the differences between the new iPad and iPad Air 2?

Display

Speaking about the quality of the screen of the new product, it is worth highlighting several points. Firstly, the 2017 iPad did not have a fully laminated display with a special anti-glare coating, which was one of the features of the iPad Air 2, but, Apple claims, the screen has become significantly brighter compared to its predecessor. However, the company does not go into detail about the technical specifications. Apparently, the screen brightness of the iPad 2017 will be similar to the 9.7-inch iPad Pro.

The company did not explain the reason for abandoning the laminated screen with anti-glare coating in the iPad 2017, but, apparently, this decision is related to the desire to reduce the cost of the device.

Specifications

In terms of performance, the new iPad is ahead of the iPad Air 2, which debuted in 2014. The new product is equipped with a dual-core Apple A9 processor with a clock frequency of 1.85 GHz (the iPhone SE, iPhone 6S and 6S Plus are equipped with a similar chip) and an M9 coprocessor.

In turn, the iPad Air 2 received a triple-core Apple A8X chip with a clock frequency of 1.5 GHz, an M8 coprocessor, and 2 GB of RAM. The 2017 iPad has a similar amount of RAM.

Battery and runtime

Another difference between the new iPad model and iPad Air 2 lies in the size of the battery, which has become larger in the 2017 iPad. However, despite the increased battery size, the battery life of the device is stated by the manufacturer at 10 hours, the same as the iPad Air 2.

The iPad 2017 battery capacity is 32.4 Wh, while the iPad Air 2 has a battery capacity of 27.62 Wh. Apple notes that the improvements are unlikely to be noticeable, since a brighter screen and a powerful processor require more resources, and increasing the battery size will have little impact on the battery life of the device.

Design

Unlike the iPad Air 2 (6.1 mm \ 437 g), the new tablet has become thicker and heavier (7.5 mm \ 469 g). The thickness of the new product has increased by 20%, and although this is not a serious drawback in general, the cases and accessories available for the iPad Air 2 will not fit the iPad 2017.

Price

The price of the new 9.7-inch iPad is one of its main advantages. The cost of the tablet is 24,990 rubles for the version (Wi-Fi only) equipped with 32 GB of internal memory and 34,990 rubles (Wi-Fi + Cellular). Versions with a 128 GB drive will cost users more - 31,990 rubles (Wi-Fi only) and 41,990 rubles (Wi-Fi + Cellular).

1. The display is a rectangle with rounded corners. The diagonal of this rectangle, excluding roundings, is 12.9 inches (for iPad Pro 12.9 inches) and 11 inches (for iPad Pro 11 inches).
2. The amount of available space is less than stated and depends on various factors. The standard configuration (including iOS 12 and pre-installed apps) takes approximately 10 to 12 GB depending on the device model and settings. Pre-installed applications take up about 4 GB; they can be deleted and downloaded again. The amount of available space may vary depending on the device and software version.
3. Size and weight vary depending on device configuration and manufacturing process.
4. Battery life varies depending on device settings and usage. More details on the page.
5. To use FaceTime, all users must have a FaceTime-enabled device and a Wi-Fi connection. Availability of FaceTime over cellular networks varies by carrier; Data charges may apply.
6. Data plan required. Gigabit Class LTE, 4G LTE Advanced, 4G LTE and Wi-Fi calling are not available in all regions or with all carriers. Speed ​​calculated based on theoretical bandwidth and depends on local conditions. For more information about LTE support, contact your carrier or visit.
7. Cellular plan must be purchased separately. The model you purchase is configured to work with a specific cellular network technology. For information about your device support and availability tariff plan cellular service, please contact your service provider.
8. Not all carriers support Apple SIM and eSIM cards. Check with your carrier for details. Not available in mainland China. eSIM is supported on the 11-inch iPad Pro, 12.9-inch iPad Pro (3rd generation), iPad Air (3rd generation), iPad (7th generation), and iPad mini (5th generation). Apple SIM technology is supported on iPad Pro 9.7-inch, iPad Pro 10.5-inch, iPad (5th and 6th generation), iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3, and iPad mini 4.

The new 9.7-inch iPad also discontinued the iPad Air 2. The new product became Apple's cheapest tablet, receiving a price tag of $329.

What makes the new iPad different from the iPad Air 2? See below.

Display.

• Both models have a 9.7-inch Retina display
  • However, the new iPad's screen is brighter than the iPad Air 2
  • Both models do not support Apple Pencil
  • The display of the new iPad is not laminated

Dimensions

• The new iPad is thicker and heavier than its predecessor
  • The new iPhone's 7.5mm thick body is thicker than the 6.1mm iPad Air 2
• The weight of the new iPad is 469 grams and 478 grams for versions with Wi-Fi and mobile network, respectively.
  • The iPad Air 2 was slightly lighter: the Wi-Fi version weighed 444 g, and the mobile network version weighed 478 g

Chipset and disk space

• While the iPad Air 2 had a triple-core A8X chip, the new iPad has a dual-core A9
  • Despite fewer cores, the new processor is faster than the A8X
  • This is the same chipset as in the iPhone 6s
  • This also means that the new iPad is equipped with the Apple M9 coprocessor
• iPad Air 2 was available in three options: with 16, 64 and 128 gigabytes of memory
  • The new iPad is available in only two configurations: 32 and 128 GB

Working hours

• Although Apple claims that both tablets last 10 hours on a charge, new model has a large battery capacity
  • iPad Air 2 had a battery with 27.62 kWh compared to the new model's 32.4
• This should mean better battery life compared to the Air 2

Price

• Last year, Apple cut the price of the iPad Air 2 to $399
  • New iPad starts at $329

More storage, battery life and performance for less? The new 9.7-inch iPad is superior to the old one in almost every way. The increased weight and size may spoil this impression a little, but they are not particularly important.

What do you think of the new 9.7-inch iPad? Are you going to purchase it?