CNET reviews Apple’s 64-bit iPad Air: The best full-size tablet, Editors’ Choice

13 years ago

“With this, the fifth generation of the iPad line, Apple has delivered a proper exterior redesign, crafting a substantially thinner and lighter tablet that finally eliminates the chunky bezels handed down since the first generation — at least on the left and right,” Tim Stevens writes for CNET. “But, despite this significant exterior reduction, the iPad Air maintains the battery life of its predecessor and offers significantly better performance.”

“Strong competition from within Apple’s own ranks with the upcoming iPad Mini with Retina Display means the iPad Air has to be better than ever. Thankfully, it is,” Stevens writes. “You could think of the iPad Air as a 20 percent scaled-up version of the Mini, as the two tablets feature near-identical styling details, the bigger one differing only by having more speaker holes on the bottom (80 vs. 56 on the Mini). Impressively, though, the iPad Air isn’t 20 percent thicker than the Mini. In fact, at 7.5mm, it’s only 0.3mm deeper — a massive 1.9mm thinner than the previous full-size iPad. Despite that, the tablet feels just as sturdy and rigid as before, not flexing a bit even under rather aggressive attempts at twisting.”

“It’s light, too, weighing just 1 pound in Wi-Fi-only guise. That’s 0.4 pound lighter than the previous generation and 0.3 pound heavier than the Mini. In other words, the iPad Air’s weight is actually closer to the Mini than to its fourth-gen predecessor. Indeed, pick up an Air and you’ll be reminded of the first time you held a Mini. It’s a ‘wow’ moment,” Stevens writes. “If you found yourself tuning out the last few generations of iPad thanks to their extreme familiarity, it’s time to get yourself dialed back in. The iPad Air is worth getting excited about… The iPad Air is thinner than any tablet this size deserves to be, and lighter, too. The old iPad always felt surprisingly hefty. This one, compellingly lithe… If you’re looking for a full-size tablet and don’t mind paying a premium to get the best, this is it.”

Read more in the full review here.