Apple recently introduced and started selling the iPad Air, its fifth generation tablet model. How does number 5 stack up with its competition and previous iPad models? Read on as I review the 9.7-inch tablet device and discuss some of the reasons why I chose the iPad Air over the iPad mini with Retina display

Hardware Specs

The iPad Air is the best Apple tablet to date with some impressive upgrades under the hood. The 9.7-inch slate sports the faster 64-bit A7 chip and the new M7 motion coprocessor. It also supports most global LTE bands and boosts WiFi connectivity with dual-band (2.4GHz and 5GHz) 802.11n Wi-Fi and MIMO. The full hardware specs as published by Apple are listed below at the end of this post.

Performance is expectedly smooth and swift, even when running challenging games like Infinity Blade III. Animations were snappy as was opening and closing apps. I also noticed that the iPad Air never heated up, unlike the iPad 4, which would get warm after a few minutes of playing Asphalt 8. I was very pleased with the speed of the iPad Air and believe it will keep up with processing power demand in the years to come.

Design

The iPad Air now looks and feels a lot like an iPad mini. It’s more boxy, than round and has a very thin profile. The most noticeable difference visually is the narrow design of the tablet. The iPad Air is 9.4-inches long and 6.6-inches wide, while its predecessor, the fourth generation iPad,  is 9.50-inches tall and 7.31 inches wide. The second major change is evident when you pick up the device — you’ll immediately become aware of how light the device feels in your hand. The lightness is even more striking when you compare it to earlier iPad models, which now feel like bricks by comparison. By thinning out the device and cutting back on the side bezels, the Air is 28% lighter, 20% thinner and has 24% less volume than the iPad 4.

Beyond the smaller size, the design of the iPad Air is very familiar. You have a standard home button on the front bottom and your FaceTime camera on the front at the top. The front top also holds an ambient light sensor. The sides contain the orientation switch, two volume buttons and the SIM card slot, if the model has a cellular radio. At the bottom of the casing is the lightning port and dual speakers. At the top of the casing is a microphone, a headphone jack and a power button. The back is uniform brushed aluminum with only a camera module, microphone and shiny Apple logo breaking things up. Material-wise, the iPad Air has a brushed metal backing and full glass front that matches the iPhone 5s and iPad mini.

The iPad Air versus the iPad mini 

It’s tough for me to talk about the iPad Air without considering the Retina iPad mini. Apple introduced both devices at the same time and are selling them within weeks of each other. When thinking about this review and what I wanted to say about the iPad Air, I kept coming back to the key reasons why I chose the iPad Air over the Retina iPad mini. Here are five reasons why the iPad Air is a better device for my current tablet workflow.

1. The larger screen is easier for content creation:

People will defend the mini with proclamation they can do all their work on the smaller screen with ease. More power to them if they can, but I cannot use the mini as a significant content creation tool. I prefer the large screen of the iPad Air for editing images or splicing videos. It’s also great for drawing  or mocking up images with a stylus. Pairing it with a keyboard is perfect for writing as the iPad Air keyboards tend to be larger and easier to type on.

2. The size is just right for my backpack

The iPad Air has shrunk just enough that I can toss it in my backpack and not notice that it is in there. Unlike the iPad fourth generation which felt like I was carrying around a paperweight, the iPad Air really is light and airy. It’s still a little big to mount on the dashboard of my car for navigation as it blocks the radio and heater controls, but that is OK as I have my iPhone when driving. Once I am out of the car, the Air serves me well whether I am at a local Starbucks catching up on the news or checking a map while hiking. For the first time, I feel like I can pull out the full-size iPad and use it discreetly without everyone noticing this big, honking device in my hand.

3. The extra horsepower is helpful

The iPad Air has an A7 chipset that clocks in at 1.4GHz, which is slightly better than the 1.3GHz of the Retina iPad mini. Benchmarks give the iPad Air a slight performance edge over the Retina iPad mini as a result. The performance difference between the two is slightly noticeable and is enough to convince me to go with the full-size tablet over the iPad mini. To be clear, this slight speed boost isn’t my determining factor. I looked at all the other factors, and the faster processor is another checkmark in the plus column.

4. Media and games bigger, better on the larger screen

This might be personal preference, but I enjoy watching movies more on the iPad Air than the iPad mini. The larger screen is more immersive, and the smaller size of the iPad Air makes it easier to hold. I can hold the Air and don’t feel the need to find a pillow for a prop when I am watching a longer TV show or movie. The same applies to games, especially those that have on-screen controls. The iPad Air is larger giving you more room to tap on a control without accidentally tapping another part of the game.

5. It’s lighter and easier to hold

The lighter weight and smaller size of the Air closes the gap between the iPad Air and the iPad mini. Last year, the differences between the iPad 4 and the original mini were significant. This year, though, the shrunk-down iPad Air is a much more compelling option for a portable device that can travel with you.

Conclusion

The iPad Air is the best tablet Apple has made to date. It’s as close to being a desktop replacement for most users as we have ever seen in a tablet format. I can use the device to do those routine things I do everyday like read the news, listen to music, check my email, read twitter and so on. If I didn’t have to multitask like I do when I am writing (writing a post while video renders in the background, for example), I would ditch my MacBook Air and use the iPad Air full-time. It’s that good.  It’s powerful, portable and has an app platform that can’t be rivaled. If you want the best full-sized tablet on the market, then pass on those Android tablets, pay a little extra and go with the iPad Air.

Pricing for the iPad Air starts at $499 for 16GB WiFi model and $629 for the 16GB WiFi+Cellular model. All models are available online and in Apple Retail stores. You can also find the iPad Air at third-party retailers like Best Buy, Target, Walmart and more.

Tech Specs: