New Delhi, December 13 – In a world where we have devices like the iPad Mini and Nexus 7, the large tablets like the normal size iPad, which has a screen size of 9.7 inches, are not exactly portable.
These are big tablets that can’t be easily carried around, and operated with single hand. But Apple is trying to make them as portable as possible. The company, in its mind-numbing quest for slimness, has been reducing the size of the iPad every year. In fact, last year the large iPad was rechristened.
Apple started calling it the iPad Air. Normally, Apple does not change the design of a product after it has revamped the design in a preceding year. However, with the new iPad Air 2, Apple again relentlessly purses its quest for extra thin devices. We had a chance to use the device for a while. Read on for our first impressions.
Like every new product, the iPad Air 2 features the usual array of upgrades. This includes the new A8X 64-bit processor, which is actually superior to the iPhone 6 in graphical performance, 2GB RAM, and a new 8-megapixel rear camera.
The screen retains the 2048×1536 pixels resolution, but Apple has eliminated the so called “air gap”, so the screen looks slightly nicer to the naked eye. But all these are rather standard upgrades.
A person who is already using an iPad Air may not notice the bump in internal components because in terms of real world performance, the previous generation model is fast enough.
Even though iOS 8 has caused some performance issues, the iPad Air remains adequate for most tasks that people use a tablet for. The bigger deal is the new slimmer design of the iPad Air 2. If you look at its images then probably you will not notice a big difference.
Once in the hand, the iPad Air 2 feels vastly more portable than the iPad Air. That’s quiet a feat. At 6.1mm, the iPad Air 2 has reached a point where people can choose it over say an iPad Mini with the retina display and not compromise on portability.
Aesthetically, the iPad Air 2 has a design that is closer to the iPhone 6. Though Apple retains the diamond-cut chamfers, which it has eliminated from the iPhone. The presence of the Touch ID feature is a nice novelty, but on a tablet it is less handy. That said, it is a nice addition.
The biggest disappointment is that iOS 8 still does not have superior multitasking features that are found on many Android and Windows tablets. For instance, it still does not have a split screen multitasking system in place something that an user can get on a smaller device like the Samsung Galaxy Note 4.
This means, still one cannot consider an iPad as a serious productivity tool. That said, if you are writer or a journalist, who needs basic word processing and image editing capabilities, the iPad Air 2 works well.
Actually, in a way it is better than a proper laptop when paired up with a Bluetooth keyboard, as it offers equal or better battery life (At least that’s what Apple claims. For now we have not tested the battery), is more portable and is simpler to use.
We are yet to test the camera, the improved graphics, and the battery life of the product, but the new iPad is shaping up to be another top class offering from Apple. Our biggest quibble for now is the basic model has 16GB memory, which just does not cut it currently for a Rs.35,900 product.
-INDIA TODAY
