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After a long period of time in between, Apple's iPad Air 2 has finally received its successor! Technically, the Air iPad (2019) comes close to 4.5 years after the iPad Air 2, which represents an incredible amount of time in the world of technology. Until the arrival of the iPad Pro, the Air was widely regarded as the high-end tablet in the Apple stable, but if the price dictates the structure, the Air iPad (2019) is now ranked in the mid-range offering, between the iPad (2018) to $ 350 and the 11-inch version of the iPad Pro (2018) priced at $ 800. The price of $ 500 from the iPad Air (2019) seems to suit all consumer tablets, but what place does it occupy in the top category?
In the box:
- iPad Air (2019)
- USB Lightning Cable
- USB power adapter
- Quick start, safety guide and stickers
Design
Borrowing the same aesthetics and the same design language as its successor in the iPad Air 2 released in 2014, the new iPad Air (2019) does not derogate from tradition. It can easily be confused with the iPad Air 2 unless you inspect it closely because the Air iPad (2019) is a little longer and wider, but it is incredibly well built, with a sleek aluminum body, rounded edges with a bevelled edge. Yes, it's a recycled design that is not terribly new or different, but it's a signature that stays true to Apple's philosophy of being simple and clean.
Apple has chosen to keep the Touch ID fingerprint sensor. It would have been great to put Face ID here, but Touch ID is also very efficient and easy to use. The 3.5mm headphone jack is still intact here, which is surely a sight for sore eyes since the new iPad Pro do not have them.
Looking elsewhere in the tablet, all the same ports and front buttons are located at their typical locations. On the lower edge, we have its lighting port and two speaker grids that border it. On the right we have dedicated buttons for increasing and decreasing the volume, while the top houses the power button, the headphone jack and the microphone.
But it's interesting to note that the only new additions are the three-pin connectors on the left edge, which makes it possible to support the smart keyboard for those who simply prefer a physical response when typing. In addition, it should also be noted that the iPad Air (2019) also supports the Apple pencil, which still entails an additional cost of $ 100. There is a problem though! This is the first-generation Apple pencil, not the most recent.
In fact, it's 4.5 years between the two iPad Air models. So you think this new model deserves a new facelift. Apple does not think of needing it. And that's a very good reason for that because all you have to do is watch the competition. No one else sells more tablets than Apple. This "old" model works so because it showed us all that it has aged well. It's thin, light and solidly built. What more can we ask for in a design like this?
Display
Even though the fact that the iPad Air (2019) is placed next to the iPad Air 2 does not seem very different, there are differences between the two screens. For starters, the new iPad Air (2019) features a larger, 1668 x 2224, 10.5-inch Retina display, which is also fully laminated, like its predecessor, for better visibility outdoors. In addition, it uses Apple True Tone display technology to adapt colors to surrounding environmental conditions while supporting the wider DCI-P3 color gamut.
All this looks classy and seductive for this new iPad Air, but we will not be content to say that it is superior to the iPad Air 2 screen. Yes, it is brighter by almost 100 nits on the iPad Air 2 with a peak brightness of 525 nits, but it still delivers the same crisp, accurate colors, in addition to the exact same color tones. When True Tone is enabled, the Retina display on the iPad Air (2019) appears richer, tending to a slightly more saturated tone, but with the function off, it provides full accuracy in the sRGB color gamut .
View measurements and quality
Like design, the Retina display is not much new or radically different. In the end, it allows us to manipulate the tablet to read, watch videos and work.
Interface and functionality
We will cut hunting here. If you stick with the iPad Air 2 and you have continuously updated its software to the latest version of iOS, version 12.2, you will not notice anything different with the iPad Air (2019). In fact, it's the same experience you'll find with other iPads! Do not be too shocked, because the continuity of the experience has always been a hallmark of Apple tablets.
Here you will find a gestural interface that will not surprise any iPad user. Naturally, they are practical and effective in making IOS 12.2 a versatile tablet platform. The same sweeps and multi-finger gestures are at play here, allowing us to access the control center by sliding from the top right corner of the UI, switching from one application to the other. 39; other using four finger swipes, and even returning to the home screen at any time with a five-finger pinch gesture. These gestures are not new, since we have seen them before.
While experienced iPad users will feel at home from the start, anyone new to the iPad can feel a little learning by learning about the ins and outs of the experience of the iPad. navigation. After a while, however, these gestures become second nature. And the beauty of IOS lies in the fact that it promotes simplicity in the presentation of the interface, as well as in all the features of the experience. We are big fans of being able to have two apps running simultaneously side by side. On the technical side, however, in a limited way, because we are able to run one of four native applications (iMessage, Safari Browser, iTunes, Mail and Files), which can then be combined with another application. There are different combinations available here, but not all will work. Despite this, it is good to know that a level of productivity is now available with experience, instead of having to constantly change applications.
In terms of tablet experience, Apple has evolved its iOS experience over the years over the different iterations, it is obviously more complete. Whether you're looking to do some work or just waste time enjoying a movie or a game, iOS 12.2 here on the Air iPad (2019) offers everything we need for a tablet.
Processor, memory and performance
Apple iPads have always been known for their responsiveness. So do not expect that to change anytime soon. Powered by Apple's latest A12 Bionic chipset combined with 3GB of RAM, the new iPad Air is what you expect from its performance: exceptional responsiveness! In all honesty, we can not complain about his performance because his predecessor came out of the water with synthetic benchmarks. Again, we should expect it to sponge the ground with its performance given the chipset significantly updated it contains!
On the surface, your typical operations such as navigating the interface and running applications seem very responsive. But the old iPad Air 2 always gives results in butter with the same tasks. Even if it is difficult to discern the improvements brought by the new iPad Air, the area in which you will see the most improvements will be games and other processor intensive functions. At the time we were using the new iPad Air, it never showed a sign of stuttering or slowing performance.
Regarding storage options, you can only choose two options: 64 GB or 256 GB. The price of the 64 GB version is $ 499, that of 256 GB to 649 dollars. Considering that there is no storage extension with Apple's iPads, the extra $ 150 you'll pay for the 256GB seems to be the smart choice.
Camera
People still use tablets to take pictures and videos, so even though we would usually be away from this practice, we will spend some time in front of the camera. If we look at the specs of the rear camera, that's roughly what was offered by the iPad Air 2. We have here a backlit 8MP sensor with an aperture of f / 2.4. There is nothing to get drunk in the world of cameras, but again, we are dealing with a tablet. It is interesting to note that the front camera is being relooked – with an improved 7 MP camera, out of the pitiful 1.2 MP camera of the iPad Air 2.
Beyond the hardware, nothing has changed either with the interface of the camera. For the most part, it's quite simple because we have access to the on-screen shutter buttons, different shooting modes, and some other options, such as the timer and the HDR. What continues to be a frustration is the lack of ability to quickly access certain parameters! We must always navigate outside the interface and in the general settings of the iPad to change items such as the resolution of the video recording.
Image quality
Okay, we will admit that nice photos are needed when the lighting conditions are ideal. In a sunny exterior, the iPad Air's 8-megapixel rear camera offers the best results with natural details and precise colors. It's good, but not excellent. When the lighting is very contrasting, it is useful to activate the auto-HDR, because it attenuates the scene so that the highlights are not too accentuated, which gives a composition better exposed. However, we notice that HDR photos tend to be softer.
Unsurprisingly, however, his performance in low light is rather bad. When the scene is extremely dark, the entire shot appears dark and heavily underexposed. The details are lost because of this, but there is almost nothing to find, even when there is light around. Although we like to minimize the noise, the sacrifice is visible in the muddy details and the under-exposed results. It's a total wash in our opinion.
Sample Images – Apple iPad Air (2019)
Fortunately, the 7MP front selfie camera improves its performance over its predecessor. There are many details that we can deduce from taking selfies with a lot of light, but the post-treatment tends to be more liberal with saturation.
Aside from the unpleasant looks you might have when taking snapshots with the iPad Air, we would still refrain from using it to capture photos. If this is the absolute last resort when nothing else is at hand, use it well, especially when lighting conditions are good. Apart from that, you can virtually forget it.
Video
You will not find anything better with the video recording performance of the iPad Air, especially when it reaches a resolution of 1080p. For a tablet with terrific specifications, we were certainly expecting more in this area with 4K video recording. Instead, it's a forgotten performance that will make you want to not use it.
Multimedia
In addition to being a workaholic, the iPad Air is also very good for media consumption. Watching videos on the Retina screen is a feast for the eyes, offering sharp details and striking colors that keep us affixed to them. On the audio side, the dual speakers of the iPad Air are suitable for most things, but do not expect the same powerful sounds as those produced by the four speakers of the Apple iPad Pro range. Nevertheless, both speakers are still more toned than most smartphone or tablet speakers. And we still gladly accept the 3.5mm headphone jack for its convenience of being inserted into our favorite pair of wired headphones without the frustration of being forced to carry and use dongles / adapters.
Battery life
By combining the optimizations that come with iOS 12.2, in addition to those provided with the new A12 Bionic chipset, the new iPad Air should naturally deliver better results in the battery life department. From day to day we can spend the day with about 50% of the remaining capacity with normal use. However, more experienced users will also be pleased to know that their battery is still able to get solid use for a day. Overall, we put it above average.
The use of the supplied AC adapter to charge the iPad Air still requires a lot of time to recover it completely. At a time when the fast charge technologies of some high-end phones can restore their maximum capacity in about 100 minutes, the 235 minutes needed for the new iPad Air are simply terribly long compared to those of his contemporaries in the tablet sector . Take the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4, which only requires 192 minutes.
Conclusion
If Apple was still selling the aging iPad Air 2 at a significantly reduced price, we would probably recommend it to the latter. However, this is not the case. In fact, the new iPad Air (2019) occupies this place left long ago by the iPad Air 2 at the $ 500 price range. After years of trying to convince consumers to switch to the more expensive version of the iPad Pro, the arrival of the new iPad Air is a sign of relief.
tablet, a superior display and the faster A12 Bionic chipset to handle all your daily tasks.
In comparison with the 11-inch iPad Pro priced at 800 USD, the gains can be huge or not, depending on what you're going to do. If it's only daily tasks, such as consulting your social networking accounts, sending emails and watching videos occasionally, you will not enjoy the iPad Pro. On the other hand, if you're passionate about editing photos accurately, producing high-quality video production, then yes, it's the right choice for you.
In the end, the new iPad Air is exactly where it needs to be – it's the tablet for the general public! With a price of $ 500, it's the best tablet in its class offering the mobility we dream of, combined with features that make it functional as such used by a wide range of users. Even though we must also include the new iPad mini, which starts at $ 400, the iPad Air remains as a better buy for the price difference.
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