iPad Air (2019): the latest tablet from Apple combines productivity and affordability.

In recent years, Apple's iPad line has left a huge gap. On the low end, the basic model for iPad has retained the traditional form factor, with a bump of specs here and there, and more recently, Apple Pencil support. The iPad Pro range, however, took advantage of the fastest processors, modest display enhancements and Apple's Smart Connector technology for keyboards and comfortably sitting in the high end.

Also: Apple unveils the new iPad Air and iPad Mini 10.5 inches

The price difference was striking too. The iPad starts at $ 329. The new iPad Pro models start at $ 799. There was no device at a price between the two.

Then, last month, Apple released a little discreetly a new iPad Mini and a revamped iPad Air. This is the first iPad Air since the release of the iPad Air 2 in 2014, and then its deletion in 2017. The third generation iPad mixes some of the high-end features of the iPad. iPad Pro while retaining some of the basic features of the iPad, at $ 499. price point.

Matthew Miller of ZDNet recently reviewed the iPad Mini and found it exceptional. And since about two weeks, I use the new iPad Air.

Instead of complicating Apple's range of tablets, the new iPad Air brings more clarity.

Design

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The new iPad Air comes with Apple's A12 Bionic processor, Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 802.11ac and a storage capacity of 64 or 256 GB. The latter produces a price of $ 150 compared to the starting price $ 499. If you want to add LTE connectivity to the iPad Air, the price increases by $ 129 for each storage model.

Color options include silver, space gray and gold. Instead of face recognition, the iPad Air uses the proven Apple home button with Touch ID. An 8 megapixel camera sits at the back, with a 7-megapixel camera on the front for selfies and FaceTime calls.

Also: A cheaper iPad would it encourage you to upgrade?

Apple Pencil support is now a standard feature of the entire iPad lineup, including the new iPad Mini. Only the iPad Pro supports the latest Pencil Pencil with wireless charging. With Air, you always have to insert one end of the Apple pen into the Lightning port for initial coupling and pencil loading. There is a headphone jack on the top of the case.

The Apple Smart Connector is located on the side of the iPad Air, offering connectivity and smart keyboard power. a new accessory for the iPad Air line. Previously, the smart connector and associated devices were reserved for the iPad Pro range. A lightning port at the bottom is used for charging. Without the keyboard, the new Air weighs a pound.

The iPad Air looks a lot like the old models of Air iPad. Only, instead of a 9.7-inch screen, the new iPad Air has a 10.5-inch 2224×1668 display. This is the same panel that was used by Apple in previous generations of the iPad Pro. It's just enough extra screen to alleviate the cramped feeling of using multiple applications simultaneously.

Performance

When using the iPad Air, unlike the iPad Pro that I use daily in recent months, it quickly became apparent that two features I was sorely lacking. The first is the face identification. Sit down at my desk, double tap on the space bar and watch the iPad Pro unlock itself and go back to the last application in which I had become a task to which I I did not even think about it. The unlocking of the iPad Pro with face recognition is done just as the iPad wakes up and requires no thought on my part.

With the Air iPad, I have to enter my PIN or place a finger on the Touch ID Home button. A double press on the space bar only wakes up the iPad Air, and I stay to watch it, to wait until it is unlocked.

The other feature that I miss is the sound quality of the speakers. The iPad Pro has four speakers: two at the top and two others at the bottom when it is held vertically. However, the iPad Air only has two speakers, which are both on the same side as the home button.

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Apart from these two areas, the iPad Air is just as good as the iPad Pro in my work routine. A routine that includes text documents, sorting my inbox, editing photos, and occasional video editing. At no time while I was using the iPad Air instead of the iPad Pro, I did not feel like it was underperforming or lacking in performance.

The life of the battery has been more than enough for a normal day of work, with power to spare. Apple estimates 10 hours of use, and my experience has reflected this expectation.

Writing or drawing with the Apple pencil is smooth and the display of the iPad Air is responsive. I've already made it clear that I'm not an artist, but I do like to use an iPad and Pencil Pencil to take notes at a meeting or during a brainstorming history ideas.

Software is a field that is lacking in all iPads. I complained with the iPad Pro and iOS 12; the iPad Air uses the same software and suffers from the same shortcomings. Specifically, the absence of a desktop browser. Despite the scope of the App Store and the number of companies offering apps for each task, some tasks rely on the use of a complete web browser. Hopefully, that iOS 13, which Apple is expected to unveil in early June at this year's World Developer Conference, places a lot of emphasis on improving the computer experience of the iPad.

Which model are you using?

With different models of iPad of different sizes, capacities and prices, it is inevitable that the model to buy is subject to discussion.

I imagine that for most users, including those in the business, the new iPad Air is the right choice. This is not overly expensive, and recent updates provide modest performance improvements over the iPad. The addition of the smart keyboard allows the iPad Air to stand out between a tablet designed for productivity and a tablet better suited to play live on Netflix broadcasts and view a casual email.

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Unless you absolutely need the best of the best of Apple or a 12.9-inch screen, the iPad Pro is a tablet too heavy and its price is at the height. Air is almost as good as the Pro, and I doubt that most users notice minor differences. And it does for a few hundred dollars less.

Update: An earlier version of this review indicated that there was no headphone jack on this model. This has been corrected. ZDNet regrets the error.