Difference between iPad Air and iPad Air 2

Key Difference: The iPad Air 2 is the latest tablet by Apple and an upgrade for the iPad Air launched in 2013. The Air was the newest generation of Apple tablets that replaced the iPad 4th generation tablets.

The iPad Air 2 is the latest tablet by Apple and an upgrade for the iPad Air launched in 2013. The Air was the newest generation of Apple tablets that replaced the iPad 4th generation tablets. Each new iPad receives a significant boost in the processor, something that remains with iPad Air 2. The launch of Air 2 has resulted in confusion for many fans, as there are many similarities between the Air and Air 2.

The iPad Air and Air 2 have many similarities but the company has introduced significant small changes in the Air 2 that may result in people to shell out the extra cash for Air 2, rather than purchasing Air 1.

Design:

Air was already considered thin compared to many tablets on the market, but the Apple wasn’t satisfied. The company has shaved another 18% of width, making it only 6.1mm thick and the world’s thinnest tablet. In order to achieve the thinness, the company has reduced the buttons on the sides. Say bye to the mute switch, which has been sacrificed. Additionally, another security feature that was long awaited and already available on iPhones has been added, the TouchID Home button. Users can now press down on the home button to make purchases on the go. In addition to the space gray and silver, Air 2 is also available in champagne gold.

Screen:

Both the iPads offer the same screen - Retina display 9.7 inch (diagonal) LED-backlit Multi-Touch display with IPS technology and even the same 264 ppi resolution. However, Air 2 also offers features such as fully laminated display and antireflective coating, making it easier to read in sunlight.

Internal Features:

The internal hardware is the main reason for this launch. Air 2 sports 1.5 GHz triple core processor with the latest Apple A8X chipset. This chipset comes with a M8 coprocessor to help the burden of the primary processor, making performance smoother and faster. According to Apple, the performance of Air 2 CPU and GPU will be 40% and 250% faster than the Air. The device offers a 64-bit architecture similar to the one on Air. RAM for the Air 2 has been upped to 2 GB from the 1 GB available on the Air. Air 2 is also upgraded to 802.11ac Wi-Fi with MIMO for improved speed and range.

Camera:

The Air offered the same 5 MP rear and 1.2 MP front cameras. However, the Air 2 has been bumped up to 8 MP f2.4 aperture rear camera, the front camera remains the same. The Air 2 can shoot 1080p Full HD videos. The Air 2 also offers feature such Slo‑mo feature that records at 120 fps and time-lapse video that can speed up videos. However, optical image stabilization (OIS) is not available on the device.

Battery:

iPad Air 2 is expected to offer the same hours of juice as the Air 1. The company does not quote its own battery in milliamp hours (mAh), but according to the specs on the company website, battery size has reduced from 32.4-watt-hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery in Air to 27.3-watt-hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery in Air 2.

Comparison between iPad Air and iPad Air 2:

 

iPad Air

iPad Air 2

Models

Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + Cellular

Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + Cellular

SIM

Nano-SIM

Nano-SIM/Apple SIM

Announced

October 2013

October 2014

Availability

November 2013

October 2014

Dimensions

9.4 x 6.6 x 0.29 in

9.4 x 6.6 x .24 in

Weight

Wi-Fi: 469 g (1 lb)

Wi-Fi + Cellular: 478 g (1.05 lb)

Wi-Fi: 437 g (0.96 lb)

Wi-Fi + Cellular: 444 g (0.98 lb)

Display

Retina display 9.7 inch (diagonal) LED-backlit Multi-Touch display with IPS technology

Retina display 9.7 inch (diagonal) LED-backlit Multi-Touch display with IPS technology

Resolution

264 ppi pixel density

264 ppi pixel density

Protection

Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating

Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating , fully laminated display, antireflective coating

Loudspeaker

Yes

Yes, with stereo speakers

External Card slot

No

No

Internal Memory

16/32/64/128 GB

16/64/128 GB

RAM

1 GB DDR3

2 GB

GPRS

Wi-Fi: No

Wi-Fi + Cellular: Yes

Wi-Fi: No

Wi-Fi + Cellular: Yes

EDGE

Wi-Fi: No

Wi-Fi + Cellular: Yes

Wi-Fi: No

Wi-Fi + Cellular: Yes

WLAN

Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band

Wi-Fi + Cellular: Hotspot

Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, WiFi with MIMO dual-band

Wi-Fi + Cellular: Hotspot

Bluetooth

v4.0, A2DP, EDR

v4.0, A2DP, EDR

USB

v2.0, reversible connector

v2.0, reversible connector

Primary Camera

5MP

8 MP

Secondary Camera

1.2 MP

1.2 MP

Camera Features

  • Autofocus
  • Face detection
  • Backside illumination
  • Five-element lens
  • Hybrid IR filter
  • ƒ/2.4 aperture
  • Tap to focus video or still images
  • Tap to control exposure for video or still images
  • Photo and video geotagging
  • HDR photos
  • Panorama
  • Tap to focus while recording
  • Backside illumination
  • 3x video zoom
  • Time-lapse video
  • Autofocus
  • ƒ/2.4 aperture
  • Five-element lens
  • Hybrid IR filter
  • Backside illumination
  • Improved face detection
  • Exposure control
  • Panorama (up to 43MP)
  • Burst mode
  • Tap to focus
  • Photo geotagging
  • Timer mode
  • Slo‑mo (120 fps)
  • Time-lapse video
  • Video image stabilization
  • Improved face detection
  • 3x video zoom
  • Video geotagging

Video

1080p HD video

1080p HD video recording (30 fps)

Sensors

Three-axis gyro, accelerometer, ambient light sensor

Touch ID, three-axis gyro, accelerometer, barometer, ambient light sensor

OS

iOS 7, upgradable to iOS 7.1.2, upgradable to iOS 8.1.1

iOS 8.1, upgradable to iOS 8.1.1

Chip

Apple A7X/ M7 motion coprocessor

Apple A8X / M8 motion coprocessor

Architecture

64-bit

64-bit

CPU

1.4 GHz Cyclone dual-core (ARM v8-based)

1.5 GHz triple-core

GPU

PowerVR G6430 (quad-core graphics)

N/A

Messaging

iMessage, Email, Push Email, IM

iMessage, Email, Push Email, IM

Radio

No

No

GPS

Wi-Fi: No

Wi-Fi + Cellular: Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS

Wi-Fi: No

Wi-Fi + Cellular: Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS

Colors

Space Gray, Silver

Space Gray, Silver, Gold

Additional Features

  • Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic
  • Siri natural language commands and dictation
  • iCloud cloud service
  • iCloud Keychain
  • TV-out
  • Maps
  • Audio/video player/editor
  • Organizer
  • Photo viewer/editor
  • Document viewer/editor
  • Voice memo
  • Predictive text input
  • Apple Pay
  • Touch ID
  • Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic
  • Siri natural language commands and dictation
  • iCloud cloud service
  • iCloud Keychain
  • TV-out
  • Maps
  • Audio/video player/editor
  • Organizer
  • Document viewer/editor
  • Photo viewer/editor
  • Voice memo/dial/command
  • Predictive text input

Battery

Built-in 32.4-watt-hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery

Built-in 27.3-watt-hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery

Image Courtesy: targettradeltd.com, store.apple.com

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