iPad Air 2 Hands-on

Why buy an iPad Air 2 when you can get by with an iPhone 6 Plus? I asked myself that very question before I put my hands on Apple’s thinner and faster sequel. Now that I’ve spent some time with the Air 2, the answer is clear: more power, more real estate and more capability.

 

 

1. Design

Despite sporting a 9.7-inch Retina Display, the Air 2 is 18 percent thinner than the original iPad Air. It felt almost weightless as I toured the design and played around with the camera and some new apps. As you can see, the Air 2 is even thinner than the iPad mini, which is a pretty svelte slate.

If you’re wondering whether the new gold color option is gaudy, it’s not. In fact, I actually prefer it to the silver version. It adds some welcome panache, so long as you don’t cover it up with a case.

2. Touch ID on Board

The Touch ID feature, while expected, is another welcome addition. You’ll be able use it to unlock the device and enter passwords in various supported apps (like Evernote). Touch ID also works with Apple Pay for shopping online, but not in stores like its iPhone 6 and 6 Plus counterparts.

3. Anti-Reflective Display

Although it sports the same 2048 x 1536-pixel resolution, the anti-reflective coating on the iPad Air 2 made a great impression during my hands-on time. As an Apple rep tooled around the track in Asphalt 8, I barely noticed any glare. We’ll have to wait to see how well this screen holds up in direct sunlight.

4. A8X Power

Speaking of Asphalt 8, the iPad Air 2′s A8X chip offers screaming performance in games that take advantage of Apple’s Metal graphics. In fact, the Air 2 promises up to double the graphics performance than the previous generation tablet. But it’s not just about games. The Air 2 will also let you edit videos with serious parallel processing power and perform complex photo edits with a few taps. For example, I loved how easy it was to erase a subject from a photo in the new Pixelmator app.

5. A Camera You’ll Want to Use

Look at a family birthday party at a restaurant or on the sidelines of any kids’ soccer game and you’ll find a surprising number of folks using their tablets to snap photos and capture videos. I’ve never been a fan, but I can see the benefit of having such a large viewfinder.

Well, now the iPad Air 2 rewards those willing to hold up a 9.7-inch screen with very sharp 8-MP photos. The iSight camera not only delivers large pixels but the ability to shoot in burst mode and record video in slow-motion. Even in a fairly dim room the Air 2 snapped crisp images sans flash.

6. Outlook

I’ll admit that I mostly switch between my laptop and smartphone, leaving the tablet for reading or playing games. But the iPad Air 2 has the potential to win me back. It really comes down to the apps, ones that let me do things that faster and more easily than on clamshell or phablet. The ones shown today are definitely a step in the right direction.

As for other tablets, nothing else comes close to Apple’s selection of apps (675,000 and counting), or its ability to seamlessly interact with Macs via features like Handoff. I’m intrigued by the Nexus 9 and its Tegra K1 chip and optional keyboard, but overall the Air 2 looks like the premium tablet to beat.

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