Introduction
Almost 4 years have passed since the release of the first "apple" tablet (let me remind you - the Apple iPad was announced at the end of January 2010), and today the time has come for the 5th model. The update of the world's most popular tablet lineup was announced on October 22, and today it can be freely purchased in stores in almost every country in the world. Compared to the previous version - Apple iPad 4, the new product has become much lighter (by 180 grams, or 28%) and thinner (by 1.5 millimeters, or 20%). In the so-called "countries of the first wave" (USA, Japan, China, England, Canada, Germany, France), sales began on November 1.
Appearance
A noticeable difference in terms of design was noticeable only between iPad and iPad 2, further novelties when compared were, if not completely identical, then differed only in minor details. This applies not only to tablets from Apple, but also to other products of the company.
To briefly describe the appearance of the Apple iPad Air, it is an enlarged copy of the iPad mini. Its dimensions are 240 x 169.5 x 7.5 millimeters, weight is 469 grams (the model with 4G weighs a little more - 478 grams). Naturally, such a device will not fit into your pocket.
The display bezel (9.7 inches) is made of plastic, which is much thinner on the long side than on the short one. The Home button is traditionally located under the display, and the front camera's eye (1.2 MP) and the light sensor are located above the display.
At the top of the right side there is a sound lock lever and two separate buttons for adjusting the sound. In the 4G model, at the bottom of the end there is a slot for a nano-SIM-card, covered with a sliding flap.
On the upper end, on the left side of it, there is a standard audio output (3.5 mm), on the right - a button to turn on the device. One of the two built-in microphones is located in the center of the end face.
At the bottom there is a proprietary Lighting port, on the sides of it there are holes, under which the built-in speaker is hidden.
IPad 5 Air is made of aluminum and is available in Silver and Space Gray (silver and graphite). The bezel of the screen for Silver is white, for Space Gray it is black. Both options look equally stylish and presentable. On the back there is a recognizable logo and a main camera lens (5 MP). It should be noted that there is no flash.
Contents of delivery
The box in which the device is sold has the already familiar and recognizable appearance - a small white cardboard package with the depicted iPad Air. In addition to the tablet itself, packed in a transparent film, the kit also includes a power supply, a USB cable, and technical documentation. The model equipped with the 4G module also has a special device in the kit, with which you can get the SIM card tray.
Apple produces the most varied and varied accessories for its products. iPad Air is no exception. You can already purchase branded cases for it: Smart Cover and Smart Case. The available colors allow you to choose the appropriate option for each user: black, yellow, red, pink, blue, green. Both models can be used as a stand, in addition, they activate the device when the user opens the case.
Autonomous work
If you believe the statements of company representatives, the tablet will work for a very long time offline. With Wi-Fi turned on in video playback mode, the battery will be discharged in 10 hours. If you surf the Internet via 3G / 4G - for 9. In mixed mode, the battery can last longer.
Screen
The model received an IPS-display with a diagonal of 9.7 inches and LED-backlight. Its resolution is 2048 x 1536 (ppi is 264). The brightness of the backlight is adjustable from 5 to 360 cd / m2 (optimal value for indoor work - 130). Naturally, the color quality and viewing angles are excellent. The image can be easily seen even in bright sunlight.
The multi-touch capacitive sensor does an excellent job of its functions.
Hardware part
The device is powered by a dual-core Apple A7 processor (like the iPhone 5S) clocked at 1.3 MHz running on a 64-bit architecture. There is also a coprocessor - M7, thanks to which the device works much more efficiently. The M7 offloads the main processor by processing incoming compass, gyroscope and accelerometer signals. The amount of RAM is 1 GB, the video accelerator is PowerVG G6430.
Built-in memory capacity varies by model. Released 4 versions - for 16, 32, 64 and even 128 GB. In this regard, Apple products always go one step ahead of competitors, who equip their models with much less permanent memory. However, there is no possibility of expansion - so you must immediately choose the option with a margin.
You can also choose the presence of wireless networks - there is a model that supports only Wi-Fi communication, and there is an option with Wi-Fi + 4G.
Interface
Naturally, such a high-profile novelty is preinstalled with the latest version of the operating system - iOS 7.0.3. Compared to the previous iOS6, it has a significantly redesigned interface.
The only drawback of the operating system is that the programs require optimization. Many applications freeze, do not immediately change orientation, open in small windows, or simply close. Naturally, user complaints will not be ignored, and such problems will be eliminated in the next updates.
Cameras
In this regard, the tablet will not be able to surprise users: the same modules were installed on the iPad 3 and iPad 4. Front - FaceTime with a resolution of 1.2 MP and the ability to record video (720p), the main one - 5 MP, there is automatic focus, you can shoot video in HD -format. Naturally, you should not expect high quality from them, but for pictures for social networks, the capabilities of the camera will be enough.
Conclusion
Apple products have always been in demand around the world. This model will not be an exception - it has everything you need to become a bestseller: stylish "apple" design, high-quality display, light weight and thin body, powerful hardware "filling", the latest operating system. Of the tangible shortcomings at the moment, we can only note the relatively high cost and the need for software optimization, which can take some time.
