iPad Air 2: The One New Apple iPad Worth Considering

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Apple (AAPL) took the wraps off a slew of new gear yesterday, including a new iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3.

apple iPad Air 2 new iPad
Source: Apple

The new iPad Mini 3 seems like an afterthought. It got just passing mention during the event and for good reason.

With the same body and CPU as last year’s excellent iPad Mini With Retina Display (reviewed here), Apple is essentially asking $100 more for a Touch ID sensor and the option of a gold-colored case.

Unless you must have Touch ID or a small gold iPad, pass on that one and pick up last year’s model — now called the iPad Mini 2 — instead and save yourself some cash.

The iPad Air 2 is a different story. What was arguably the best tablet of 2013 has received significant upgrades, putting it in a strong position to take the title in 2014 as well.

iPad Air 2: World’s Thinnest Full-Sized Tablet

apple iPad Air 2 new iPad thinnest tablet
Source: Apple

When it comes to tablets, thin is in. The title of thinnest has bounced around a bit this year — for a while, Samsung (SSNLF) laid claim to it with the 0.26-inch thick Galaxy Tab S — but Apple has snatched it back with the iPad Air 2.

Coming in at just 0.24-inches thick, it’s less than half the thickness of the original Apple iPad.

The Google (GOOG) Nexus 9, which was announced the day before Thursday’s Apple event, is considerably thicker at 0.31-inches, but the slightly smaller Nexus is lighter than the new iPad at 14.99 ounces (compared to 15.36 ounces).

Still, no one should break a sweat carrying around Apple’s svelte aluminum and glass beauty.

iPad Air 2: Improved Display

apple iPad Air 2 new iPad improved display
Source: Apple

There’s no resolution bump on the iPad Air’s Retina display. It remains at 2048 x 1536, or 264 pixels per inch (ppi). That’s decent, but not class-leading. Amazon’s (AMZN) latest Kindle Fire HDX 8.9-inch tablet sports a 339 ppi display, for example.

Regardless, the new iPad Air 2 display actually is a significant improvement over last year’s.

Apple fused three display layers into a single layer, eliminating air gaps between them. The result is sharper images, greater contrast and brighter colors. This also contributed to making the new iPad thinner.

The iPad Air 2 is also treated with a new anti-reflective coating that Apple says reduces glare by 56% and makes it the “least reflective tablet in the world.”

iPad Air 2: Faster CPU

apple iPad Air 2 new iPad A8X CPU
Source: Apple

The iPad Air 2 gets a big bump in processing speed with Apple’s new A8X CPU.

Rated at 40% more powerful than last year’s A7 and with 2.5 times the graphic performance of that chip, the A8X makes the iPad Air 2 a formidable mobile gaming platform.

It also makes the flagship Apple iPad a productivity powerhouse, capable of chewing through photo editing and other processor-intensive tasks.

Maybe not quite as business-friendly as a Microsoft (MSFT) Surface Pro, but still much more than just a mobile entertainment device.

iPad Air 2: Major Camera Improvements

apple iPad Air 2 new iPad iSight Camera
Source: Apple

The primary iSight camera has been boosted to 8MP and leverages an image signal processor built into the A8X CPU. It also gains the iOS 8 photo tricks first seen on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus –time-lapse video, super slow motion, burst mode, exposure control, a timer and high-resolution panorama.

The FaceTime camera has boosted low light performance, making the iPad Air 2 more effective for video conferencing. (And selfies.)

In fairness, Apple points out that the cameras are also used by many apps, such as virtual home decorators and motion analyzers.

So the new iPad’s camera cred isn’t just about selfies and taking photos in museums using a 10-inch slab of aluminum.

Recognizing that more people than you might like to think are holding up their tablets to take photos, this Apple iPad has gained serious camera cred.

iPad Air 2: Touch ID

apple iPad Air 2 new iPad Touch ID
Source: Apple

One of Apple’s more successful recent innovations makes its way from the iPhone to the new iPad.

The iPad Air 2 features a Touch ID fingerprint sensor in place of the Home button.

This means single-touch unlocking of the device, instant sign-on (without a password) for supported apps and, when it debuts on Oct. 20, the ability to use Apple Pay for online shopping.

iPad Air 2: Gold

apple iPad Air 2 new iPad gold
Source: Apple

And finally, what would a modern Apple mobile device be without a gold option?

When introduced with the iPhone 5S, many of us though Apple’s gambit of offering a gold-colored case would end in a face plant. Instead, the gold iPhone 5S was quickly back-ordered for weeks.

Looking for every possible way to boost slipping Apple iPad sales, the company is offering gold as an option on the iPad Air 2.

So even if you’re happy with your original iPad Air, don’t need the performance boost of the A8X, don’t use your iPhone for photography and can live with entering a four-digit PIN to unlock your iPad, maybe you’ll fork over the $499 anyway just to get that flashy gold finish case.

As of this writing, Brad Moon did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.

Brad Moon has been writing for InvestorPlace.com since 2012. He also writes about stocks for Kiplinger and has been a senior contributor focusing on consumer technology for Forbes since 2015.


Article printed from InvestorPlace Media, https://investorplace.com/2014/10/apple-ipad-air-2-new-ipad/.

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