Apple iPad Air 2
Verdict
Key specs
Critic consensus
“The iPad Air 2 balances seamless ease of use, app abundance, and raw power in its ever-so-slender frame, continuing Apple's reign atop the tablet heap.”
“The Apple iPad Air 2 is still a really good tablet that is pleasing with its even slimmer construction and high-quality materials. Unfortunately, the slim construction also results in some drawbacks since the tablet is more sensitive to pressure compared to its predecessor. The display is still one of the best units you can currently get in a tablet. The black value has unfortunately deteriorated slightly, but this is complaining on a very high level. However, thanks to the laminated display, the ghost effect is finally a thing of the past. Only the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 can beat the iPad Air in every category in this section.The situation is different when we look at the performance: The combination of the new A8X processor and the graphics unit PowerVR GX6650 is very powerful and make it one of the fastest components currently on the market. Only the Nvidia Tegra K1 SoC can compete, and even sometimes beat the product from the Californians. It will be interesting to see if the Google Nexus 9 tablet will have throttling issues under continuous load as well. This is a bit annoying in the case of the iPad Air 2, since the CPU performance almost drops to the level of the A7 in Geekbench 3. Still, the iPad is very fast, and the performance degradations are currently not noticeable.This changes when we look at the stability of iOS 8.1. Many problems of the earlier versions are fixed, but the operating system is still not perfect and many apps still require adjustments. This aspect, the throttling and the insufficient power adaptor result in a point deduction. Other issues are the removal of the configurable toggle switch, the signal noise of the Bluetooth connection, and the fact that an expensive high-end product does not support Bluetooth 4.1 or LTE Cat. 6.Apple certainly delivers a good upgrade, but, in our opinion, there is no reason to change to the new product if you already own the first iPad Air. Users of older iPads on the other hand, are offered very good incentives.”
“The story of Apple is one of mainstreaming computing technology — making it more accessible and more inclusive in more ways for more people. The iPad has been an important part of that story. While it’s nowhere near as powerful as a top-of-the-line desktop, it can still be just as empowering. An iPad may not do everything a traditional computer can, but there are folks who use an iPad to accomplish tasks they never could on a traditional computer.Mainstreaming creativity and productivity is something Apple started doing with the iPad 2 and their “We Believe” campaign in 2011. The message got lost amidst Retina and LTE improvements in 2012, but was re-embraced with the original iPad Air and “Your Verse” in 2013.And it’s something the company continues now. Apple’s choice to showcase Pixelmator and Replay at the iPad Air 2 announcement was no accident: It’s yet another signal that powerful apps can not only exist on the company's tablet, but for some endeavors, exist better than their desktop counterparts.Yes, iPhones have gotten bigger and more capable. Yes, MacBook Airs have gotten more accessible and more efficient. But there’s space between them, and arguably that space is now better occupied by a 9.7-inch iPad.You can still read your email or surf the web, enjoy videos or your music collection, read iBooks or play games on your iPad Air 2. But now you can do much, much more as well. Given the processing power and RAM included in the package, maybe much more, soon, as well.Some may argue that iOS on the iPad Air is now a limitation, and in that vein, iOS 8 has made some strides to improve user complaints: Apple has already added inter-app communication with Extensibility and multi-device workflows with Continuity. There are indications the company might add support for multi-window apps in the very near future as well.Keeping the desktop experience off of mobile, however, has been the key to the iPad’s success to date. For the vast majority of people, complexity isn’t a feature, it’s barrier. Continuing to evolve iOS and providing more advanced options for those who seek them out, while keeping things simple, approachable, accessible, and usable for everyone will no doubt be the key to the iPad’s future.”
“In terms of replacement value, iPad Air 2 offers a major leap in mobility and power over full size iPads prior to last year' iPad Air, and its broad feature advance over the entire range of iPad mini options make it the iPad to buy for users who want the best available tablet. That said, it appears that a large number of iPad buyers remain new to iPad: between 50 and 70 percent among customers in Apple's largest markets. So rather than being aimed at enticing upgrades, it actually appears Apple is still focused on selling iPads to new users.”
Watch before you decide
In Depth
When the iPad first arrived on the scene it took the world by storm and basically brought the idea of tablets into the mainstream. Now, Apple is facing tough competition from other manufacturers and has seen their sales flatten out in the past couple years. Apple is hoping to regain some of their lost momentum with the release of the iPad Air 2. At first glance, the iPad Air 2 doesn’t look much different from the iPad Air. It has the same proportions, polished beveled edges and layout of ports, speakers and buttons. The biggest physical change is its incredible thinness. It is 18 percent thinner than the original Air and lighter. The Verge states, “If there is anything magical about this new iPad it is this, this feeling of impossibility.” Still, there is one disadvantage of Apple’s push to thinness and that’s the Air 2’s build quality. While it does come with the same aluminum chassis as its predecessor, reviewers were able to bend it very easily though they add that it bended back into place afterwards.
Apple was able to achieve this thinness primarily from the new optically-bonded display that eliminates the air gap between the actual display and the top glass. This technology isn’t new for Apple as it has been on every iPhone since the iPhone 4 and the iMac has had one for some time. Still, experts praise the incredibly vibrant colors, deep blacks and excellent viewing angles. TechRadar adds, “Pictures really come alive when viewing on the iPad Air 2, markedly so compared to its predecessor.” Apple also boasts that the bonded display combined with an anti-reflection coating reduces glare by 56 percent. While critics were able to view it in bright light situations, they still had noticeable glare when reading in the sunlight.
The biggest update is to the Air 2’s internal hardware. It comes equipped with Apple’s latest A8X triple core 1.5GHz chip and 2GB of RAM. Experts call it “screamingly fast” and state that it is able to handle a number of processor intensive tasks and games. Unsurprisingly, benchmark tests place it above even the iPhone 6. Battery life is equally impressive considering how thin the device is. Critics were able to get almost two days of light to moderate usage before needing to charge and around 11 hours during battery draining tests. Perhaps the biggest disappointment was the 16GB internal storage for base models. Most reviewers suggest foregoing the base and spending the extra for the 64GB model as many apps take up a lot of space. As with previous iPads, the Air 2 comes with a WiFi only and WiFi and Cellular options.
Apple has also boosted the Air 2’s camera from 5MP to 8MP. While it doesn’t have the same optical image stabilization technology of the iPhone 6 Plus, the specs still match up closely. When experts tested out the camera they noticed that it is able to pick out colors quite well and can compensate for a dark room without enabling HDR mode. It also comes with a new burst mode, which allows users to snap photos in rapid succession and pick the best one from the gallery. Still, they note that while the resolution and pictures are slightly better than previous iPads, it wasn’t much better than the original Air.
Although the iPad Air 2 might not necessarily be revolutionary, it still is an improvement over Apple’s other tablets. Engadget states, “It may not be a brand-new design, per se, but its thin frame helps keep the tablet looking sleek and exciting…” Ars Technica was a bit more pointed in its assessment stating, “…it can juggle more tabs, load more Facebook…But this could have been the statement device for a productivity-minded iOS, and we’re left wondering when Apple will make that specific statement.”
What people actually want to know
When was the Apple iPad Air 2 released?
The Apple iPad Air 2 was released on October 24, 2014.
How long does the battery last on the Apple iPad Air 2?
The Apple iPad Air 2 has a 27 mAh battery.
Does the Apple iPad Air 2 have a headphone jack?
Yes, the Apple iPad Air 2 has a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Does the Apple iPad Air 2 have NFC?
No, the Apple iPad Air 2 does not have NFC. Contactless payments and tap-to-pair will not be available.
Where can I get support for the Apple iPad Air 2?
Visit Apple's official support page for warranty info, repairs, and troubleshooting.
Where can I download the Apple iPad Air 2 manual?
You can view and download the Apple iPad Air 2 manual on our dedicated manual page.
Questions & answers
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There's no default code for Apple iPad Air 2. You will have to recovery mode. Check this guide by Apple on how to do it: click here Hope that helps!