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Thin and light

Smaller bezel makes iPad Air lighter, but is it really thinner?

I have been a dedicated iPad user since the middle of 2011 when the second version of the world?s first tablet was launched. Over the past two years it has become my primary computing device, especially when it comes to consumption. Though a couple of years old, the iPad 2 is still a great device, as I am reminded every time I test a new tablet.

Three new versions of the iPad have come along since I started using one. Despite the superb Retina display screen that debuted with the third version, I have never been really tempted to upgrade my old iPad. That was until the Apple decided to come out with the iPad Air, much thinner and lighter.

But the iPad has always been an amazingly thin computing device. How much more thin could the guys in Cupertino make it? This was question at the back of my mind when I finally got my hands of an iPad Air.

Holding the iPad Air for the first time I was quite sure that this was lighter than my old tablet. There was no doubt about that. In fact, at 469 grams, it

has become almost 150 grams lighter in comparison to my iPad 2 and shed almost 200 grams when compared to the fourth generation. That is quite substantial.

But has it become thinner? I couldn?t quite make out at in a single glance. On paper the iPad 2 is 9 mm thick and the iPad Air is thinner at 7.5 mm. But it is hard to make out the difference, though 1.5 mm has been shaved off in comparison to the last three versions of the tablet. Keep the two devices side by side and it is almost impossible to find a difference in height, at least to the naked eye.

However, the iPad Air is smaller for sure. Because the bezel is now much thinner. Keep the two iPads one on top of the other and you can easily see that the iPad 2 is much larger. That could be where the cut in weight is coming from.

The design is also a bit different. For along with the curved sides, there is a diamond cut edge that gives the iPad Air a chrome finish. The other difference is the volume button, of which there are now two instead of the earlier singe rocker.

The Retina display is amazing as always. Just keep the iPad 2 and iPad Air adjacent to see the difference. But that is an old story. The processors too are different. While the iPad 2 has an Apple A5 chip, the new version has A7 which is definitely much faster. You just need to play around with a couple of apps that you use on the older one to see that difference. It is almost like upgrading to a Ferrari from a Hyundai i10. Yes, it is that fast.

For gamers, the iPad Air offers a much superior experience. Real Racing 3, the only game that I have ever managed to get hooked to, is a whole different experience on the Air. The camera is amazing. In fact, it is as good as the one on the new iPhone 5S. The kind of detail this camera gives was impossible on the iPad 2. It is also faster, the iPad 2 camera has a very significant lag which has almost been eliminated here.

Overall, if you are looking to pick up your first iPad then look no further. If you already own one and are thinking about an upgrade, do it for the faster processing and the lighter body, not a thinner device.

Estimated street price

Rs 35,900

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First published on: 19-12-2013 at 01:59 IST
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