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Apple iPad Air 2 first look: Unboxing, benchmarks, and camera performance (Video)

ipad-air-2

Today we’re taking a look at Apple’s fastest and thinnest tablet to date. The iPad Air 2 is more than just a pretty shell. This tablet packs some decent performance over its predecessor. While we haven’t had enough time with it to put together a full review, there are some main points we wanted to go over.

First up, this thing is crazy thin. Apple wasn’t exaggerating when claiming that it was thinner than a pencil. It’s 18 percent thinner than the iPad Air measuring a mere 6.1mm in thickness. This may not be a good thing for everyone, but for the most part it was comfortable to hold while playing games, watching movies, or any other tablet-based task. I’d hate to sound redundant, but damn this iPad is thin. Anyway, let’s jump in and take a look…

First off, the iPad Air 2 features a triple-core Apple A8X chip clocked at 1.5GHz, 2GB of RAM, a 7340 mAh battery, and comes in either 16, 64, 0r 128GB storage configurations. I’d avoid the 16GB model if you can as it’s a better deal than ever (from Apple) to jump up to the 64GB configuration for only $100 more.

The layout of this iPad is slightly difference from last year’s model as well. We no longer have a mute switch on the side. Instead, we’re left with volume buttons and a small microphone. On the top end you’ll find the sleep/wake button and 3.5mm headphone jack, while the bottom is home to the speaker grills and Lightning port. Apple has also blessed the iPad Air 2 with Touch ID, but not everyone may find that feature useful. There’s also an anti-reflective coating on the display which will help keep glare to a minimum, but overall it wasn’t that impressive.

Take a look at our iPad Air 2 first impressions video below:

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_rAPh5RM-k]

The display is the same size at 9.7-inch, when compared to the iPad Air, but it’s fully laminated now which removes the air gap between the panel and the front glass. This little change makes a huge difference in the display quality. Everything appears to be painted on top of the glass. It may feature the same 1,536 x 2,048 resolution (264 ppi), but this display has now caught up with the quality we’re used to seeing with the iPhone.

We don’t have the verdict on real-world performance just yet, but Geekbench seems to provide very favorable results for the tech inside of the iPad Air 2. During out test, the iPad Air 2 scored a 1,763 for its single-core score and 4,311 for the multi-core score. Pretty impressive, but it’ll only matter if apps begin to take advantage of the power that’s under the hood.

Since Apple gave so much praise to the iPad Air 2’s improved camera performance during its launch event, we thought it would be nice to take it outside and snap a few photos. This camera doesn’t seem to compete with Apple’s iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, but overall it gets the job done. Check out the photo gallery below. All photos are untouched and straight from the iPad Air 2.

 

You’ll also be able to take advantage of Apple Pay on the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to walk around tapping your iPad on NFC terminals in retail stores, but you can use Apple Pay within apps to make purchases a bit easier. The iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 do not feature NFC, but either way the in-app purchase experience with Apple Pay is pretty phenomenal.

It looks like the iPad Air 2 is shaping up to be a solid tablet. It’s efficient, thin, and definitely a performer. If you currently own an iPad Air, you might want to hold off on the second generation, but I think the overall advantages are worth it. It may not be worth it to upgrade your iPad every year, but if you’re going to take the bait, the iPad Air 2 should hold you over for a while.

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Comments

  1. Ray Penney - 9 years ago

    Did “Dom” win the race, he was talking soon fast that it was almost to the point of being ridiculous. For God sake yank, so up

  2. rettun1 - 9 years ago

    Mine should arrive Friday :) can’t wait

    Hey, does the screen feel more solid than it did on the first iPad Air? That one felt a little ‘mushy’

    • rettun1 - 9 years ago

      Report: the screen in the new one is much more solid (and this thing is crazy thin)

  3. matthewr1990 - 9 years ago

    Everybody keeps saying the iPad air 2 can’t be used with Apple pay in a shop because it doesn’t have NFC. Yet iFixIt noted that the air 2 has the same NFC module as the iohone 6/6+ (NXP 65V10)? What gives? Am I missing something?

    • jacosta45 - 9 years ago

      Yes. It feels very similar to what is on the iPhone 6. It won’t disappount.

      • joeri (@joerigr) - 9 years ago

        I love iPhone 6, but I hate iPad Air 2 (that is why I am sending it back), it has a lot of quality issues and in many aspects worse than its predecessor.

    • Mr. Grey (@mister_grey) - 9 years ago

      iPads have included M7 or M8 chips since iPad mini 2 as well but they don’t actually use them for much. You can’t use a health app on an iPad to count your steps for instance, despite it having the hardware inside.

    • Dean Har - 9 years ago

      Hopefully it’s a sign that NFC won’t just be limited to purchases in the near future

  4. dcj001 - 9 years ago

    In the video, Dom said, “only an 8 megapixel shooter.”

    Apparently, even though megapixels vs. pixel size has been explained repeatedly in Apple’s presentations, Dom still does not understand that the number of pixels is far more important than the size of the pixels.

    • Mr. Grey (@mister_grey) - 9 years ago

      He also goes on and on about the camera in general, without seemingly realising that it’s almost the exact same camera as was on the iPad Air 1. It has a bigger sensor and has moved from 5MP to 8MP, but otherwise it’s IDENTICAL. It has the same capabilities, the same lens, the same range, the same backlight, f-stop, etc. It’s really only the very slightest improvement over the older camera. Dom just bought into all that BS from Phil at the event.

      BTW the Facetime camera is EXACTLY the same camera as from the iPad Air 1. There is not even a single difference. So despite all that time Phil went on and on about how great the iPad Air 2 cameras are during the show, the difference is so slight as to be almost not noticeable.

      Certainly they are not worth including in a review as a separate item, and it’s a bit foolish to have spent so much time talking about them.

  5. Liam Deckham - 9 years ago

    I would sacrifice all the new bells and whistles for 256 GB of storage. How can an iPad and iPhone have the same 128 GB limit. It is so wrong. Not worth the upgrade for me!

  6. Liam Deckham - 9 years ago

    PS

    Does it bend?

    • al0963 - 9 years ago

      I tried that with your girl and she is not that flexible

      • gen0music - 9 years ago

        Awww, you Apple guys are so grown up!

      • Liam Deckham - 9 years ago

        No worries. I will try it with your mother tonight.

    • joeri (@joerigr) - 9 years ago

      maybe it does not bend, but you definitely see screen/image distortion when pushing the backside with your finger.

  7. Martand Alexander - 9 years ago

    I have had the air 2 for nearly 24 hours now. It’s spectacular and as razorthin as everyone says. There is however, something no one seems to have mentioned, not even Apple. The speakers… There are two separate speakers flanking the lightning port. The pro to this is when you accidentally cover one, the sound is only partially muffled. And now the con to these new speakers… They sound quite muddy with a lot of mid range. Reminds me of the early beats headphones. And the entire iPad Air 2 vibrates with the sound of the speakers. There is a very strange feeling while listening to any type of audio, especially speech as the entire iPad feels like it’s almost buzzing! I’m guessing it’s because it’s so thin and the speakers inside are just resonating. Plus, the speakers sound like they are further inside the frame as opposed to being close to the speaker grills/holes. Another reason they sound muddy I guess. Very strange. Going to take awhile to get used to this.

  8. Nick (@andsoitgoes) - 9 years ago

    I have an iPad 4, I passed on the iPad 3, and for the first time since the 3 I don’t feel any desire to upgrade.

    Don’t get me wrong, after getting my 6 plus I’m able to see how much faster the newer units are, but I am at the point where I feel little to no need now. I use my iPad for an average of 30 minutes a day, sometimes less, and that will continue to shrink as the few apps and games I use on the iPad are ported over.

    Obviously, for things like photo editing my iPad still edges out the 6 plus, but that’s such a small part of my day having something extra fast isn’t that necessary.

    I don’t know what it’ll take to get me to upgrade. Maybe my wife finally getting fed up of her iPad 2 will be the catalyst, but seeing as I just bought my 6 plus straight out thanks to the changes made to the local carriers dropping another almost grand isn’t appealing, either.

    • roborobok - 9 years ago

      Units are marginally faster, but OS gets slower and slower with each “update” :) Your iPad 3 used to be fast in its days, remember? And iPad Air 2 will be slow one with iOS 10 or 11.

    • jordanshow - 9 years ago

      Have you noticed how bad the ipad 4 screen is than the iphone 6 lol. Looks gloomy when i switch back and forth.

  9. Looking good :) going to upgrade my iPad 4 to Air 2, Black 128gb

  10. 89p13 - 9 years ago

    I went from the iPad 3 (first gen Retina) to the Air 2 – which arrived yesterday – and what a tremendous difference! It almost felt like I was just holding an empty Apple leather iPad Air 2 case when holding the 3rd gen in one hand and the Air 2 in the other. It Is So Much Lighter!

    Definitely glad I made the upgrade! And it is fast and the display is so much more “alive” than the older generation 3.

    I also noticed that the 3rd gen screen had a definite yellowish tint when side by side with the Air 2 and using an old Minolta light meter from my very long ago past, both screens were set for the same brightness level – but the iPad Air 2 was much “cooler” and more realistic than the 3rd gen.

    For me – it was a very welcome upgrade, YMMV!

  11. Bernie Ess (@alba63) - 9 years ago

    Hmmm, somehow I cannot find the word “battery” or “battery life” even once in this article. Thinner, thinner, lighter, even more lighter…
    Ifixit have very well shown that the battery size and probably also life has been reduced by at least 15%.

    Processing power = increased, battery size = reduced. Seems logic, so is noone interested in this anymore?

    • joeri (@joerigr) - 9 years ago

      yes, the battery life deteriorated, sound quality as well, but those those issues are not advertised, certainly not by Apple.

  12. Taste_of_Apple - 9 years ago

    Nice video.

  13. Sean Tarzan Tan - 9 years ago

    slightly different*

  14. PMZanetti - 9 years ago

    I’ve never seen such a bipolar review that pretends to praise the product while constantly rephrasing every feature as no big deal.

    This upgrade IS a big deal, and I’ve been nothing but suspicious of this Dom Esposito character since he attempted to backup the bendgate fraudster.

    The more 9to5 let’s this guy post articles the less interesting this site becomes.

  15. Armando Martinez M - 9 years ago

    The iPad Air 2 does have NFC

  16. Shai Finkelstein - 9 years ago

    Those are some ugly looking hands ;()

  17. John Smith - 9 years ago

    Welcome a couple of clarifications –

    * Very thin – is it flimsy?

    * Is the anti-glare any good? Review sounds skeptical.

    • cleesmith2 - 9 years ago

      I held my Air up next to the Air 2. I could almost use the Air as a mirror. Significantly less glare with the Air 2, but I certainly wouldn’t call it glare free. (Yes, I know it wasn’t promised to be glare free)

    • joeri (@joerigr) - 9 years ago

      it is almost like a mirror, I do not know why they call it anti-replex-coating.
      it is thin, but I do not see any advantage, as the sound quality is worse because of that, the iPad vibrating.
      a lot of expectations and a lot of disappointment.

  18. matthewr1990 - 9 years ago

    Had my iPad Air 2 for about 16 hours now. Battery still going strong. It’s ridiculously thin. Honestly it’s amazing. Flimsy? Not at all, it’s as sturdy as any iPad before it. The screen is beautiful. The whites are whiter. The blacks blacker and everything in between. The anti reflective coating helps visibility in direct light but there’s still room for improvement. People saying the screen looking like it’s floating on the glass are correct. It’s beautiful to see.

    Now the amazing part for those that moaned of ram issues on the iPad air. Well they’re gone this thing is snappy. And I mean it. I have uploaded a quick video to YouTube showing 5 or so tabs open on sites and it flicks between them instantaneously. It really is a step above the rest in my opinion.

    http://youtu.be/qSA0WQ3Lf7k

    • joeri (@joerigr) - 9 years ago

      not true, it is flimsy, and not sturdy, a lot of difference with previous models, if you push the backside with you finger, the screen even distorts on the opposite side.

  19. CLK (@CLK16) - 9 years ago

    I’ve had my iPad air 2 for less then 24 hours and I’m already having problems. It doesn’t turn on when I want it to. I noticed it yesterday. It took about two minutes for it to respond to my touch. This morning, after leaving it for about 20 minutes, it wouldn’t turn on for a while. All of a sudden it starts responding. After leaving it alone again for about an hour and a half, it would not turn on at all. I had to hold the home and power button down in order for it respond. Other than this issue of the iPad not responding, I love how thin and fast it is. I guess I’ll take it back to get a replacement.

    • pamer2880 - 9 years ago

      Mine doesn’t turn on either, even with a full charge. I turned it off & can’t get it to come on again. Has a mind of its own!

  20. joeri (@joerigr) - 9 years ago

    Almost nobody of those “reviewers” write about the terrible sound vibration issue of the new iPad air 2.
    Further it is lacking the switch off sound button, it is very irritating. The worst iPad ever.