Apple iPad Air 2 vs Apple iPad Air vs Apple iPad 4: specs comparison
They might not have grown in size, but Apple's hot-out-of-the-oven new iPads are surely top notch when it comes to internal hardware prowess (compared to their predecessors, that is). Both tablets have been refreshed with an Apple A8X chipset, a custom version of the 64-bit Apple A8 SoC found inside the Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, which is a first for Apple and cements the future-proofness of its brand new tablets.
Frankly said, the improvements are not many, but they are mostly spot on. As we said, they sport most of the bells and whistles that the latest two generations of iPhones had in store, such as the Touch ID fingerprint sensor under the home button, support for Apple's Pay on-the-move payment system, and several other novelties. Then again, are these improvements enough to deem the new iPad Air vastly superior to its predecessor? Or the new slate is nothing but a minor improvement over last year's Apple iPad Air?
We decided to pit the new iPad Air 2 against its prequel and see what's happening specs-wise. We've also thrown in the older Apple iPad 4 for a good measure as well.
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|
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| Apple iPad Air 2 | Apple iPad Air | Apple iPad 4 |
Design
| Dimensions | ||
|---|---|---|
| 9.45 x 6.67 x 0.24 inches 240 x 169.5 x 6.1 mm |
9.45 x 6.67 x 0.30 inches 240 x 169.5 x 7.5 mm |
9.50 x 7.31 x 0.37 inches 241.2 x 185.7 x 9.4 mm |
| Weight | ||
| 15.41 oz (437.0 g) | 16.86 oz (478.0 g) | 23.35 oz (662.0 g) |
| Materials | ||
| Back: Aluminum | Back: Aluminum | |
| Biometrics | ||
| Fingerprint (touch) | ||
| Keys | ||
| Right: Volume control | Right: Volume control, Other | Right: Volume control, Other |
| Colors | ||
| Gold, Gray, Silver | Black, Gray, Silver, White | Black, White |
Display
| Size | ||
|---|---|---|
| 9.7-inch, 71.65% screen-to-body | 9.7-inch, 71.65% screen-to-body | 9.7-inch, 65.03% screen-to-body |
| Type | ||
| IPS LCD | IPS LCD | IPS LCD |
| Resolution | ||
| 2048x1536px, 264 PPI | 1536x2048px, 264 PPI | 1536x2048px, 264 PPI |
| Colors | ||
| 16 777 216 | 16 777 216 | 16 777 216 |
| Features | ||
| Oleophobic coating, Ambient light sensor | Oleophobic coating, Ambient light sensor | Oleophobic coating, Ambient light sensor |
Hardware
| System chip | ||
|---|---|---|
| Apple A8X | Apple A7 | Apple A6X |
| Processor | ||
| Triple-core 1500 MHz Cyclone | Dual-core 1400 MHz Cyclone | Dual-core 1400 MHz |
| GPU | ||
| PowerVR GXA6850 | PowerVR G6430 | PowerVR SGX554 |
| Memory | ||
| 2GB (LPDDR3)/128GB 2GB/16GB 2GB/64GB 2GB/128GB |
1GB (LPDDR3)/128GB 1GB/16GB 1GB/32GB 1GB/64GB 1GB/128GB | 1GB/128GB 1GB/16GB 1GB/32GB 1GB/64GB 1GB/128GB |
| OS | ||
| iOS (13.x, 12.x, 11.x, 10.x, 9.x, 8.x) | iOS (12.x, 11.x, 10.x, 9.x, 8.x, 7.x) | iOS (10.x, 9.x, 8.x, 7.x, 6.1, 6.x) |
Battery
| Type | ||
|---|---|---|
| 7340 mAh | 8820 mAh, Li - Polymer | Li - Polymer |
Camera
| Rear | ||
|---|---|---|
| Single camera | Single camera | Single camera |
| Main camera | ||
| 8 MP (Autofocus, BSI sensor) Aperture size: F2.4 Focal length: 31 mm |
5 MP (Autofocus, BSI sensor) Aperture size: F2.4 Focal length: 33 mm |
5 MP (Autofocus, BSI sensor) Aperture size: F2.4 |
| Video recording | ||
| 1080p (30 fps), 720p (120 fps) Time-lapse video, EIS, Video calling | 1080p (30 fps) Time-lapse video, EIS, Video calling | 1080p (30 fps) EIS |
| Front | ||
| 1.2 MP Video capture: 720p (30 fps) | 1.2 MP Video capture: 720p (30 fps) | 1.2 MP Video capture: 720p |
Connectivity & Features
| Bluetooth | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| WLAN | ||
| a,b,g,n,ac,dual-band Multiple antennas, MIMO, Hotspot 802.11 a, b, g, n, ac |
a,b,g,n,dual-band Multiple antennas, MIMO, Hotspot 802.11 a, b, g, n | a,b,g,n,dual-band Hotspot 802.11 a, b, g, n |
| USB | ||
| Lightning | Lightning | Lightning |
| Sensors | ||
| Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Ambient light sensor | Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Ambient light sensor | Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Ambient light sensor |
| HDMI | ||
| Yes | ||
| Location | ||
| GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, Cell ID, Wi-Fi positioning | A-GPS, Glonass, Cell ID, Wi-Fi positioning | A-GPS, Glonass, Wi-Fi positioning |
| Other | ||
| Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync, AirDrop | Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync, AirDrop | Computer sync, OTA sync, AirDrop |
Multimedia
| Headphones | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | 3.5mm jack | 3.5mm jack |
| Speakers | ||
| Multiple speakers | Multiple speakers | Loudspeaker |
| Features | ||
| Album art cover, Background playback | Album art cover, Background playback | Album art cover, Background playback, Dolby Digital |
| Screen mirroring | ||
| TV-out | TV-out | TV-out |
| Additional microphone(s) | ||
| Yes | Yes | |
Cellular
| 4G (FDD) Bands | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26 | 4, 17 |
| 3G Bands | ||
| 5, 8, 4, 2, 1 | 5, 8, 2, 1 | 5, 8, 2, 1 |
| Data Speed | ||
| LTE, HSPA, UMTS | LTE, HSPA, UMTS | LTE Cat 3 (100/50 Mbit/s), HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s, HSDPA+ (4G) 21.1 Mbit/s, UMTS |
| SIM type | ||
| Nano SIM | Nano SIM | Micro SIM |
Phone Features
| Notifications | ||
|---|---|---|
| Flight mode, Silent mode | Flight mode, Silent mode | Silent mode, Speakerphone |
| Other features | ||
| Voice commands, Voice recording | Voice commands, Voice recording | Voice commands, Voice recording |
Regulatory Approval
| FCC approval | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date approved: Oct 16, 2014 FCC ID value: BCGA1566 | Date approved: Oct 22, 2013 FCC ID value: BCGA1475 | |
| Measured SAR | ||
| Simultaneous Transmission: 1.56 W/kg | Body: 1.19 W/kg Simultaneous Transmission: 1.33 W/kg |
Body: 1.19 W/kg |
Availability
| Officially announced | ||
|---|---|---|
| Oct 16, 2014 | Oct 22, 2013 | Oct 23, 2012 |
| Prices (MSRP) | ||
| $829 | $929 | $799 |
See the full
Apple iPad Air 2 vs Apple iPad Air vs Apple iPad 4 specs comparison
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