iPad Air vs iPad 4 vs iPad 2: specs comparison

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iPad Air vs iPad 4 vs iPad 2: specs comparison
Well, even though we weren't exactly caught by surprise by the offerings of the fifth-generation iPad, Apple has at least surprised us with the name of its new full-sized tablet. So, here it is, the iPad Air, and boy does it deserve the new name! The iPad Air is extremely thin and weighs just 16.86 oz (478 g), which is a great improvement compared to the iPad 4's 23.35 oz (662 g). So, that's OK, but what about the other specs of the new tablet? How's good's the new processor, how does it compare to its predecessor? And perhaps even more importantly, exactly how does it compare to the specs sheet of the iPad 2? Why is that? Well, it's because the iPad 2 actually stays on sale as a more affordable tablet starting at $399.

As you can imagine, starting November 1, there will be a lot of users wondering which one to pick up, and so what better way to find out than to take a close look at the exact differences between the two? Of course, keep in mind that specs aren't all, and there are some things that cannot be seen or felt on paper, but still, a good old specs comparison remains one of the most informative ways of finding out which device would be best for you. Isn't that right?

Apple iPad Air Apple iPad 4 Apple iPad 2

Design

Dimensions
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
9.50 x 7.31 x 0.34 inches
241.2 x 185.7 x 8.8 mm
Weight
16.86 oz (478.0 g) 23.35 oz (662.0 g) 21.62 oz (613.0 g)
Materials
Back: Aluminum
Keys
Right: Volume control, Other Right: Volume control, Other Right: Volume control, Other
Colors
Black, Gray, Silver, White Black, White Black, White

Display

Size
9.7-inch 9.7-inch 9.7-inch
Resolution
1536x2048px, 264 PPI 1536x2048px, 264 PPI 768x1024px, 132 PPI
Technology
IPS LCD IPS LCD IPS LCD
Screen-to-body
71.65 % 65.03 % 65.03 %
Colors
16 777 216 16 777 216
Features
Oleophobic coating, Ambient light sensor Oleophobic coating, Ambient light sensor Ambient light sensor, Oleophobic coating

Hardware

System chip
Apple A7 Apple A6X Apple A5
Processor
Dual-core
1400 MHz
Cyclone
Dual-core
1400 MHz
Dual-core
1000 MHz
ARM Cortex-A9
GPU
PowerVR G6430 PowerVR SGX554 PowerVR SGX543MP2
Memory
1GB (LPDDR3)/128GB 1GB/128GB 0.5GB (DDR2)/64GB
OS
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) iOS (9.x, 8.x, 7.x, 6.1, 6.x, 5.1, 5, 4.x)

Battery

Type
8820 mAh, Li - Polymer Li - Polymer 6944 mAh, Li - Polymer

Camera

Rear
Single camera Single camera Single camera
Main camera
5 MP (Autofocus, BSI sensor)
Aperture size: F2.4
Focal length: 33 mm
5 MP (Autofocus, BSI sensor)
Aperture size: F2.4
0.7 MP
Aperture size: F2.4
Video recording
1080p (30 fps)
Time-lapse video, EIS, Video calling
1080p (30 fps)
EIS
720p (30 fps)
Video calling
Front
1.2 MP
Video capture: 720p (30 fps)
1.2 MP
Video capture: 720p
0.3 MP VGA
Video capture: VGA

Connectivity & Features

Bluetooth
4.0 4.0 2.1, Yes
WLAN
802.11 a,b,g,n,dual-band
Multiple antennas, MIMO, Hotspot
802.11 a,b,g,n,dual-band
Hotspot
802.11 a,b,g,n
USB
Lightning Lightning Proprietary
HDMI
Yes Yes
Location
A-GPS, Glonass, Cell ID, Wi-Fi positioning A-GPS, Glonass, Wi-Fi positioning A-GPS
Sensors
Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass
Other
Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync, AirDrop Computer sync, OTA sync, AirDrop Computer sync, OTA sync

Multimedia

Headphones
3.5mm jack 3.5mm jack 3.5mm jack
Speakers
Multiple speakers Loudspeaker
Features
Album art cover, Background playback Album art cover, Background playback, Dolby Digital Album art cover, Background playback
Screen mirroring
TV-out TV-out TV-out
Additional microphone(s)
Yes

Cellular

4G (FDD)
Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26 Bands 4, 17
3G
Bands 5, 8, 2, 1 Bands 5, 8, 2, 1 Bands 5, 8, 2, 1
Data Speed
LTE, HSPA, UMTS LTE Cat 3 (100/50 Mbit/s), HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s, HSDPA+ (4G) 21.1 Mbit/s, UMTS HSDPA 14.4 Mbit/s, HSUPA 2 Mbit/s, UMTS
SIM type
Nano SIM Micro SIM Micro SIM

Phone Features

Notifications
Flight mode, Silent mode Silent mode, Speakerphone Silent mode, Speakerphone
Other features
Voice commands, Voice recording Voice commands, Voice recording Voice recording

Regulatory Approval

FCC approval
Date approved: Oct 22, 2013
FCC ID value: BCGA1475
Date approved: Mar 02, 2011
FCC ID value: BCGA1396
Measured SAR
Body: 1.19 W/kg
Simultaneous Transmission: 1.33 W/kg
Body: 1.19 W/kg Body: 1.19 W/kg
Measured in: 1900 MHz

Buyers information

MSRP
$ 929 $ 799
In The Box
Lightning to USB Cable, USB Power Adapter Lightning to USB Cable, USB Power Adapter Dock Connector to USB Cable, 10W USB Power Adapter

Availability

Officially announced
Oct 22, 2013 Oct 23, 2012 Mar 02, 2011


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