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 vs Apple iPad 4 vs 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 g) the average is 13.8 oz (394 g) | 23.35 oz (662 g) the average is 13.8 oz (394 g) | 21.62 oz (613 g) the average is 13.8 oz (394 g) |
| Materials | Main body: Aluminum | ||
| OS | iOS (11.x, 10.x, 9.x, 8.x, 7.x) | iOS (10.x, 9.x, 8.x, 7.x, 6.1, 6) | iOS (9.x, 8.x, 7.x, 6.1, 6, 5.1, 5, 4.x) |
| Display | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical size | 9.7 inches | 9.7 inches | 9.7 inches |
| Resolution | 2048 x 1536 pixels | 2048 x 1536 pixels | 1024 x 768 pixels |
Pixel density
Pixel density - The pixel density of a display represents the number of pixels over an area of one inch. It’s measured in “pixels per inch”, or ppi. The higher the number, the more detailed and good-looking the display is. | 264 ppi | 264 ppi | 132 ppi |
Technology
Technology - There are two main screen technologies currently used in phones and tablets: LCD and AMOLED. The former usually features a light source and liquid crystals, while the latter is based on organic light-emitting diodes. Newer LCD variations like IPS-LCD and Super-LCD allow for very accurate color reproduction and very wide viewing angles, where no significant image quality loss is observed. Current AMOLED screens differ in such a way that they can exhibit much more saturated colors (sometimes too much) and incredibly high contrast levels, which is due to black color being completely black in AMOLED displays. | IPS LCD | IPS LCD | IPS LCD |
Screen-to-body ratio
Screen-to-body ratio - Shows what part of the frontal area of a phone its screen occupies. | 71.65 % | 65.03 % | 65.03 % |
| Colors | 16 777 216 | 16 777 216 |
| Camera | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Camera | 5 megapixels | 5 megapixels | 0.7 megapixels |
| Aperture size
Aperture size - The aperture of a camera is the opening through which light travels before it reaches the camera sensor. The smaller the number is, the bigger this opening is, allowing for more light to pass. | F2.4 | F2.4 | F2.4 |
| Focal length (35mm equivalent)
Focal length (35mm equivalent) - The lower (shorter) the focal length number, the wider the shot will be. Conversely, longer focal length cameras produce narrower frames, which can be used for telephoto (zoomed-in) purposes. | 33 mm | ||
| Hardware Features | Autofocus, Back-illuminated sensor (BSI) | Autofocus, Back-illuminated sensor (BSI) | |
| Software Features | Digital image stabilization, Touch to focus, Face detection, Self-timer, Digital zoom, Geo tagging | Touch to focus, Face detection, Geo tagging | |
| Camcorder | 1920x1080 (1080p HD) (30 fps) | 1920x1080 (1080p HD) (30 fps) | 1280x720 (720p HD) (30 fps) |
| Recording format | H.264, MOV | ||
| Features | Time-lapse video, Digital image stabilization, Video calling | Digital image stabilization | Video calling |
| Front-facing camera | 1.2 megapixels | 1.2 megapixels | 0.3 megapixels VGA |
| Video capture | 1280x720 (720p HD) (30 fps) | 1280x720 (720p HD) | 640x480 (VGA) (30 fps) |
Partners
| Hardware | |||
|---|---|---|---|
System chip
System chip - Most modern handsets use an advanced chip that includes many of the device’s hardware modules like the processor, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and sometimes even the wireless radio. This field shows what particular system chip (or System-on-a-Chip) is used in the phone. | Apple A7 | Apple A6X | Apple A5 |
Processor
Processor - The processor is the main computing component of a phone and is a major factor when it comes to the overall speed of the device. Some more powerful smartphones use dual-core and quad-core processors designed to deliver greater performance. | Dual-core, 1400 MHz, Cyclone, 64-bit | Dual-core, 1400 MHz | Dual-core, 1000 MHz, ARM Cortex-A9 |
Graphics processor
Graphics processor - The graphics processor is important for the smooth operation of the system and especially in games and other applications that may involve complex graphics and animations. | PowerVR G6430 | PowerVR SGX554 | PowerVR SGX543MP2 |
System memory
System memory - System memory, or RAM memory is the type of memory that the device uses to temporarily store data from the OS or currently-running apps. The more RAM available to the device, the better the performance will be when multiple or heavier programs are running. | 1 GB RAM | 1 GB RAM | 0.5 GB RAM |
| Type | LPDDR3 | DDR2 | |
Built-in storage
Built-in storage - Bigger storage capacity allows you to keep more content saved onto your device, such as more applications, photos or video. Games and video content typically take up the biggest amount of storage space. | 128 GB | 128 GB | 64 GB |
| Battery | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Capacity
Capacity - The bigger, the better! However, battery capacity is not the only factor that has an effect on battery life. Those include the chipset in use, the software running on the device, as well as the consumer's unique usage pattern. | 8820 mAh | 6944 mAh |
| Multimedia | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen mirroring | TV-out | TV-out | TV-out |
| Cellular | |||
|---|---|---|---|
CDMA
CDMA - Code Division Multiple Access. A technique of multiplexing, also called spread spectrum, in which analog signals are converted into digital form for transmission. For each communication channel, the signals are encoded in a sequence known to the transmitter and the receiver for that channel. The foremost application is digital cellular phone technology from QUALCOMM that operates in the 800MHz band and 1.9GHz PCS band. CDMA phones are noted for their excellent call quality and long battery life. | 800, 1900 MHz | ||
| GSM | 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz | 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz | 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz |
| UMTS | 850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz | 850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz | 850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz |
| LTE (FDD) | Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26 | Bands 4, 17 | |
| Data | 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 |
| Shopping information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| MSRP price | $ 929 | $ 799 |
