iPad Air vs. iPad Air 2

The iPad Air 2 marks a major improvement over the original iPad Air, gaining a thinner design, an A8X processor, an 8-megapixel camera, 2GB of RAM, a laminated display, an anti-reflective screen coating, and a Touch ID fingerprint sensor.

That said, the majority of iPad Air 2 reviews have indicated that there's no real compelling reason for most iPad Air owners to upgrade, as the improvements to the iPad Air 2 will not be noticeable for most tasks.

For example, simple web browsing and the majority of iPad games will see little improvement going from the A7 to the A8X despite its impressive speed gains. The performance improvements will be more noticeable with system-intensive tasks like console-quality games, video editing, photo editing, modeling, design, and more.



As Apple pundit John Gruber points out, the iPad Air 2 is the first mobile device that begins to compare with Apple's MacBooks. In fact, the tablet is faster than a MacBook Air produced in 2011, which is an impressive feat. The lines between MacBook and iPad are becoming blurred with the iPad Air 2, and the tablet may be a solid upgrade for users who are looking for a tablet powerful enough to replace a laptop.

At the current point in time, there are a limited number of apps and games that are able to take advantage of the iPad Air 2's capabilities, but as time goes on and developers create apps that push the limits of what's possible, it may become more worthwhile to own the upgraded tablet.

Reviews have suggested iPad Air 2 owners may not notice too much of an improvement in the iPad Air 2's weight and thickness, as it is only 18% thinner than the original iPad, but the difference in both size and performance will be very noticeable to those who own an original iPad, iPad 2, iPad 3, or iPad 4.