Customer Reviews

Apple 16GB 9.7-inch iPad Air (Space Grey) - (ARM A7 1.3GHz, 1GB RAM, 16GB Memory, Wi-Fi, iOS7)

Beautifully designed, incredibly slim, light and fast - but is it the best iPad for you?

The new iPad Air is Apple's latest, slimmest, lightest release of their hand-held computer. Oddly enough, it's so beautifully easy to use (my one year hold daughter loves playing with it), it's almost doesn't feel like a computer.

A word of warning - this review is written for people who've never owned an iPad before - and are wondering what all the fuss is about. If you're thinking of upgrading skip down to the "What's great about the Air" section below.

What would you use if for?
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* Reading web pages. As you can hold it like a book it's great to read the news (my wife loves the Daily Mail Online).
* Reading Books. It's great for reading books from Amazon Kindle or Apple Books
* Navigating web pages. Instead of pressing buttons, you gently swipe your fingers to scroll around
* Watching Films. I use it to watch Netflix online videos (with an Apple TV you can send stuff to the telly)
* Reading and replying to mail. I use "mailbox" a great free app to read and reply to mails
* Showing and organising photos. Any photos on an iPhone are automatically available within minutes in "the cloud"
* Playing games. From fun puzzle games like "Cut the Rope" to fully fledged first person shooters.
* Watching TV. With the free BBC iPlayer app you can catch up or download BBC programs
* Listening to the Radio. With "Tune in Radio" you can listen to thousands of radio stations world-wide.
* The list goes on and on.

Which model should I buy?
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I can't comment about Android tablets (apart from the Google Nexus 7 which is well regarded), but in terms of the Apple tablet line-up in order of cost:-

1. Avoid the Apple iPad 2, it's a relatively old model, under-powered and with a lower resolution screen. If you really want an Apple but don't want to spend the cash, buy a 16g WIFI 3rd generation iPad from eBay. Avoid this one.
2. iPad mini is a lovely tablet. A 7.9 inch screen and astonishingly light - it feels like a light-weight book.
3. iPad mini with retina screen. Again 7.9 inch screen, but with the blazingly fast A7 chip and a "retina" (high quality) screen. Worth the upgrade if you can afford it.
4. iPad Air. Much larger screen size (9.7 inches - doesn't sound much but it makes a huge difference). Same fast (A7) chip as the Mini with Retina - the latest and fastest iPad available.

Clearly (from my viewpoint) there's only really three options. The iPad Mini, the Mini with retina screen and Air.

What are the Optional add-ons?
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Well, assuming you've dropped by the Apple Store or John Lewis and handled the iPad Mini (with/without retina screen), and iPad Air (which I would highly recommend) then your options are around memory size and cellular option.

Memory: Once bought, you can't add memory (space for apps, films, books etc). However, the basic price goes up a huge amount (+�80 for the 16g to 32g iPad Air). But, having owned a 16g and then a 32g iPad - I can safely recommend the 16g unless you really want to store a huge amount of videos and downloads. Only you can decide, and if you're lucky enough that money is no object then splash out. Otherwise, 16g should be fine for most people.

Celular: Allows you to connect to the internet while you're out and about. This will add an additional +�100 to the price and means you can slip in a mobile phone SIM card. This means (for an additional �7-15 a month extra), you can access the internet on the move. Alternatively, you can opt for the WIFI option, and use it at home or at at "hot spot" (eg. Starbucks, most rail stations and hotels etc).

Personally I'd buy (and indeed did), the 16Gb iPad Air WIFI.

Do I need anything else?
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Most people (me included) buy a cover. Apple (and now several copy-cats) make a "smart-cover" which automatically shuts down the iPad when you close it, and switches it on when you open it. There's versions which cover the back, or just the screen. Apple charge from �35 to �65 for their (admittedly) high quality fabric or leather covers, but there's many available from �10.

Personally, it's a pity to cover the beautiful aluminium industrial design of the iPad with a cover - but if you've spent hundreds of pounds you'll want to protect it from scrapes and bangs.

I also invested in a keyboard as I tend to write a lot of mails and documents (remember it comes with a word processor). I'd recommend the Logitech Ultra Thin iPad Air Case with Keyboard - Space Greyand the ZAGG Keys iPad Air Case Folio with Backlit Keyboard - Black although these are strictly optional unless you want to use your iPad as a proper laptop.

Finally, if you have another Apple device (eg. an iPhone, Apple TV or Mac) you'll find these work together beautifully. For example, you can create a reminder on your iPad and it appears on your iPhone. Equally, photos taken on your iPhone appear on your iPad, and you can stream music or videos from iPad, iPhone or Mac to an Apple TV.

Some people think this "locks you in" - but it's your choice.

What's great about the Air?
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* Lighter (30%) and thinner than the previous version (469g from 650g)
* Even faster A7 chip (future proof)
* Improved sound (compared to the iPad 4)
* Free iWork and iLife software including
+ iMovie - edit and publish home made movies
+ Numbers - Fully functional Excel for the iPad
+ Pages - Word processor
+ GarageBand - Play a piano or a drum kit
+ iPhoto - Edit and organise your photos

What's not so great?
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* Change in size means you may need a new keyboard or replacement cover
* Pity Apple didn't include the "touch ID" to secure your passwords

Overall Opinion
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It's hard to believe the iPad version 1 was released just four years ago, and there's a huge raft of "me too" tablet computers to choose from, but the Apple iPad Air is still the one to beat. As "Which?" magazine put it - "...the best tablet we've ever tested. Apple packs a beautiful screen and lightning fast processor into a slimmer-than-ever shell, and battery life is very impressive".

Yes, there are cheaper Android based alternatives, but the quality, design and beauty of this tablet just sets it apart. If it were a car it'd be a top of the range Mercedes or a BMW.

Highly Recommended.

PS. If you found this review useful, please click below. Feel free to comment or ask a question.

Apple really know how to work an audience thanks to their marketing hype and by limiting supplies at launch date.
I am no Apple iOS diehard fan, in fact I have several android tablets (including the Nexus 7, which I love).

Hence I will present an honest and unbiased review of the iPad Air.

Having two other iPads: iPad 1 and iPad 3, I'm no newbie to the iPad.
When my iPad Air finally arrived (I had it pre-ordered for several months) I thought that the store had made a mistake and got me the iPad mini instead!
I opened the usual premium Apple packaging, and was greeted with a lovely, super slim gem of a tablet. The bezel is so much thinner too, no wonder it could be mistaken for a mini.
It really is a pity that I had to buy a protective case, which covers the lovely beautifully crafted aluminium body. Yet it means that your investment will still look like new for years.

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Case options: Skip this part if not interested.

When it comes to cases there is quite a choice. I call these necessary evils, yet one should not skimp on a quality case offering the best protection possible.

I have the original Apple, Invision and the Veo cases for the iPad Air
They weigh 148.7g, 208.5g and 230.7g respectively.
All have their good and bad points.
The Apple case is expensive, and the volume and sleep buttons are a nuisance to operate as they are covered in the thick premium leather. The other cases offer easy access to the buttons. However this case offers the best protection and looks great. It takes a lot of patience to remove this cover once it is in place.
The Invision is a very cheap case and a best seller. It looks sturdy and the stitching is top notch, yet I don not particularly like the shiny finish. The iPad is held in place by 4 corner tabs which tend to pop out of place fairly easily.
The Veo is probably the nearest to the Apple as far as looks go. It comes in a mat finish and is held in place via a long plastic strip below the volume buttons, and 4 solid corner tabs.
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Now does the iPad Air really live up to the hype?

A quick answer is "Yes"! The zippy 64 bit A7 processor and crisp, colourful screen are the best I've seen on any tablet so far..... and by far!
And what makes this the best 10" tablet to date are the apps, which have been optimized to take full advantage of the powerful 64bit processor. As an example: If you have a 64bit operating system but 32bit software than the performance increase is negligible.
Apps written for iOS are generally superior to the android version. There are various reasons for this:
1. Applications are only available through the App Store, which offers virus free software.
2. Very reliable iOS platform.
3. The iPad's popularity and consistent 9.7" display through the years. Most other platforms have new tablets springing every other day and use different screen sizes and processors.

Pros:
- Fastest processor (in combination with apps) on the tablet market to date.
- Great build quality
- Retina display. Great saturation and vivid true colour screen.
- Best iPad to date, with amazing apps popping up everyday. Even though it sports the same display as the iPad 4, the viewing angle is far superior, probably thanks to the closer proximity of the display to the scratch proof glass.
- Vast choice of apps which can do the same things laptop/desktop can
- Awesome battery life thanks to the new low consumption A7 processor. No other tablet manufacturer can match as yet
- Is now widely used by airlines and pilots: This gives the iPad the ultimate seal of approval for versatility, reliability, performance and virus immunity

Jeppesen, the leading Airline chart manufacturer has been officially endorsed by EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) to provide digital navigation charts on the iPad for use in flight decks by pilots, and is being used by major airlines. This is a first, and truly revolutionary!

Cons:
- Proprietary hardware required. Ie: Bluetooth GPS, Airprint printers..
- Screen is not as customisable as Android.
- No expandable memory
- No touch ID

I would have loved to see an improved version of the iPhone's touch ID. Some of my friends have initially used the touch ID as a novelty feature, yet have now disabled it as they found it frustrating to use on the iPhone.

So if that satisfies your needs the next thing to consider is which version of the iPad Air should you go for?

I would first start with the common denominator. All flavours offer the same A7 chip, retina display and Wi-Fi.
So the options are colour, storage size and cellular.
1. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, yet I do suggest a side by side hands on comparison. I personally find that the "Space Grey" version looks simply awesome.
2. Given the fast processor I would say go for the largest available storage you can afford. This might easily be a laptop alternative. However some might argue that stuff can be saved to the "Cloud". (You would then need Wi-Fi hotspots to access files)
3. Many fall into the trap of thinking that cellular versions only offer data. The cellular version also comprises a GPS chip which works as good as the best GPS receivers. So this has to be taken into consideration when factoring in the price difference the cellular version.

Highly recommend to anyone on the move wanting a versatile, fast and reliable alternative to a laptop computer.

Hope this review can help you choose the right iPad to suit your needs

Product was as described. Brand new all sealed up and arrived in perfect condition. I would be happy to recommend this to anyone

Since Apple announced the iPad Air and the new iPad mini I trully wanted to get my hands on these. Unlike the new iPad mini, the Air is available for anyone who wants to upgrade from the previous generations iPads or get an Apple tablet for the first time. I already own the 4th gen iPad , but I couldn t miss the newer edition for anything in the world, now that I knew it was lighter and more powerful.

No offence to the Android community, this iPad is hands down the best tablet in its category. Continue reading below and some of you may agree with me. :)

The latest generation of iPad, the iPad Air, took its name because of its weight and its form factor in general. Apple decided to reduce the weight and the bezel around the screen, managing to create a bigger...ipad mini. A sleek design of aluminum, packs a 9.7 inches display with the same retina resolution as the previous ones. The colours look alive and the photos look crispier as ever. The screen is responsive in every command without glitches or lagging; after all i can t remember of any Apple touchscreen product that ever had lagging issues.

Rear camera remain the same while the front camera is packing a 1.2 MP lens recording in 30fps. For some the same rear camera and the lack of a flash is a drawback while for others it doesn t matter at all. Personally, I would enjoy a flash on the iPad Air since there are moments I use it in darker environments where I want to take photos or record a video. Also, the lack of the slow motion recording that the iPhone 5s camera packs is a thing that its missing and will be probably added in the next gen.

In terms of audio quality, Apple added stereo speakers on this device, although you won t enjoy stereo surround when you hold the tablet in landscape since both of the speakers are located on the bottom side of the tablet. I think that not only iPad Air but tablets in general didn t do huge leaps improving sound quality.

Apple claims that iPad Air is twice as fast as the previous generation and believe me, it is! The new 64 bit A7 is really fast! Before I sell my beloved and long used iPad 4th gen I had the chance to compare them side by side. The difference in terms of speed is huge, while the battery holds the same 10 hour efficiency. iOs is operating beautifully under this new beast and free iWork & iLife apps is a welcome addition for any new owner of iPad air.

One of the biggest let downs is the lack of the touch id that is supported in iPhone 5s. Why do tablet owners always have to wait for next generation to get features which already exist in the latest smartphones? The technology is there and they can use it. For the money that iPad Air cost, they should have packed Touch id! Period!

PROS:
+ Lighter & smaller
+ New faster 64 bit A7 chip
+ Free iLife & iWork suite

CONS:
- No rear camera improvement
- No Touch Id

OVERALL:
Besides the drawbacks, this is the best tablet available in the market at the moment. If you love Apple's ecosystem, go for it. If you ve never been a part of it, this is your best chance!

*Forgot to mention: iPad Air is available in 16 flavors in total -> wifi & wifi + 4g X 2 colours (silver & space grey) X 4 storage options (16,32,64 & 128 GB ). Personally, I prefer the space grey colour and for my needs the 16 GB - wifi + 4G. What about you?