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iPad Air review: Did the diet make Apple's tablet more attractive?

SIZE MATTERS ...

... when it comes to tablets, at least.

The introduction of the iPad Mini last November had a far-reaching long-term effect on my tablet usage that I did not anticipate when I briefly reviewed it.

Over the course of the past 11 months, time and time again, I’ve reached out for the Mini despite also owning its bigger brother, the 9.7-inch iPad.

Undeterred by its smaller 7.9-inch screen and slower processor, I was using the tablet substantially more to watch movies, read books and comics, to churn out articles and to create my own home-movies and music (in another life I would have been a keyboardist in a Depeche Mode-inspired band, complete with a quiff from the ‘80s).

The iPad Mini’s great portability - it can, for instance, fit in the front pocket of my blazer - meant I could bring it almost anywhere without looking socially awkward and its weight, or lack of it, guaranteed hours of usage without tiring my arms out. The slower processor and lack of a high-resolution display on the Mini turned out to be a blessing because it meant its battery lasted much longer.

Which is why I think the iPad Air is kind of a big deal. Shaving off all that weight could mean that others may have the same experience I did when I got the iPad Mini.

HARDER, BETTER, FASTER, STRONGER

At first glance, the Air looks like an upsized iPad Mini. The device’s handsome metallic unibody design is top-notch and – in my opinion, but I say this objectively – is currently unmatched when it comes build quality and aesthetics. Its closest competitor might be Microsoft’s Surface tablet.

It is a svelte 7.5mm, the height of three newly-minted S$1 coins stacked on top of each other, making it about 20 per cent thinner than its 9.5mm predecessor.

The device retains the 9.7-inch high-resolution Retina display but its side bezels have been slightly trimmed so it is not as unwieldy or cumbersome in your hands.

More importantly, Apple has subjected it to a diet and at 469g (for the wifi-only version), the tablet has shaved off 28 per cent of its weight.

In use, the difference in heft is marked if you are able to compare it hand-in-hand with one of its predecessors. The reduced weight made it far more comfortable for prolonged usage. While commuting, I could comfortably hold it up with one hand, as opposed to hanging on for dear life with the other hand while on a swaying train.

And despite the reduction in volume, Apple has impressively crammed more horsepower and kept the tablet’s battery life consistent with its predecessors.

Under the hood, the Air houses the new 64-bit A7 processor utilised in the iPhone 5s. This new iPad can pretty much take any graphics-intensive game or processor-intensive app you throw at it. Playing console-quality games in a device smaller than an A4-sized foolscap pad (remember those?) in your hands almost seems like a pipe-dream but yes, it’s really possible.

Apple claims that you can use it for up to 10 hours to surf the Web on Wifi, watch video or listen to music.

Under my usual daily usage – on any given day, I might watch a movie, surf the Web, play some games, read books and check my email periodically – I could go one and a half days, or just above 10 hours of use in total, until the iPad Air needed a charge.

A bonus for frequent flyers: Unlike the current crop of of smartphones, the 4G version of the iPad Air is compatible with the different 4G networks used by telcos across the globe. You can easily use a 4G network overseas via data-roaming or by popping in a nano SIM card from a local telco.

WHAT’S LACKING

I ran into a bit of pickle while handling a conference call via an app on the iPad Air. Because the iPad doesn’t quite do multi-tasking like conventional computers, I could not run another app side-by-side and refer to a spreadsheet or a presentation.

As tablets gain more prominence in the mainstream and take the place of computers, consumers will request such a feature. Tablets from the likes of Samsung and Microsoft are already one-upping Apple with such multi-tasking features.

The camera retains its resolution of 5-megapixels, but I wish Apple had included the great 8-megapixel camera it packs in the iPhone 5s in their top-of-the-line tablet. You might snigger, but it’s no longer uncommon for people to whip out their tablets for a photo opportunity. It would certainly make taking selfies much more interesting.

(Both phone and tablet are equally lacking in the front camera department, both sporting the same feeble 1.2-megapixel option.)

And unlike the 5s, the iPad Air doesn’t do slow-motion video and can’t take as many photos in burst mode. It’s a pity because the large high-resolution screen is a generous canvas and viewfinder, ideal for handling photos and movies.

WORTH BUYING?

Despite looking a tad familiar even after a refresh, the iPad Air sees the most significant change in form factor and horsepower to the iPad since it was first launched.

Just the lightness alone makes it that much more useable. Personally, I’m torn between the iPad Air and the new Mini, with its high-resolution display.

Both tablets now feature almost the same specifications and only vary when it comes to screen real estate.

The way I see it, the iPad Mini provides a more personal and intimate tablet experience. But if you need a full-sized keyboard for word-processing and long bouts with your email, or the bigger screen to show clients or friends photos, the iPad Air might be a better choice.

And if you’re mulling between platforms - mainly, Android or Windows at the moment - the iPad, thanks to Apple’s focus on user interaction, by far provides the best user experience when it comes to ease-of-use. But in doing so, it sacrifices a degree of software customization, and it also lacks a multi-tasking experience you’re more used to on a conventional computer.

The iPad Air will go on sale in Singapore on Nov 1 and will start at S$688 for a model with 16GB of memory and S$870 for the 4G version. It is also available in models with storage capacities of 32GB, 64GB and 128GB. The new iPad Mini with Retina display will be available later in November starting at S$548 for a 16GB model. INFOGRAPHICS BY MOHD AZHAR AZIZ

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