SAN FRANCISCO — The iPad’s dense weight has been a longstanding complaint since the tablet first made its debut. But this has not stopped it from achieving long usage rates among users — a sign that tablets, or iPads rather, are not a passing fad.

According to a survey by research firm Gartner, 80 per cent of iPad owners use their tablets at least 10 times daily. Apple chief executive Tim Cook even pulled out a slide during the company’s iPad Air launch event to show that iPad usage rates were four times as much as other tablets.

This is why the iPad Air’s apparent lightness is such a big deal. Its more lightweight form will not tire your arms quickly under prolonged usage.

The original iPad weighed 680g and was 13mm thick, and the new iPad Air weighs 469g and is 7.5mm thick — this makes it 31 per cent lighter and 42 per cent more svelte than the original.

While it might not seem like much, the iPad Air does feel a lot lighter to hold in the flesh. The narrower bezel on its sides makes it look much sleeker and, at-a-glance, seems less cumbersome to hold compared to its predecessors.

The iPad Mini, on the other hand, retains its form factor but gains a leap in processing power, while packing a high-resolution display. It has certainly caught up with its bigger sibling.

This makes it tougher for consumers to choose between the iPad Air and the Mini. The only major feature that you might need to consider for your needs, apart from Apple’s premium prices, is the size of the display that you are comfortable with. The iPad Air will go on sale Nov 1 and start at S$688 for a model with 16 gigabytes of memory. A new iPad Mini with Retina display will be available later in November starting at S$548 for a 16-gigabyte model. All three local telcos have said they will offer the iPad Air with Wi-Fi + Cellular on Nov 1 and the iPad mini with Retina display later in November.