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Posted 20 hours ago

Apple iPad Air 16GB Wi-Fi - Space Grey (Renewed)

£249.5£499.00Clearance
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About this deal

Since launch Apple has applied some significant updates to its platform with iOS 9 first, and now the iPad Air 2 sports the latest version of Apple's operating system - iOS 12. Game availability for the 200+ titles across devices varies based on hardware and software compatibility. Some content may not be available in all areas.

That said, the iPad Air, with iPadOS 15.4, is fully capable of replacing a laptop for a lot of people. This could change in mid-2019 when Apple releases iPadOS, its new operating system for tablets that's set to overhaul the way you use your iPad. It brings new features like gestures and improved markup, so look out for that if you're a huge iPad fan. Perhaps most useful of all though is Split View, which at launch was only available for the iPad Air 2 and lets you run two apps side by side, with each getting half the screen. Two years on and it’s very much the same story, except that the latest iteration – the 5th generation iPad Air – is arguably closer in specifications and capabilities to the 11in iPad Pro than ever before.

iPad (6th generation)

Still, if you need the performance, there’s loads on tap here. Below is a selection of benchmark results, all of which show the iPad Air 5 ahead of both its predecessor and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 by a significant margin. It’s also not far behind the M1 12.9in iPad Pro and the M1 Mac mini. I wish I could somehow type the long sigh I emit whenever I begin to talk about the camera on any tablet - and Apple's only gone and made the camera better here, which makes things worse for people like me trying to hold off the barbarians.

But, the real sense of the change comes when you compare the Air with the outgoing 4th generation device. The iPad Air’s dimensions read – 240 x 169.5 x 7.5 mm, while the previous generation’s dimensions were somewhat like this – 241.2 x 185.7 x 9.4 mm. Width difference is mostly because of the thinner bezel on the right and left of the screen. However, the true meaning of this refresh is understood by the weight reduction that has happened – 469 grams now as against the 652 grams earlier. It is a tad lesser than 200 grams, but that makes an unbelievable amount of difference. It would not be too harsh to say that ever since the iPad 2, weight gain had become a part of the upgrade cycle, without anyone even mentioning it. The problem is, companies like Apple are extolling the virtues of using the large screen as a more ample viewfinder.Good (Grade B): A few signs of wear-and-tear show that it’s clearly seen a fair bit of use, but overall it’s in good shape. There might be a few surface marks, but it’s still aesthetically sound. Functionality isn’t affected in the slightest, though - everything works perfectly! So, in the face of that competition - and the other slates that have launched since the Air 2 - is the iPad Air 2 still worth buying?

But, as I said, benchmarks aren't everything. My real-world use has mirrored that of my iPad Pro. Apps not only load fast, but there are no performance issues while multitasking and using more than one app at a time. English (U.S.), English (Canadian), English (UK), English (Australian), Chinese - Simplified (Handwriting, Pinyin, Stroke), Chinese - Traditional (Handwriting, Pinyin, Zhuyin, Cangjie, Stroke), French, French (Canadian), French (Switzerland), German (Germany), German (Switzerland), Italian, Japanese (Romaji, Kana), Korean, Spanish, Arabic, Bulgarian, Catalan, Cherokee, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Emoji, Estonian, Finnish, Flemish, Greek, Hawaiian, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Macedonian, Malay, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Portuguese (Brazil), Romanian, Russian, Serbian (Cyrillic/Latin), Slovak, Swedish, Tamil, Thai, Tibetan, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese If you reside in the U.S. territories, please call Goldman Sachs at 877-255-5923 with questions about Apple Card.

Performance

It is finally in the fifth generation that Apple has given the iPad a proper design and form factor tweak. Ever since the second generation, the iPad has carried on with the tapered design with thin sides. But, with the iPad Air, the biggest change is the slimming down of the bezel, on the right and the left of the screen. To make it even simpler – imagine an oversized iPad Mini, and that is what the iPad Air essentially looks like. Not at all a bad thing, because the iPad Mini’s design is extremely sophisticated, and when it was launched last year, it was extremely refreshing as well.

If you don’t mind missing out on the Pro’s 120Hz display, its Face ID camera and its slightly superior audio system, the iPad Air delivers a very similar overall experience and performance for a lot less cash. I’ve seen others wondering where the iPad Air 5 (2022) fits into the iPad range, especially since the iPad Pro 11in is so similar and more capable. I think, however, that it’s more appropriate to flip that question and ask what the point of the smaller iPad Pro is, now that the Air has inherited its M1 processor. Does the iPad Air 2's design warrant the high price tag? Yes, more than any other tablet on the market. It brings a premium build, quality finish, great looks and while it doesn't need to be this thin, the structure doesn't seem to have had an effect on the actual performance of the tablet, and does add something in the palm.

iPad mini 3

Between iOS 8 and now plenty has been added and changed. iOS 8 and 9 are covered below in our original review, but key updates that have since arrived include Apple's Files app, new emoji, drag and drop, a redesigned App Store, a revamped Control Center, grouped notifications, Siri Shortcuts and screen time reports, among many other things. Clearly a response to Google's constant refinement to its Android software (which began with Project Butter in Jelly Bean and really made a difference to touching the front glass of Android devices) the iPad Air 2 features a much more responsive touch panel which makes it much simpler to register swipes through. That’s the big change, but look hard and you’ll see that there are other updates. There’s a natty new Blue colour (pictured), to add to the Space Grey, Pink, Purple and Starlight (white) options you had before. This looks lovely, although if you’re sensible, you’ll be covering it with a folio or keyboard case anyway. The displays have rounded corners. When measured diagonally as a rectangle, the iPad Pro 12.9-inch screen is 12.9 inches, the iPad Pro 11-inch screen is 11 inches, the iPad Air and iPad (10th generation) screens are 10.86 inches, and the iPad mini screen is 8.3 inches. Actual viewable area is less.

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