In front of a packed crowd and millions watching live via the Internet, Apple finally unveiled the update to its flagship tablet device called the iPad Air.
With a sleeker design, more powerful camera and faster processor, the new version of the iPad will likely attract an entirely new set of fans. Those most interested in using the device for its mobile capabilities will probably be excited to know that the new version of the tablet weighs just one pound.
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Contrary to some rumors, the new iPad Air does not come with the same fingerprint sensor technology included on the iPhone 5S. Nevertheless, the new model is still a significant upgrade from the previous version.
Now that the new iPad Air is here, where does it rank among its competitors? We put the best of the other tablets in its class up against the iPad Air to compare the specs of the tablets side-by-side.
A Test of Tablets
Apple iPad Air
Microsoft Surface 2
Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 8.9
Nexus 10
Screen Size
9.7 inches
10.6 inches
8.9 inches
10 inches
Resolution
2,048 x 1,536
1,920 x 1,080
2,560 x 1,600
2,560 x 1,600
Pixel Density
264 ppi
208 ppi
339 ppi
300 ppi
Weight
1 pound
Less than 1.49 lbs
Wi-Fi 13.2 ounces , 4G LTE + Wi-Fi 13.5 ounces
1.33 pounds
Dimensions (WxHxD)
9.4 x 6.6 x 0.29 inches
10.8 x 6.7 x 0.35 inches
9.1 x 6.2 x 0.31 inches
263.9 x 177.6 x 8.9 mm
CPU
A7 chip with 64-bit architecture, M7 motion co-processor
Quad-core 1.7 GHz Nvidia Tegra 4
Quad-Core 2.2 GHz
Dual-core A15
Storage
16GB, 32GB, 64GB or 128GB
32GB or 64GB
16GB, 32GB or 64GB
16GB or 32GB
Connectors
Apple 9-pin dock Lightning connector
USB 3.0, HD video out port
USB 2.0 (micro-B connector)
microUSB, microHDMI
Operating System
iOS 7
Windows RT 8.1
Fire OS 3.0
Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
Battery Life
10 hours of video playback
10 hours of video playback
11 hours
9 hours
Camera
FaceTime HD front camera, iSight 5MP rear camera
3.5MP front camera, 5MP rear camera
HD front camera
5 MP, main; 1.9 MP front
Networking
Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n); dual channel (2.4GHz and 5GHz) and MIMO Bluetooth 4.0
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0
Dual band, dual antenna (MIMO) Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0
Price
$499 for 16GB, $599 for 32GB, $699 for 64GB, $799 for 128GB (Wi-Fi); $629 for 16GB, $729 for 32GB, $829 for 64GB, $929 for 128GB (Wi-Fi + cellular)
$449 for 32GB, $549 for 64GB
$394 for 16GB, $444 for 32GB, $494 for 64GB (Wi-Fi); $494 for 16GB, $544 for 32GB, $594 for 64GB (Wi-Fi + cellular)
$399 for 16GB, $499 for 32GB
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