IPad Air

IPad Air is a product line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc.. The iPad Air was announced on October 22, 2013, and the first generation was released on November 1, 2013. The iPad Air features a thinner design with similarities to the contemporaneous iPad Mini 2, along with the same 64-bit Apple A7 processor with M7 coprocessor.

History

The iPad Air was announced during a keynote at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts on October 22, 2013. The theme of the keynote was named 'We still have a lot to cover.' The iPad Air was released on November 1, 2013, starting at $499, while the iPad 2, which the iPad Air replaced, was discontinued.

Design

The iPad Air marks the first major design change for the iPad since the iPad 2; it has a thinner design that is 7.5 millimeters thick and has a smaller screen bezel similar to the iPad Mini. Apple reduced the overall volume for the iPad Air by using thinner components resulting in a 22% reduction in weight over the iPad 2.

Hardware

The iPad Air uses the Apple A7 processor, the same 64-bit system on a chip (SoC) in the iPhone 5S. It also includes a M7 (motion coprocessor) that gathers data from the sensors of the device to offload work from the A7 for improved power efficiency.

Software

The iPad Air originally shipped with iOS 7, which was released on September 18, 2013. It can act as a hotspot with some carriers, sharing its Internet connection over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or USB, and also access the Apple App Store, a digital application distribution platform for iOS.

Reception

The iPad Air has received positive reviews. Critics praised the device for its reduction in weight and size, increase in speed, and improved power efficiency.

See also

• IPad
• IPad Mini
• IPad Pro
• Apple Inc.