iPad Air glass does feel kinda plasticky to me but I like it. Feels like my fingertips can glide better on the Air. 
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iPad Cheap feeling screen on iPad Air
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I store/charge my iPad Air on a stand at right side of my iMac that has a window that is partially reflected in the iPad screen. This is where the previous generation iPads sat as well. The Air is the first one that I see the glass deflect in the window's reflection when touched. It surprised me at first touch but the screen is responsive and it isn't a concern for me.
Having used my Air for a few weeks now I'm no longer neutral on the screen feel... I positively love it! I've come to notice that the flex of the glass makes typing feel more natural because the fingers bounce off the surface. With previous iPads with harder glass caused energy of finger taps to be immediately dampened by the glass resulting in an unnatural "thud" feeling.
This.
I had the 4th gen ipad and was nervous about the Air because of these silly posts.
It's fine.
R
It's not just the feeling or sound as well. If I press down on two sides of my air, I actually hear air escaping. It actually makes an air whooshing sound that maybe an app developer will utilize to turn the Air into a wind instrument.
Definitely feels cheap to me compared to the iPad 3. But what can you do, it's the lightest and thinnest tablet and I guess comes at the price of having a solid feeling screen.
This could be a first gen thing that is "fixed" by the next Air.
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This is a very good point that is making me feel much better about it.
Whoah! Super thin glass tablet cracks when dropped on a rocky surface! Color me shocked.
As far as the cheaper feeling screen, it does feel a tad hollow but it comes with the territory of being so light. Think of it like moving from a 1980's Buick to a 2014 Corvette and nitpicking about the body panels feeling more plasticky
Whoah! Super thin glass tablet cracks when dropped on a rocky surface! Color me shocked.
As far as the cheaper feeling screen, it does feel a tad hollow but it comes with the territory of being so light. Think of it like moving from a 1980's Buick to a 2014 Corvette and nitpicking about the body panels feeling more plasticky
Sure, drop test is an extreme. But designing a tablet in such a way that super thin glass has no structural support in hollow areas is super lame. A premium $500+ tablet having the traits of a cheap $50 Chinese knockoff?
The Mini, on the other hand, feels rock solid. No air squishing out.
A larger surface area of glass with the Air would make it more susceptible to cracking compared to a smaller device such as a rMini or iPhone.
I don't see how this is a concern unless you take your tablet hiking??? Phones require more stringent drop tests than tablets. The usage traits of tablets make them less prone to being dropped.
As far as air squishing out of the display, not sure where that came from. If anything, the rMini has more traits of a cheap $50 Chinese knockoff with that crappy display and washed out colors.
Actually, looking at the teardowns of the Air (with LTE)
http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/qrRuRR6nQ2OlPYOO
and rMini (WiFi)
http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/4inuvDgn2lgWyltm
- it looks like large hollow areas on top are in WiFi models only; in cellular models, they're filled by cellular module.
So both WiFi Air and Mini have just thin glass hanging literally in the air (although on the Mini these areas are smaller than on the Air). Lame, Apple! It looks like even dropping keys or a heavy pen on this spot could easily crack the glass.
http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/qrRuRR6nQ2OlPYOO
and rMini (WiFi)
http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/4inuvDgn2lgWyltm
- it looks like large hollow areas on top are in WiFi models only; in cellular models, they're filled by cellular module.
So both WiFi Air and Mini have just thin glass hanging literally in the air (although on the Mini these areas are smaller than on the Air). Lame, Apple! It looks like even dropping keys or a heavy pen on this spot could easily crack the glass.
I definitely had the same feeling with the Retina mini. I love that it's so thin and light, but it also feels hollow.
I think Apple really need to use a laminated display with the next revision of iPads, because that should take care of this problem, and the screens will look a lot better.
Perhaps it's because they're using thinner glass now, but the gap between the display and the glass seemed more noticeable than ever with the Retina mini.
I think Apple really need to use a laminated display with the next revision of iPads, because that should take care of this problem, and the screens will look a lot better.
Perhaps it's because they're using thinner glass now, but the gap between the display and the glass seemed more noticeable than ever with the Retina mini.
I'm starting to feel the same way. The first few times I typed I did find it a little plasticky feeling. But now I find it quite pleasing. The glass is thinner and so is the overall device which explains the different feeling. Just gotta get used to it.
Feels cheap, looks like a millions dollars
Of course I also have noticed the different sound and feel of the thinner screen and have got used to it. As long as the screen continues to look as good as it does and perform well the thin screen isn't an issue to me.
Why are people pushing down on the screens enough to hear a whoosh? I'm afraid I'd hear a whoosh followed by a crack! I also don't feel iPads are indestructible either and that some care needs to be followed.
Of course I also have noticed the different sound and feel of the thinner screen and have got used to it. As long as the screen continues to look as good as it does and perform well the thin screen isn't an issue to me.
Why are people pushing down on the screens enough to hear a whoosh? I'm afraid I'd hear a whoosh followed by a crack! I also don't feel iPads are indestructible either and that some care needs to be followed.
IGZO has zero to do with anything even remotely related to this thread.
Just remember folks, when the iPad 1 came out, it was thin and light and a joy to use. A miracle! Then, when the iPad 2 came out, people said it felt like a toy compared to the iPad 1. When the 3 came out, people said it was too heavy. The iPad 1 felt like a brick by comparison. Now it's the Air, the lightest iPad ever, and people are complaining it's too light, and the super thin glass is too thin. Well, this is what you get when you demand ever lighter and thinner devices.
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Honestly... It feels like glass to me. The first gen Mini felt terrible to me, but I love the feel of the iPad Air. Maybe I got lucky with a better screen? Not sure. Feels NOTHING like the garbage on the first gen Mini.
There is absolutely a plastic feel to the iPad Air versus my old iPad 3, but it not bothersome whatsoever. The Air is so extraordinarily light and still feels solid. To those who equate plastic with cheap, you need not worry.
I am not one to put a case on my electronic devices. But the feel of this screen made me get the Apple Smart Case out of fear that the screen would crack if I put it in my laptop bag or something.