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iPad Do you think one could hold the iPad Air 2 with just one hand for a long time?

I

insoc

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 23, 2012
64
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I use an iPad Mini because of its ligthness but certainly would like a bigger screen. When the first iPad Air came last year I didn't make the change because I thought the iPad Air still was too "heavy".

Last week I hold a Sony Xperia Z2 tablet and it's so tinny and light is seems almost a joke... or magic and for the first time I hold another table (other than my iPad Mini) that I could hold with one hand for a long time just like I do with my iPad Mini though the Xperia is "heavier" than the Mini (the XPeria just weight 426grams).

Reading the specs of the iPad Air 2 I see the Air 2 is even thinner than the Xperia Z2 and 10 grams heavier. If the Air 2 is anything like the Xperia Z2 I'm all in for the Air 2. Do you think the added 10 grams more of weight in comparison with the Xperia Z2 would make it not able to hold with one hand for long times just like the Xperia Z2? Do you think that because the Air 2 is so thin (thinner than the Z2 or iPad Mini) that would help in "feeling" less heavier?

I read that the new Air 2 is so light and thin there is actually no need to still have a iPad Mini if you want ligthness and ease of holding with one hand.
 
None have been delivered yet, so it's too soon to ask. Hopefully, the pre-order people will be answer your question when theirs arrive. Good luck.
 
I have an Air which is only slightly heavier than the Air 2. No I can't comfortably hold it w/ one hand for a long time. It's still about a 1lb. The mini is better at that.
 
insoc said:
I use an iPad Mini because of its ligthness but certainly would like a bigger screen. When the first iPad Air came last year I didn't make the change because I thought the iPad Air still was too "heavy".

Last week I hold a Sony Xperia Z2 tablet and it's so tinny and light is seems almost a joke... or magic and for the first time I hold another table (other than my iPad Mini) that I could hold with one hand for a long time just like I do with my iPad Mini though the Xperia is "heavier" than the Mini (the XPeria just weight 426grams).

Reading the specs of the iPad Air 2 I see the Air 2 is even thinner than the Xperia Z2 and 10 grams heavier. If the Air 2 is anything like the Xperia Z2 I'm all in for the Air 2. Do you think the added 10 grams more of weight in comparison with the Xperia Z2 would make it not able to hold with one hand for long times just like the Xperia Z2? Do you think that because the Air 2 is so thin (thinner than the Z2 or iPad Mini) that would help in "feeling" less heavier?

I read that the new Air 2 is so light and thin there is actually no need to still have a iPad Mini if you want ligthness and ease of holding with one hand.
Click to expand...

Considering the Air 2 is 11 grams heavier than the Xperia, that means the Air 2 is only 2.6% heavier! This delta won't be noticeable.

As for holding it with one hand, the Air 2 still consists of slippery aluminum and is thinner than ever and you can't wrap one hand around it, meaning it will be unusually hard to grasp despite its weight. Maybe a plastic film grip backing or something on the back of the iPad would fix this grip issue without adding too much weight.
 
Put it this way -- if the Air 2 weighed exactly the same as the mini, the larger size will still make it harder to hold in one hand. Not sure what size the Sony tablet is, but weight alone doesn't tell whether something is holdable with one hand or not. You'll just have to wait until people get the Air 2 to hear reports.
 
I understand but you've got to hold the Xperia Z2 to understand what I am talking about. It's so impossible thin and light that you can hold it with one hand just as you could hold a large format magazine. It's like a "barely there" tablet so if the iPad Air 2 it's similar I think the substitution of the iPad Mini is here!

I know the wiser thing to do is to wait for the first reports and I am planning to do that but I'm kind of afraid the Air 2 could go out of stock until next year.
 
Sounds like a great idea for a contest gimmick: The person who can hold the 2 the longest gets to keep it.
 
insoc said:
I understand but you've got to hold the Xperia Z2 to understand what I am talking about. It's so impossible thin and light that you can hold it with one hand just as you could hold a large format magazine. It's like a "barely there" tablet so if the iPad Air 2 it's similar I think the substitution of the iPad Mini is here!

I know the wiser thing to do is to wait for the first reports and I am planning to do that but I'm kind of afraid the Air 2 could go out of stock until next year.
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See, that's the thing, I couldn't really hold a magazine with one hand either. Well, when carrying it, yes, but when reading a magazine, I end up holding with two hands, supporting it on my lap, etc.

Anyway, I don't think you need to worry about the Air 2 going out of stock. The shipping dates seem to be holding.
 
insoc said:
I understand but you've got to hold the Xperia Z2 to understand what I am talking about. It's so impossible thin and light that you can hold it with one hand just as you could hold a large format magazine. It's like a "barely there" tablet so if the iPad Air 2 it's similar I think the substitution of the iPad Mini is here!
Click to expand...

If you're talking about the Xperia Z2 10.1-inch tablet, the ipad Air 2 is both thinner and lighter based on the specs here:

http://www.sonymobile.com/global-en/products/tablets/xperia-z2-tablet/specifications/
 
I'm going to say for me personally, not a chance.

The original Mini was terrific one handed. When I decided to replace it, I tried my husband's Air, thinking I could go back to the larger version. Not only was it significantly heavier, but the larger size made it too unwieldy to hold with one hand for long. I inevitably ended up propping it on things, where I didn't have to do that with my Mini.

Enter the Mini 2, picked up last Friday. The increased weight over the original is noticeable. It tends to cramp my hand eventually, though nowhere near as fast as the Air did. I do prop it a little more than I had to with my first one, and I suspect I'll get used to it over time. But the new Air weighs more than the Mini 2...I suspect I'd have to use it the same way I do with my husband's, which means completely changing the way I interact with it. Obviously, it's not a huge deal to do so, but for me, the increased screen size wasn't worth it.

That said, they're all lighter than the original iPad. Now that puppy was heavy! :D I still have lots of stands, and special "pillows" made to hold it up while couch surfing. They're still used with the newer models sometimes, but with the change in weight, they're no longer a necessity. (And while it was heavy, the wider side bezels made it easier to balance in some ways because you could hold it from the side rather than the bottom.)

I also don't think the Air 2 will go out of stock. The tablet market is pretty saturated already.
 
insoc said:
Not quite. The LTE Xperia Z2 version is heavier than the Wi-Fi only iPad Air 2. But the Wi-Fi only Xperia Z2 is ligther, by 10 grams, than said Wi-Fi only Air 2.
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Okay. 10 grams is just about 1/3 of an ounce. This is a very, very tiny amount. Obviously if you think it will make a difference to you, you should hold out to play with one in person once the stores have them. That said, I've personally found that the larger a device is, the more uncomfortable it is to hold, and given that the Z2 is a tiny bit taller and wider than the Air 2, I'm betting the differences cancel each other out.
 
I use the iPad 4, holding it in one hand, while its resting in my lap, on a table, etc. Basically my hand is the kickstand lol. I do that for several hours. It'll be nice to get a lighter device. I'll see if I can prop it with my hand for the duration of a battery cycle lol.
 
iF34R said:
I use the iPad 4, holding it in one hand, while its resting in my lap, on a table, etc. Basically my hand is the kickstand lol. I do that for several hours. It'll be nice to get a lighter device. I'll see if I can prop it with my hand for the duration of a battery cycle lol.
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I came from an iPad 3 to an iPad Air. The weight difference alone was worth it. Throw in the speedier processor, and it's a no brainer IMO.
 
How long is long? I hold the first Air for long times, even use flipboard one handed sometimes. but if your talking an hour I wouldn't do that, but 15 minutes at a time, I have no issues doing that.

Every person will be different depending on your hands, strength, etc..
 
Chupa Chupa said:
I have an Air which is only slightly heavier than the Air 2. No I can't comfortably hold it w/ one hand for a long time. It's still about a 1lb. The mini is better at that.
Click to expand...

Right, the Air is like one pound and the Air 2 is like .96 pounds. I doubt the .04 will make a difference. The Air is very light as it is but its hard to hold it for a long time with just one hand nonetheless.
 
I have been trying both and I must say for one-hand use, iPad Mini wins hands down. The weight is just nice and the size is perfect for one hand. At least for me, I can stretch my fingers to hold the iPad conveniently.

iPad Air is very light too. I don't have problem with the weight. It's just that I cannot hold it as convenient as iPad Mini because you need to hold it at the side which does not give you a good balance. You would need a cover that has a band where you can slip your hand into like that moshi's folio cover.
 
Ok so I hope the Air 2 will "feel" like holding the Xperia Z2. Is not until you actually hold that tablet (the Xperia) that you realize that the length of the device does not matter as long as it is thin. The Xperia it's, like I said, impossible thin and light, it's ridiculously easy to hold it with one hand. If any of you have the opportunity to try one you should. As I don't live in the US I guess I'm going to have to wait a little more so I can actually try the Air 2.

One thing I'm sure though: The iPad Air 4, whenever it arrives, would achieve the "impossible" dream to be as light as a single sheet of paper.
 
insoc said:
Ok so I hope the Air 2 will "feel" like holding the Xperia Z2. Is not until you actually hold that tablet (the Xperia) that you realize that the length of the device does not matter as long as it is thin. The Xperia it's, like I said, impossible thin and light, it's ridiculously easy to hold it with one hand. If any of you have the opportunity to try one you should. As I don't live in the US I guess I'm going to have to wait a little more so I can actually try the Air 2.

One thing I'm sure though: The iPad Air 4, whenever it arrives, would achieve the "impossible" dream to be as light as a single sheet of paper.
Click to expand...

You keep saying the Xperia was easy to hold, but did you actually try reading on it, for, say thity minutes?
 
Night Spring said:
You keep saying the Xperia was easy to hold, but did you actually try reading on it, for, say thity minutes?
Click to expand...

Good point. No I didn't hold it for that long time but as a iPad Mini owner (the 1st generation) I can't imagine holding my iPad Mini for 30 minutes neither. It would become "heavier" before that long.

The funny thing about the Xperia is that it is so ultra thin that even if it is heavier than the iPad Mini it "feels" lighter if you know what I mean. It gives a more accurate "holding a piece of paper" feeling than the iPad Mini.
 
insoc said:
Good point. No I didn't hold it for that long time but as a iPad Mini owner (the 1st generation) I can't imagine holding my iPad Mini for 30 minutes neither. It would become "heavier" before that long.

The funny thing about the Xperia is that it is so ultra thin that even if it is heavier than the iPad Mini it "feels" lighter if you know what I mean. It gives a more accurate "holding a piece of paper" feeling than the iPad Mini.
Click to expand...

I actually had that feeling about the Air when I held it for the first time, after having spent a year with the original mini. Still, once I started using the Air regularly, well, there is no escaping the fact it IS heavier than the mini. For me, the bigger screen is well worth the additional weight, though.

Anyway, when I use the iPad, it's usually for long sessions of over thirty minutes. So when people ask me if it's possible to hold an iPad one handed, my answer is always no. It never occurred to me until now that people may be thinking of shorter periods of holding, lol.
 
Holding the new Air one handed would be my least of my reasons to get it versus everything else.

If this is a big factor for anyone, I'd say go with the 2nd gen Mini. It will probably be the best bang for buck tablet on the market as the price will continue to drop for it.
 
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