iPad Air Benchmarks Reveal 1.4 GHz A7 Processor, 2x Performance Gain Over iPad 4

[Billywiz1307]

With this performance on the iPad Air, why would anyone buy the iPad 2 with a difference here in the UK of just £70, madness!

In fact, why have Apple kept the iPad 2 in the stable with such a narrow price point. Oh, I know why, it's because they know there a lot of mugs out there who don't know the difference and they've a load of iPad 2 inventory to shift.

 

[Lesser Evets]

So, in the span of just 19 Months the iPad performance jumped 561% from 263 to 1465?

That is just insane. And people complain about Apple not innovating.

If you can trust Geekbench standards, the current iPad is a much-more powerful device than the 2003 MacPros… and I have one, too, which is incredibly slow compared to the iPad.

 

[Eadfrith]

LOL my netbook, which is my main PC has an Atom N280 and scores 285 !!

 

[Klae17]

I'm not happy at how fast these expensive devices become outdated.

Wait until you buy a car. Money down the drain!

 

[HurryKayne]

Ipad Mini will naturally simply destroy the Classic A5 Mini ^^.
Very powerful "pocket" machine.

 

[Northgrove]

The performance gain since the iPad 3 just 1.5 years ago is just crazy. These iPads are surely getting improved performance much faster than apps even need it.

 

[AdeFowler]

Would be nice to see the 5s, 5c, and 5 on that chart for comparison.

But it makes the current Mini and legacy iPad 2 both looks like dogs.

Just for fun I’d like to see the original iPad on the chart as that is what I’ll be replacing. I can’t wait to preorder.

 

[MartinAppleGuy]

How do these scores compare to desktop/laptop computers?

It puts it line with a Macbook Pro (early to late 2008). And yes, that is comparing the multicore 64bit score of the iPad Air and the Macbook Pro.

 

[weckart]

I have never thought for a moment that my iPad 3 or mini was slow, so I am interested to know how these results work in real world application.

I have a 5s and an iPad Mini and I am pushed to see any real difference in performance to be perfectly honest. I have kept my iPad on iOS6, though, so perhaps any extra grunt the A7 gives is partly swallowed up by iOS7 until that gets properly optimised plus the more resource hungry screen.

Maybe if you game a lot, which I don't, you will notice this more.

 

[MartinAppleGuy]

If you can trust Geekbench standards, the current iPad is a much-more powerful device than the 2003 MacPros… and I have one, too, which is incredibly slow compared to the iPad.

It puts it in line with a 2008 Macbook Pro. I am guessing you forgot to compare the mutlicore score of the Air and the Macbook?

 

[Northgrove]

It puts it line with a Macbook Pro (early to late 2008). And yes, that is comparing the multicore 64bit score of the iPad Air and the Macbook Pro.

WTF... I didn't even...

 

[CreepingDeath]

Believe or not, I just sold my 32GB Wi-Fi only iPad 2 for $400 today!
Put it up on what you'd call a Craigslist of some sort here in Denmark and got an offer I couldn't refuse = sold!

I AM READY FOR THE iPAD AIR!

 

[christarp]

LOL my netbook, which is my main PC has an Atom N280 and scores 285 !!

Mine too... Sigh..

 

[Gudi]

Wait until you buy a car. Money down the drain!

The car loses its resale value, but not its use value. Next years car isn't twice as fast. Last years car is good for another ten years of use. The iPad 3 won't last for much longer, now that every new iPad will have an A7 or better.

 

[BvizioN]

I'm not happy at how fast these expensive devices become outdated.

Outdated? Not really! People are still using the original iPad!

 

[MartinAppleGuy]

WTF... I didn't even...

I beats the early 2008 model and is just under the late 2008.


http://browser.primatelabs.com/geek...ntel Core 2 Duo T9500" frequency:2600 bits:64

http://browser.primatelabs.com/geek...ntel Core 2 Duo T9550" frequency:2660 bits:64

 

[Davidkoh]

It puts it in line with a 2008 Macbook Pro. I am guessing you forgot to compare the mutlicore score of the Air and the Macbook?

From what I can see the iPad Air scores higher than the 2010 MacBook Pro 13" even. There was a huge jump in computational power for the Macs when they moved to Sandy Bridge though.

http://browser.primatelabs.com/geekbench3/search?utf8=✓&q=macbook+pro+13+2010

EDIT: Saw I was not comparing against a 64-bit OS X, but even with that it it is about on par.

 

[MartinAppleGuy]

From what I can see the iPad Air scores higher than the 2010 MacBook Pro 13" even. There was a huge jump in computational power for the Macs when they moved to Sandy Bridge though.

http://browser.primatelabs.com/geekbench3/search?utf8=✓&q=macbook+pro+13+2010

EDIT: Saw I was not comparing against a 64-bit OS X, but even with that it it is about on par.

You are right Pretty amazing that a tablet is as powerful as a £1000 power laptop; eh

 

[chowmein]

How long till one of these mobile processors can rival something like a mobile intel processor?

i.e. is the A7 as powerful as the Core2duo @ 2.0GHz?

If apple can brand their own mobile processors and have them made, how long till they are making desktop and mobile chips? just a thought....

interesting future for sure...

John Gruber just posted a review of the new iPad and he does a benchmark comparison between a couple iOS devices and a 2010 MacBook Air. Based on the Geekbench results, the model he's using probably has a 1.4 or 1.6 GHz C2D. Still, the iPad delivering a ~180% performance increase over a laptop processor made to work with actual moving fans and greater thermal headroom is absolutely freaking nuts...

 

[MartinAppleGuy]

WTF... I didn't even...

Sorry, it gets even better. The score is also around the same as a 2009 Macbook Pro

http://browser.primatelabs.com/geek...ntel Core 2 Duo P8800" frequency:2660 bits:64

 

[Davidkoh]

You are right Pretty amazing that a tablet is as powerful as a £1000 power laptop; eh

Yeah, I had one of those back in 2010 before I moved to the 2011 Air. Not a slow machine at all back then, I even know people who still use theirs. I find it insane that you can fit that power in a 469g tablet with over 10 hours of battery life in it. I love how fast tablets are progressing.

 

[Gudi]

Outdated? Not really! People are still using the original iPad!

As a picture frame or a fancy wall-mounted watch.

Pages for iOS requires iOS 7. iOS 7 requires an iPad 2.

 

[AndreM]

Great but IOS7 is clearly not optimized for 'old' iPads

It is great how fast the newer iPads 4 and Air seem to be. Now it is obvious that the new IOS7 is made with these new machines in mind since the performance on the 'old' iPad3 (yes, it is over a year old) is a real distractor.

 

[Menneisyys2]

Would be nice to see the 5s, 5c, and 5 on that chart for comparison.

But it makes the current Mini and legacy iPad 2 both looks like dogs.

The AnandTech review has it on p3: http://www.anandtech.com/show/7460/apple-ipad-air-review/3

 

[HarryWild]

Blow away performance for the Air!

Cannot wait to buy the iPad Mini Retina with the A7 and M7 inside. I betting it will be almost exactly the same performance as the "Air". Possibly a little less but close.