What in the world made people think the iPad air would be as light as the Mini??
It's a full size iPad! Of course the mini feels different!
The mini is a completely different product.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
iPad iPad Air - First impressions
- Thread starter GregD
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
What in the world made people think the iPad air would be as light as the Mini??
It's a full size iPad! Of course the mini feels different!
The mini is a completely different product.
I just got the iPad Air and my wife has the iPad 2 and she loves my iPad Air a lot. She been playing with it on and off and she says it's much nicer and worth it if she wanted a new one. She's waiting for new mini to get one.
Don't understand how one can take a picture on OP's impression or it didn't happen reply ? Goofy at best.
Retina Display alone comment doesn't make sense either. The iPad 3 and 4 have retina, so the iPad Air with retina is not worth the upgrade alone. Need more than that for an upgrade. Like..
1. Touch ID
2. Much better Camera
3. Dual flash like iPhone 5S
4. Front facing stereo speakers
5. 802.11 ac
Now that is what the iPad Air should have had with the smaller size/weight to upgrade to.
6. 2 GB of memory would be icing on the cake
I never described the iPad 4 as bulky/heavy. The problem is even though the Air is much lighter, it will never be more portable or easy/comfortable to handle than the Mini.
But the trade off this time is I rather have a larger screen for games and videos etc. and the Air is very much tolerable even though I am so use to the Mini.
But the trade off this time is I rather have a larger screen for games and videos etc. and the Air is very much tolerable even though I am so use to the Mini.
Yes, and its a major upgrade, thinner, lighter, faster. Something must be wrong if U think there's not a major difference.
Seriously?
I have an iPad 3 and my GF an iPad 2, which we both use daily. I went to pick-up my Air at the local Apple Store and when I held the new Air in my hands I knew I had to get another one for my GF. Wow. Noticeably lighter and thinner. I don't know how they do it and keep the 10 hour battery life along with the beautiful Retina screen. I also have a current Mini and the difference in weight between the Air and the current Mini is not much.
The added speed alone (very nice!) would make the Air a great upgrade from the iPad 2 but when you add a Retina screen along with the thin and light form factor it is a no brainer.
I have an iPad 3 and my GF an iPad 2, which we both use daily. I went to pick-up my Air at the local Apple Store and when I held the new Air in my hands I knew I had to get another one for my GF. Wow. Noticeably lighter and thinner. I don't know how they do it and keep the 10 hour battery life along with the beautiful Retina screen. I also have a current Mini and the difference in weight between the Air and the current Mini is not much.
The added speed alone (very nice!) would make the Air a great upgrade from the iPad 2 but when you add a Retina screen along with the thin and light form factor it is a no brainer.
Don't understand how one can take a picture on OP's impression or it didn't happen reply ? Goofy at best.
Retina Display alone comment doesn't make sense either. The iPad 3 and 4 have retina, so the iPad Air with retina is not worth the upgrade alone. Need more than that for an upgrade. Like..
1. Touch ID
2. Much better Camera
3. Dual flash like iPhone 5S
4. Front facing stereo speakers
5. 802.11 ac
Now that is what the iPad Air should have had with the smaller size/weight to upgrade to.
6. 2 GB of memory would be icing on the cake
He said he has an iPad 2 and wasn't impressed by the iPad Air. The Retina display alone justifies an upgrade.
iPad 4 is what the iPad 3 should have been though. The A5X really struggled to power the retina display. All that HP and it could only maintain the iPad 2's performance. The iPad 4 with the A6X was powerful enough to power the retina display and improve performance.
As for the OP, yeah compared to the Mini, the Air is still big and bulky. Though it is still thinner and lighter than your iPad 2. Though the difference is smaller compared to the 3 and 4.
I've had a 2 since first day it was released and tried a 3 then a 4 but returned them both as I was just so comfortable with the 2.
The 3 and 4 were noticeably heavier and chunkier than the 2 and the retina screen was no big deal for me.
I picked up an Air yesterday and so far very good. Will probably keep this one and pension off the trusty 2 while it is still a current model.
The 3 and 4 were noticeably heavier and chunkier than the 2 and the retina screen was no big deal for me.
I picked up an Air yesterday and so far very good. Will probably keep this one and pension off the trusty 2 while it is still a current model.
I tried a Ford F-150 and it didn't drive like a Honda Civic. Damn, sorry for the rant.
This. Haha
I also tried the mini but didn't like it since I already have an iPhone for "pocket/on the go" needs.
My iPad Air is amazing! Doubt I'll use my MacBook as often.
Last edited:
Actually i think he has it spot on. Retina alone to me does not justify an upgrade
----------
Don't understand how one can take a picture on OP's impression or it didn't happen reply ? Goofy at best.
Retina Display alone comment doesn't make sense either. The iPad 3 and 4 have retina, so the iPad Air with retina is not worth the upgrade alone. Need more than that for an upgrade. Like..
1. Touch ID
2. Much better Camera
3. Dual flash like iPhone 5S
4. Front facing stereo speakers
5. 802.11 ac
Now that is what the iPad Air should have had with the smaller size/weight to upgrade to.
6. 2 GB of memory would be icing on the cake
Yeah man that's pretty much my feeling, where's touch ID, where's the better camera, no bezels etc. just seems like another minor bump with slight casing redesign. No major breakthroughs.
Thank you for all your responses guys nice to have a healthy debate about this
----------
Possibly, but then again i had an iPhone4 and didn't feel the need to upgrade but when I held the iPhone5 it felt so light compared, I changed my mind and upgraded.
The Air did not feel significant enough a change to warrant a purchase.
Love my iPad air. I'm not so happy with my survivor case. I love the protection it provides but it's muffles the sound bad and there is no flap to open this one.
Whereas the iPad3 is a "two year" iDevice, I can see the iPad Air becoming a "three year" iDevice (or longer).
It is a healthy upgrade and worth the price spread between the two machines.
It is a healthy upgrade and worth the price spread between the two machines.
Agreed. Because the iPad1 is underpowered and cannot run the latest software. But there is little to nothing that the iPad Air can to do that the iPad 2 can't. The Retina screen is nice to have, but it's not as striking as the difference between the non-retina iPhone 3GS and the iPhone 4, for instance.
As an iPad 2 owner I'll wait another year myself. The next model will most certainly come with 2GN of RAM and thus won't be as RAM-starved as the current iPad Air. It will also come with other new features.
