iPad Air 2 has an A8x with 3 cores. Benchmarks vs dual core A9 is basically the same.
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The New iPad vs. 9.7-inch iPad Pro and iPad Air 2
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By getting rid of the iPad mini 2 and the iPad Air 2, Apple had effectively shut down production of A7 and A8X chips.
Now the only pre-A9 chip Apple still makes is the A8 chip, and maybe Apple has already stockpiled enough of those to close down production.
I'm guessing next line to go would be the A9X line when A10X based iPads get introduced.
"That tablet was originally rumored to be coming in the spring, but now it's looking like we won't see it until later in the year."
Umm ... pretty sure "spring" just started?
Umm ... pretty sure "spring" just started?
Its called sarcasm. You know, like a joke? It doesn't hurt to have a sense of humor once in awhile.
[doublepost=1490241210][/doublepost]So Apple doesn't have courage anymore? They released both MacBook Pros and now this iPad with a headphone jack. That kind of defeats that whole lame "courage" excuse. Also, does this use USB C? Or can we not plug it into the new MBP just like the iPhone 7? Its not easy trying to make sense of all this nonsense!
No, the new iPad has the A9 meant for iPhones, not the A9X that was made for iPads. Trying to drive that many more pixels effectively kills whatever speed advantage the A9 has on paper over the A8X. The Air 2 is thinner, lighter, has a better looking screen and is 30 dollars cheaper, real dollars and not a gift card you may or may not ever use.
While driving an iPhone sized display. Watch that difference diminish significantly when it's paired with an iPad sized screen. Sort of like how your brand new little V4 might be snappier than an older V6 until you dump a load of cinder blocks into the trunk.
Uh, what?
The iPhone 6 has a resolution of 1334 x 750, the new iPad has a resolution of 2048 x 1536. Those aren't even close to the same. The X version of A series processors have beefed up GPU's designed specifically for that difference, so when you put them side by side, an A8X is going to perform damn near identical if not better in some cases than the new A9.
So why in god's name would you pick a "new" iPad over an Air 2, which is thinner, lighter, has a better looking display and is, again, 30 actual dollars in your pocket cheaper?
More powerful chip, more efficient, longer OS support, and paired with a larger 34.2whr vs the Air 2's 27.3whr. I would get the new iPad over the Air 2.
Geekbench scores are resolution independent.
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I was saying the Air 2 and iPad have the same resolution. I didn't realize you were talking about the iPhone. The A8X will perform worse than the A9 in ALL cases. The X Apple SoC's were created as a quick way to boost performance before a new architecture. It has never outperformed a new architecture.
For example:
A10 > A9X > A9 > A8X > A8 > A7 > A6X
An A6X won't outperform an A7 just as an A8X won't outperform an A9.
Check the offscreen GPU benchmarks for A8X vs A9.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/8666/the-apple-ipad-air-2-review/4
http://www.anandtech.com/show/9686/the-apple-iphone-6s-and-iphone-6s-plus-review/7
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I absolutely agree.
When my 6s hits its end of life I will be looking for the smaller 5s form factor if Apple does away with the 6s headphone jack line of iPhones.
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For a brighter screen and more reflection of course. /s
For iPad Air 2 users, this new iPad is not upgrade-worthy in any sense.
After using Air 2 for 2.5 years, I feel that this model has aged well and still no slouch when it comes to performance.
After using Air 2 for 2.5 years, I feel that this model has aged well and still no slouch when it comes to performance.
No. It's not a new size. It's the exact same size as the iPad Air 2 and 9.7 Pro, with the exception of a slightly added thickness to the casing.
Since you're quick to joust at the iPad, there was a comparison chart in the article that you clearly didn't reference.
Exactly. Dimensions at http://www.apple.com/ipad/compare/ for this new iPad are the same as https://support.apple.com/kb/sp692?locale=en_US.
It is annoying that it's just called iPad. I'm not sure how people should really refer to it vs. all the others. iPad Air 1.5? iPad (early 2017)? iPad Air 2nd generation? At least for "the new iPad", many folks esp. those who work on iOS stuff for a living would just call it iPad 3.
I'm guessing that Apple just didn't want to leapfrog either of their Pros yet and at the same time, didn't want to make it the same thickness as the Air 2/9.7-inch Pro, so they're now forcing market segmentation. Want the thinnest, lighest and fastest 9.7-inch? Pay more for the Pro version.
It's too bad they left the price of the Pros alone and raised the entry price on the mini 4 by forcing you to take on 128 gigs of storage...
I wonder if this iPad will fit iPad Air cases well, esp. molded ones or will the shape or positioning of certain things (e.g. button, cameras, sensors, etc.) be off?
It'll be interesting to see its benchmarks vs. Air, Air 2, mini 4 and 9.7-inch Pro.
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Why are people defending the new iPad Neutered? (They should call it by this name)
It's multi-core (overall) performance is similar to A8X found in iPad Air 2.
Conclusion: This iPad Neutered is an excellent upgrade for folks wanting to upgrade from iPad Air 1 and below.
For iPad Air 2 users, this one is clearly a sidegrade with a pinch of downgrade.
The newer iPad has same pathetic 4G reception and speed as their 12.9" iPad Pro. Apple should be ashamed of themselves for not including LTE-A 300Mbps.
I am planning to keep my Air 2 purchased in Nov 2014 even longer and the legend lives!!!
It's multi-core (overall) performance is similar to A8X found in iPad Air 2.
Conclusion: This iPad Neutered is an excellent upgrade for folks wanting to upgrade from iPad Air 1 and below.
For iPad Air 2 users, this one is clearly a sidegrade with a pinch of downgrade.
The newer iPad has same pathetic 4G reception and speed as their 12.9" iPad Pro. Apple should be ashamed of themselves for not including LTE-A 300Mbps.
I am planning to keep my Air 2 purchased in Nov 2014 even longer and the legend lives!!!
Yes I agree the mini is my perfect size. Easy to fit in my small bag. Good for browsing anything, easy to hold in any hand size. But I wish the mini would be able to make calls too. This will make it perfect n more versatile. Although i also hv an iphone but just wished
I wonder if they made the new IPad thicker compared to IPad Air 2 to stop the noise vibration prevalent in the latter model.
