Apple is called the iPhone company for a simple reason: this phone embodies its phenomenal commercial success of the last ten years. But his iPad is also doing very well on the tablet side. Its most recent version bears witness to this: the new iPad Air, powered by the mechanics of a MacBook, has become the benchmark for this market… for the moment.
The experts behind the independent benchmarking service Geekbench confirmed that the processor of this new iPad Air is as powerful as that of the iPad Pro, just days after the conference on March 8 where Apple CEO Tim Cook showed off this new iPad — alongside a cheap iPhone SE and an overpriced new desktop computer called the Mac Studio. The iPad Pro is the most powerful tablet in Apple’s catalog. At $999, it’s $250 more expensive than the iPad Air ($749).
However, we must mention rumors to the effect that an iPad Pro tablet could be on the market within a few months and that it would be equipped with a revised processor to be also faster – possibly called M2. The technical sheet to match the iPad Air could only stand out for a short time while waiting for this newcomer, therefore.
This will annoy those who are constantly looking for the most muscular machine. For everyone else, the iPad Air with M1 chip is undoubtedly the reference tablet from Apple. It’s the same chip that equips the MacBook and it shows: everything on the iPad Air runs with great fluidity. Provided you pay the price. In addition to that of the device as such, the accessories offered by Apple to transform it into a personal computer or a digital slate quickly drive up the bill.
At least it doesn’t run on gasoline…
Extended cycle
The tablet market is more fragmented than we think. Microsoft has carved out a space for itself in this niche with its line of Surface Go and Surface Pro devices. Google has tried its luck with its Android system tablets but has more recently fallen back on Chromebook laptops mainly to target the school market. Samsung has become by default the main promoter of Android tablets and its Galaxy Tab S8 range is its latest offering in this direction.
Given the trending prices, none of the midrange products like the iPad Air are a bargain. It’s not a toy. The base $429 iPad is more appropriate for gaming or even light family use. The iPad Air is aimed at more mobile people looking to travel light without neglecting the possible need to perform certain tasks described as more “productive”. A keyboard case will make a fairly complete notebook. The USB-C port allows you to transfer videos and photos taken with a digital camera to do all kinds of editing, or even to simply edit a more substantial video clip. The iMovie video editor was designed by Apple for this purpose.
As interested consumers must amortize a purchase price that is comparable to that of an entire laptop computer, Apple had the good idea a few years ago to split the operating system of its mobile devices in two to s ensure that applications for iPad would be better suited to their format than to that of the iPhone. The same goes for neither Windows nor Android, which do better on a PC and phone screen, respectively, than on a tablet.
Better matching of hardware with software promises to stretch the useful life of the device. In the game of planned obsolescence, the iPad Air risks aging much more slowly than a competing tablet of the same price. With one detail: its base storage of 64 gigabytes is rather sparse. The 256 GB version seems more suitable.
Valuable accessories
The problem with tablets is the same as with new cars: versions with optional accessories are the most attractive and are also the most expensive. The iPad Air shines when slipped aboard Apple’s Magic Keyboard case, which replicates the layout of a Mac, including the touchpad. Its price: 400 dollars.
Such an accessory makes it possible to use the front camera more comfortably for calls and video conferences. The device manages to automatically frame on its user’s smile even when it moves, which is becoming more and more a norm among mobile devices in general. The microphone picks up voice well and manages to reduce background noise, but the speakers (horizontal stereophonic) could be a tad more powerful. Its autonomy could also have been improved. It is sufficient for a day of use but we always want more…
The Apple Pencil is appealing to him despite the $169 he commands. It magnetically affixes to the side of the tablet for easy charging and use. There is even an application (Nebo) capable of transcribing handwritten notes scribbled in Quebec into computer text. It’s rare !
Naturally, more affordable accessories from other manufacturers will no doubt appear soon. Accessories that will help Apple’s tablet further blur the line between who is and isn’t a personal computer. A good way, in the end, to make this digital shift so vital to many people without having to acquire a slew of different gadgets. At this game, the iPad Air is currently hard to beat.