The iPad Air 2 originally shipped with iOS 8 pre-installed and includes a version of Apple Pay with the in-store NFC functionality removed. iOS 8 comes with several built-in applications, which are Camera, Photos, Messages, FaceTime, Mail, Music, Safari, Maps, Siri, Calendar, iTunes Store, App Store, Notes, Contacts, iBooks, Home, Reminders, Clock, Videos, News, Photo Booth and Podcasts.
Additional apps made by Apple itself are available for free download, which are iMovie, GarageBand, iTunes U, Find My iPhone, Find My Friends, Apple Store, Trailers, Remote, and the iWork apps (Pages, Keynote, and Numbers). [9] Like all iOS devices, the iPad Air 2 can also sync content and other data with a Mac or PC using iTunes.
Although the tablet is not designed to make phone calls over a cellular network, it can place and receive phone calls through an iPhone’s cellular connection, using Apple’s Continuity feature[10] (supported on iOS 8 and later versions of iOS, and OS X Yosemite and later versions of macOS), or using a VoIP application, such as Skype. On June 8, 2015, it was announced at the WWDC that the iPad Air 2 would support all of iOS 9’s new features when it is released in Q3 2015.
Apart from this, most of the features that were introduced in iPadOS will work with this iPad, including support for external USB drives (using the camera connection kits), the redesigned split screen and multitasking interface (with support for two apps to be open at once) and support for Haptic Touch (no haptic feedback will be felt as the iPad family don’t have Taptic Engines). On June 6, 2022 after iPadOS 16 was announced at the WWDC 2022, it was revealed that the iPad Air 2 will not be compatible with this new version of the operating system.
[15] It also uses the Apple M8 motion co-processor which has a barometer and is the first generation of the iPad to inherit the fingerprint Touch ID sensor from the iPhone.
The front-facing FaceTime HD camera has also been improved with a larger ƒ/2.2 aperture, which allows 81% more light in the image. Unlike its iPad predecessors, the mute/orientation lock switch has been removed to accommodate the reduced depth. Apple has released a “camera connection kit” with an SD card reader, but it can only be used to transfer photos and videos to an iPad.
The Verge called the Air 2 “the best tablet ever made”, giving it a score of 9.3 out of 10 while noting that it offered only “iterative improvement” and that there were “missed opportunities” in its design.
iPad Air 2 review
It was hard to see how Apple could improve on the first iPad Air – arguably the finest tablet ever produced at the time. You can talk all you like about what counts as “too thin” but there’s no denying that this tablet is a feat of engineering that for the time pushed the limits of what makes a premium slate. Update: Apple has announced that iPadOS 15, the newest version of its iPad-dedicated operating system, will work on the second-gen iPad Air, so you’ll get features like seamless multitasking, an app library and home screen widgets that can be placed anywhere. The iPad Air 2 feels like a very solid tablet that can be held easily for hours without it getting uncomfortable. The iPad Air 2 is hardly a big tablet, but the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 is both smaller and lighter with the same size display. The plastic back, the larger-bezelled screen and the rim are all competing parts, where the iPad Air 2 is a complete package, smooth and easy to hold in one hand.
I was almost loath to put it in a case – it needs to be protected if you’re going to be running it around town, as that back and chamfered edges will scuff up eventually – but if you’re going to be a sofa-warrior with your new tablet, the Smart Cover will do just fine and won’t obscure the impressive design. Apple would argue that this is because the new Control Center makes the option available throughout the OS with just a flick of the hand, but in truth I’m really going to miss being able to silence the tablet without even looking.
Apple showed off its improvements to an already-impressive tablet by lasering through the pencil it used to demonstrate the thickness of the iPad Air. But the lower weight, combined with the smooth, ceramic-style back, makes the new Apple iPad Air 2 feel like a really premium product. The reduced weight and thickness enhance the tablet’s elegance and portability, and that pushes the iPad Air 2 further into consideration. It’s a way to add a passcode without really noticing it’s happened, and (when widely implemented) will allow you to pay for things on the go without your credit card around.
You can use it on the iPad Air 2 but only on purchases within the App Store itself: don’t go lugging it out of the house and try to buy your shopping with it. It’s hard to know how to really push a tablet with this kind of power, as the likes of Real Racing or Sky Gamblers have always looked rather good on the larger screen. There’s also the ability to use the touchscreen more effectively – the response time of the touch is much increased here, and browsing with the iPad Air 2 is a pleasurable experience. The other benefit of that compressed screen is that it reduces reflectivity – combine that with the anti-reflection coating, and watching films with a light behind you isn’t impossible.
Similarly, the iPad Air 2 more than doubled the score of its predecessor when it comes to contrast rating for high ambient light. Apple has bundled an 8MP iSight camera on the rear of the new iPad Air, and thanks to the A8X chip, the tablet can now also take slow motion video, like the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. The new resolution does produce nicer pictures, and the ability to time lapse or see bigger panoramas is a plus, but I’m still not bothered by the additional technology stuck on the back of the tablet. This could change in mid-2019 when Apple releases iPadOS, its new operating system for tablets that’s set to overhaul the way you use your iPad.
iOS 8 and 9 are covered below in our original review, but key updates that have since arrived include Apple’s Files app, new emoji, drag and drop, a redesigned App Store, a revamped Control Center, grouped notifications, Siri Shortcuts and screen time reports, among many other things. Then there’s Picture-in-picture, which puts a window at the corner of the screen ideal for watching videos in while continuing to interact with other apps. The larger 9.7-inch screen of the iPad Air 2 is great for navigating around the grid of icons, but not so much if you’re looking to use this device one-handed. And possibly physics, as this is a two handed device and as such the lower weight makes it easy to tap and swipe around.
(This one is important as the hardware switch allowing you to do just that has disappeared) Then it’s a quick trip into the Control Center, found at the bottom of any screen on the tablet – although it can be something of a nightmare trying to pull it up when swiping skywards from the home button. Clearly a response to Google’s constant refinement to its Android software (which began with Project Butter in Jelly Bean and really made a difference to touching the front glass of Android devices) the iPad Air 2 features a much more responsive touch panel which makes it much simpler to register swipes through. But the slick Samsung Galaxy Tab S showed that it could be so much better on a tablet, and Apple has stepped up here with the Air 2. In the GeekBench 3 tests, the iPad Air 2 averaged 4,500, compared to around 2,800 for any big handset you can think of.
Apple decided to go for design over battery life with the iPad Air 2, and while this is a bugbear of mine when it comes smartphones I don’t mind it here, it’s less of a hindrance in a tablet. The battery life of 10 hours of web browsing or watching video has been ported over to the newer iPad Air from the original, but given that had a thicker chassis it’s really impressive that the power has been preserved, which is largely down to that improved A8X chip chugging along at the heart of things.
It’s not a terrible result though – while you’ll lose about 20% watching streamed video at full brightness over 80 minutes’ use, the general power consumption when out and about is bordering on negligible. I’ve left the tablet in a bag for a quite a few hours and come back to only find 2% gone, so Apple’s really worked on making sure apps don’t chew down power without you looking.
It’s a slightly different scenario when it comes to gaming, as the longer sessions really take it out of the power pack, especially with the higher-power titles. It’s not terrible, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable taking the iPad Air 2 on a long haul flight if I was thinking of playing Real Racing 3 for three hours. I don’t think battery life is that much of a worry for most tablet users given than you’ll have to be pretty forgetful to not plug it into power once in a while before it runs completely dry. Like the selfie phenomenon, the idea of bringing a tablet as main camera to important events suddenly seems to be acceptable.
The problem is, companies like Apple are extolling the virtues of using the large screen as a more ample viewfinder. While you’ll get acceptable shots with the iPad Air 2, and the resolution gives a clearer picture, it’s still not a great experience – and you break a basic law of civilization in the process. I don’t mind the idea of using this for time lapse, as the larger screen and longer battery are actually pretty handy for setting up a shot – but why you’d have a tablet at a beautiful landscape which might require a panorama is beyond me.
The iPad Air 2 is a great device for consuming media on – but the storage options have changed since its launch back in 2014. We’re pleased Apple has finally cut the 16GB option, as we found it regularly filled up, and when it came to updating iOS we had to delete a raft of apps to do so. It’s a great device for a marathon movie session thanks to being light with a less reflective screen and improved color and contrast ratios. It’s really good for showing off movies or video clips to friends, although if it were front facing then it would be a much better experience. And through the headphones, the experience follows Apple’s established prowess in music, with rich and punchy sound coming through even lower end cans.
2013’s iPad Air, for example: a stunning tablet, with an obvious case for winning the first 5 star review I’d given to such a device. But I remember wondering how that could be topped, whether Apple would just give it a tiny push and call it all-new (like it did with the iPad mini 3, lest we forget). The challenge is even greater here, as not only does Apple have to top its own lofty goal, but also beat off the much-improved competition from Samsung, Google/HTC and Sony. I really like the improved screen, and there will probably be a few smug faces over in South Korea looking at the fact colors seem more vibrant on the new iPad Air 2, rather than focusing on natural hues.
The dislikes are beyond nitpicking: the slow motion video is capped at 120fps (although that is irritating as 240fps on the iPhone 6, a less powerful device, is actually awesome) and you can’t get text messages, only iMessages, on the tablet. Apple has improved on perfection with the iPad Air 2, making something that anyone using a tablet from 2012 or earlier should be thinking very strongly about upgrading to. The combination of power, better screen, improved design and upgraded OS make this a very, very compelling device – and that’s before getting into the fact the app ecosystem is so much stronger than on Android. It goes a long way towards justifying its price tag though, with a faster chipset, a better screen and Apple Pencil support. Yet it upgrades to a metal frame, keeps the microSD card slot and uses a more comfortable, soft touch plastic back. It has stronger multitasking functionality to rival iOS and it keeps Samsung ahead of other Android tablets, even if this update is as small as the form factor is thin. Its color-rich display impresses with white-balance adapting screen technology and its four speakers drown out the audio of other tablets I have used. The faster specs keep this tablet running smoothly, while 4K video and the choice of a 256GB iPad make for an excellent combination. The polycarbonate build of the slate isn’t quite as impressive as the iPad Air 2’s aluminium unibody, but the Xperia Z4 Tablet is perhaps more durable with water and dust resistance added into the mix. What you get for your smaller spend is a less vibrant screen, a heavier device and a slower chipset at the heart, without the benefit of Touch ID. It’s quite a lot to lose as Apple has touched up and tinkered with nearly every element to make the Air 2 a real step forward, but for the cash you’re still getting a brilliant tablet that’s now playing at a more palatable budget level.
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