iPad Air 2

iPad Air 2

iPad Air 2 in Gold
Developer	Apple Inc.
Manufacturer	Foxconn
Product family	iPad
Type	Tablet computer
Generation	6th
Release date	October 22, 2014
Introductory price	$499 USD £399 GBP $619 AUD $549 CAD
Operating system	Original: iOS 8.1 Current: iOS 10.1.1, released October 31, 2016
System-on-chip used	Apple A8X with 64-bit architecture and Apple M8 motion co-processor
CPU	1.5GHz tri-core 64-bit ARMv8-A "Typhoon"[1]
Memory	2GB LPDDR3 RAM[2]
Storage	32 or 128 GB flash memory (16 and 64 GB discontinued)
Display	9.7 inches (250 mm) 2,048 x 1,536 px (264 ppi) with a 4:3 aspect ratio
Graphics	PowerVR GXA6850[3]
Input	Multi-touch screen, headset controls, M8 motion co-processor, proximity and ambient light sensors, 3-axis accelerometer, 3-axis gyroscope, digital compass, dual microphone, Touch ID fingerprint reader, barometer[4]
Camera	Front: 1.2 MP, 720p HD, ƒ/2.2 aperture Rear: 8.0 MP AF, iSight with Five Element Lens, Hybrid IR filter, video stabilisation, face detection, HDR, ƒ/2.4 aperture
Connectivity	Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + Cellular: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac at 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz and MIMO Bluetooth 4.2 Wi-Fi + Cellular: GPS & GLONASS GSM UMTS / HSDPA 850, 1700, 1900, 2100 MHz GSM / EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz CDMA CDMA/EV-DO Rev. A and B. 800, 1900 MHz LTE Multiple bands A1567: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29 and TD-LTE 38, 39, 40, 41
Power	27.8 W·h 3.76 V 27.62 W·h (7,340 mA·h)[2]
Online services	App Store, iTunes Store, iBookstore, iCloud, Game Center
Dimensions	240 mm (9.4 in) (h) 169.5 mm (6.67 in) (w) 6.1 mm (0.24 in) (d)
Weight	Wi-Fi: 437 g (0.963 lb) Wi-Fi + Cellular: 444 g (0.979 lb)
Predecessor	iPad Air
Successor	iPad Pro
Related articles	iPad Mini
Website	www.apple.com/ipad-air-2/

The iPad Air 2 is the sixth-generation iPad tablet computer designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. It was announced on October 16, 2014 alongside the iPad Mini 3, both of which were released on October 22, 2014. The iPad Air 2 is thinner and faster than its predecessor, the iPad Air, and features Touch ID and the design, height and screen size are the same as the iPad Air.

History

The iPad Air 2 was announced during a keynote on October 16, 2014 and the theme of the keynote was "it's been way too long".^[5] The Air 2 began arriving in retail stores on October 22, 2014. The slogan for the device was Change is in the Air. With the release of the new iPad Pro the slogan for the device was changed to Light. Heavyweight.

Features

Software

The iPad Air 2 ships with the iOS 10 operating system pre-installed and includes a version of Apple Pay with the in-store NFC functionality removed. The included Touch ID sensor allows the user to pay for items online without needing to enter the user's card details.

iOS 10 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. The Apple App Store, a digital application distribution platform for iOS, allows users to browse and download applications made by various developers from the iTunes Store. 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).^[6] 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^[7] (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.^[8] Air 2 users with iOS 9 will be able to use Slide Over, Picture in Picture and Split View. Slide Over allows a user to "slide" a second app in from the side of the screen in a smaller window, and have it display information alongside the initial app. Picture in Picture allows a user to watch video in a small, resizable, moveable window while remaining in another app. Split View allows a user to run two apps simultaneously in a 50/50 view.

Hardware

• 
  iPad Air 2 is 6.1mm compared to the iPad Air 7.5mm design

The iPad Air 2 inherits hardware that is similar to that which is in both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. One major change is its processor, the Apple A8X which is the high-end 3-core variant of the Apple A8. The iPad Air 2 has 2 GB RAM (making the iPad Air 2 the first iOS device to have more than 1 GB RAM) and the PowerVR GPU has 8-cores.^[9] 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. In addition, compared to the iPad Air, it includes an improved 8-megapixel (3264×2448) rear-facing camera with 10 fps burst mode and slow motion video at 120 fps, similar to the iPhone 5S camera capabilities. 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.^[10]

Unlike its predecessors, the mute/orientation lock switch has been removed to accommodate the reduced depth. Instead, the user must use the Control Center to access these functions.

It has a slightly smaller battery compared to the iPad Air but Apple claims the same 10-hour battery life as before. The iPad Air 2 is available in 32 or 128 GB storage options with no storage expansion options. 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.^[11]

Apple added a Gold option to the existing Silver and Space Gray color choices for the iPad Air 2, the previous existing colors were used on the preceding iPad Air.

Reception

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.^[12]

Timeline

Source: Apple press release library^[13]

References

1. Kshitiz Jaiswal (21 October 2014). "Another Geekbench result confirms triple core iPad Air 2 with 2GB RAM". Gizmobic.
2. "iPad Air 2 Teardown". iFixit. October 22, 2014. Retrieved October 22, 2014.
3. "Apple A8X's GPU - GXA6850, Even Better Than I Thought". Anandtech. November 11, 2014. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
4. Molen, Brad (October 16, 2014). "A first look at the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3". Engadget. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
5. "'It's been way too long': Apple sends out invites for Thursday, October 16th iPad & Mac event". 9to5Mac.
6. "Apple - iPad mini 3 - Technical Specifications". Apple. October 16, 2014. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
7. "Apple iOS and OS X Continuity".
8. The Apple shows off iPad split-screen multitasking in iOS 9 preview. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
9. iPad Air 2 even more powerful than first thought. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
10. "Apple - iPhone 6 - Cameras". Apple.
11. Stevens, Tim (October 30, 2012). "iPad review (late 2012)". Engadget. Retrieved October 24, 2013.
12. "Apple iPad Air 2 Review". The Verge.
13. Apple Inc. (2010–2011). Press Release Library. Retrieved April 3, 2011.

External links

• iPad Air 2 – official site