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iPad Air Q&A - Updated September 26, 2016
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What are all the differences between the original iPad Air models?
Please note that the original iPad Air models have been discontinued. However, this Q&A has been subsequently updated with up-to-date iOS support details and more and can be quite helpful for anyone buying or selling one of these models on the used market.
There are three different original iPad Air models -- the , , and
-- which differ primarily in connectivity, battery life, and price.
However, there also are identification differences that are important to note as well as many similarities that can be worthwhile to review, also.
Device Similarities
All original iPad Air models use essentially the same thin, roughly one pound design with thinner bezels to the sides of the display and thicker bezels above and below the display (when held upright in portrait orientation).
Color options include either a white front and a silver back or a black front and a medium-toned gunmetal gray that Apple refers to as &Space Gray.&
All original iPad Air models also have the same 9.7-inch
(264 ppi) LED-backlit &Retina& display with IPS technology, are powered by the same dual core Apple A7 processor that
first determined specifically is a 1.4 GHz, 28 nm ARMv8 derivative of Apple's &Swift&
architecture called &Cyclone,& and have an M7 motion coprocessor and 1 GB of RAM. Both models originally could be configured with 16 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB, or 128 GB of storage, but currently are available only with 16 GB or 32 GB new from Apple.
All models likewise have
dual cameras -- a rear-mounted 5 megapixel &iSight& camera with a f/2.4 aperture that can take both still photos and 1080p video up to 30 FPS with audio and a front-mounted 1.2 megapixel &FaceTime HD& camera that can take still photos and shoot video up to 720p.
Other identical features include the &Lightning& port for power and connecting the device to a computer, if desired, support for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz 802.11n MIMO Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 in addition to the standard iPad
accelerometer, three-axis gyroscope, ambient light sensor, digital compass, and built-in speakers and dual microphones.
iOS Support Similarities
The original iPad Air
initially shipped with iOS 7.0.3 and are
by the operating system with the exception of the &Panorama& and &Filters in Camera& photographic features.
All other basic iOS 7 features are fully supported (Control Center, Notification Center, and Multitasking, as well as Safari and iTunes Radio). The iPad Air also supports Siri, AirDrop, Filters in Photos, and more advanced photo functionality that Apple formally refers to as &square and video formats and swipe to capture.&
Likewise, the original iPad Air models also are almost fully supported by
exception of the &Health& and &Apple Pay& features. Interestingly, Apple quietly added Panorama support for the original iPad Air with the iOS 8.0.2 update, also. They also are nearly fully supported by , only lacking support for &Split View& multitasking.
Finally, they are supported by , but do not support the minor &Raise to Wake& and Ride-Booking features.
Identification Differences
Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (iPad Air -- Wi-Fi Only, L Wi-Fi/Cellular, Right)
Originally, it was simple to visually differentiate between the
-- on the left -- and the
-- on the right -- as the back of the cellular capable model has a plastic portion at the top of the aluminum case.
However, the
has a plastic portion at the top of the case, as well, so it is not possible to visually differentiate between the &global& model and its China Mobile counterpart.
Although the iPad Air has a unique case design compared to its predecessors, it also is worth noting that neither model actually is branded as &iPad Air& on the back, just &iPad& like other models.
Regardless of branding, though, subsequent iPad models
use similar housings and visual
is not a good
solution, particularly as the Chinese model makes its way around the globe on the secondary market.
Consequently, one of the best methods for external identification is via . Model numbers are provided in tiny type toward the bottom of the back of each iPad.
Specifically, the
is model number , the
is model number , and the
is model number .
The iPad Air models can be differentiated by other identifiers as well, such as the , which can be located by selecting the Settings app and pressing General & About and scrolling down to what is specified as &Model& within the iOS. For example, the Wi-Fi only configuration of the iPad Air in black with 16 GB of storage is .
To pinpoint an exact iPad Air by a variety of different identifiers -- including its
-- please refer to the
feature as well as the
available for , , and .
Connectivity & Battery Life Differences
As noted above, the original iPad Air models mostly are differentiated by connectivity and battery life. While using Wi-Fi, both models support a maximum of ten hours of runtime, but the cellular data capable model only supports a maximum of nine hours of runtime when using cellular connectivity.
() supports 802.11a/b/g/n on both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies (dual band) as well as MIMO.
() has the same Wi-Fi capabilities as the Wi-Fi Only model, but also supports LTE (bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, and 26), CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (800, 1900 MHz), GSM/EDGE (850, 900,
MHz) and UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, ,
MHz). It supports A-GPS, too.
Finally, the
() also has the same Wi-Fi and A-GPS capabilities as its global counterpart, but it
supports UMTS (WCDMA)/HSPA+/ DC-HSDPA (850, 900,
MHz), GSM/EDGE (850, 900,
MHz), TD-SCDMA (1900 (F), 2000 (A)), and TD-LTE (bands 38 and 39). Note that it does not support
MHz frequency of DC-HSDPA, CDMA EV-DO Rev. A (800 and 1900 MHz), or other LTE bands.
The global cellular capable model () is shipped unlocked and supports AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon in the US. The physical procedure to switch between carriers is little more than popping out the
card and popping in another one, but some carriers still may require activation or configuration before the iPad will work properly -- or at all -- on their network.
Most critically, as
Sprint will only activate unlocked iPads purchased directly from Apple, where the owner requested a &universal part& rather than a specific carrier unit. . . Unlike the three other large carriers, Sprint isn't required to activate all compatible LTE devices, and the carrier won't accept devices with the other carriers' part numbers.
As noted earlier,
makes it easy to
a carrier-specific iPad Air &Model& in the iOS. For example, the 128 GB configuration in &Space Gray& on AT&T is . Presumably, Sprint would not activate this model on their network, which could become an issue on the used market should someone be interested in using Sprint.
Pricing Comparison Chart
Both iPad Air color options cost the same amount.
Pricing is differentiated by capacity and connectivity alone.
Original Prices
When introduced on October 22, 2013, The original iPad Air models were priced accordingly:
Wi-Fi Only Price:
Wi-Fi/Cellular & A-GPS Price:
Final Prices
On October 16, 2014, Apple
discontinued the 64 GB and 128 GB configurations of the original iPad Air and cut the price of the remaining configurations:
Final iPad Air Capacity:
Final Price with Wi-Fi:
Final Price with Wi-Fi, Cellular & A-GPS:
On March 21, 2016, Apple discontinued the original iPad Air altogether.
() was sold only in mainland China and is intended for use on China Mobile. Originally, 16 GB was RMB 4,488, 32 GB was RMB 5,188, 64 GB was RMB 5,888, and 128 GB was RMB 6,588. The
16 GB and 32 GB configurations were reduced to RMB 3,788 and 4,188, respectively, on October 16, 2014, and discontinued entirely on March 21, 2016.
For pricing details in dozens of other countries, please refer to the
page for the device of interest as well 's
Comparison Summary
Ultimately, any of the original iPad Air models would be an excellent choice for a tablet computer and represent a significant upgrade from any of the earlier &full size& iPad models as well.
The iPad Air offers substantially faster performance in a slimmer, lighter, and arguably more attractive housing than its predecessors. The global cellular capable model also provides much more significant LTE support in a single device than earlier
Alternately, if you prefer a physically smaller device and don't mind a correspondi the smaller, almost as fast,
and less expensive
models also are well worth considering. Naturally, the subsequently introduced
models also are an excellent choice.
Air Purchase & Sale Options
There are no shortage of companies to patronize for an iPad Air. However, purchasing from a quality business with extensive Apple knowledge -- and after sales support -- will provide the best experience and save you money and time, too.
In the US, site sponsor
used -- as well as all other iPad models -- free of sales tax. If you need to sell an iPad, PowerMax accepts
on older iPads toward the purchase of a newer iPad or anything else they sell and
will buy your
directly for fast cash.
In Southeast Asia, Singapore-based site sponsor
provides quick money for
as well as all other Apple hardware.
Please also 's
feature to dynamically compare any iPad to any other iPod, iPhone, or iPad (new or old alike).
are provided "as is" without warranty of any kind whatsoever.
, , and the author thereof, shall not be held responsible or liable, under any circumstances, for any
damages resulting from the use or inability to use the information within. For complete disclaimer and copyright
information please read and understand the
using either website. Use of any content or images without expressed permission is not allowed, although links to any page are welcomed and appreciated.AAPL: 149.50
Friday, November 14,
pm PT (12:04 am ET)
Apple's A-series Application Processors that power iPads--including the latest and greatest A8X in iPad Air 2--are inciting billion dollar losses for Intel and threatening major problems for rival tablet chips from Qualcomm, Samsung and Nvidia, along with all the companies that depend upon those vendors for their mobile chips.
When Apple launched iPad just short of four years ago, rumors had hinted that the new tablet would use Intel's scaled down x86 mobile chip, then known at Silverthorne and now branded as Atom. Instead, Steve Jobs announced the A4, a new ARM chip customized by Apple itself.
In its first year, iPad immediately wiped out Microsoft's Windows Tablet PC (including the thick, expensive Samsung Q1 UMPC, below). In 2011, iPad 2 crushed HP's webOS TouchP the BlackBerry PlayB and a series of new tablets using Google's Android 3.0 Honeycomb, including the Motorola Xoom.
By the end of 2011, Amazon attempted to sell a recycled version of the PlayBook as Kindle Fire, and toward the end of 2012, Microsoft's Surface RT appeared, with results no better than the volleys of iPad competitors that had flopped before it.
Since the launch of Microsoft's Surface, Apple has sold about 70 million iPads per year, effectively capturing the
earned from global tablet sales. However, Apple didn't just beat Samsung, Palm, HP, BlackBerry, Google, Amazon and Microsoft in selling tablets. It also trounced every company making the chips intended to power those failed tablets. The loser chips behind tablet flops
appears to be Intel, which not only lost Apple's business in the iPad but also lost its existing netbook and Tablet PC business due to iPad sales.
Apple's iPad destroyed any prospects for Microsoft's "UMPC" devices like Samsung's Q1, powered by an Intel Celeron M. Intel has also seen minimal uptake for its Atom chips designed to power Tablet PC and netbooks, and also suffered as iPad sales have helped to derail growth in conventional PCs, most of which are powered by Intel x86 processors.Texas Instruments OMAP chips were also crushed by Apple's iPad. OMAP chips powered the Playbook, Kindle Fire, Motorola Xyboard and a variety of Samsung Galaxy Tab models. The failure of so many OMAP experiments competing against iOS eventually prompted TI to
the consumer Application Processor business entirely. Nvidia was also a big loser among the suppliers of failed iPad rivals. After launching its original Tegra chip in Microsoft's failed
products, Nvidia's Tegra 2 was paired with such flops as
tablets, while Microsoft's back-to-back
flops were powered by Tegra 3 and Tegra 4 chips.
Nvidia's last gasp in tablet Tegra chips is the K1, the first 64-bit ARM chip capable of running Android, with 192 GPU ALUs (erroneously branded as "cores" by Nvidia).
However, before the new K1 could even ship in Google's new , Apple released its own iPad Air 2 A8X with , beating Nvidia's best chip in both CPU and GPU with superior sustained performance and better power management. Like TI, Nvidia has abandoned the phone market and now appears close to giving up on tablets, too. Apple's A8X powers iPad Air 2 graphics faster than Google's Nexus 9 w/ Nvidia Denver Tegra K1
&Daniel Eran Dilger (@DanielEran)
Qualcomm has also had a hard time with tablets, powering such flops from the
to the Nokia Lumia 2520. A larger problem for Qualcomm, however, is that Apple's iPad has taken the high end, leaving it to service the large numbers of cheap tablets selling in China. Licensing IP to Chinese companies is a frustrating business, as the company noted in its report to shareholders, which
that "certain licensees in China currently are not fully complying with their contractual obligations to report their sales of licensed products to us."
Qualcomm Application Processors are used by Samsung, but primarily in the company's phones and 4G tablets, where Qualcomm IP is required. Samsung's higher volume WiFi-only tablets (which it liberally gives away) typically use Samsung's own Exynos ARM chips rather than Qualcomm's Snapdragon, even though .
Qualcomm also supplies Apple with MDM baseband chips used in 4G iPads (and iPhones), but Apple is very likely to eventually build its own mobile baseband technology into upcoming A-series chips (just as Intel, Nvidia and Samsung have already worked towards).Apple is very likely to eventually build its own mobile baseband technology into upcoming A-series chips
An equally significant problem for Qualcomm is that few companies apart from Apple are even trying to sell premium tablets, and the niche examples of higher end, non-Apple tablets are using competing chips (Microsoft's Surface Pro uses Intel chips, while Google's Nexus 9 has an Nvidia Tegra K1 and Samsung uses Exynos).
That has forced Qualcomm into the low end of tablet-bound chips, resulting in weak profits. Without any real manufacturer demand for powerful Snapdragon tablet chips, Qualcomm has little reason to invest in the development of powerful new tablet chips on par with Apple's A8X. Apple no longer subsidizing Samsung chips
That means Apple will increasingly hold onto the high end in tablets with few legitimate competitors, while its tablet rivals all fight for scraps at the low end. Vendors who do want to enter the high end tablet space will face chip options limited to Intel's expensive x86 chips or very low end ARM chips aimed at powering phones rather than more sophisticated tablets.
The profits Apple is earning from iPad sales are being aggressively reinvested back into the rapid development of Apple's own A-series chips, which no other vendor has access to. Prior to 2010, Apple had been using off the shelf ARM chips from Samsung in its iOS devices, creating economies of scale that benefitted every user of Samsung's ARM chips, including Samsung itself.
Samsung is now
to come up with its own 64-bit ARM alternative to Apple's A7, A8 and A8X, but is forced to use
that are less efficient and powerful compared to Apple's custom designs.
Apple has also diversified its chip manufacturing to include , which has stripped Samsung of chip manufacturing volume, increasing the production costs of Samsung's own chips. Apple has an alternative to Intel chips
The billions of dollars Apple has earned from iPad sales, along with even greater profits from iPhones that share the same A-series technology, have enabled Apple to fund the very expensive custom development of mobile Application Processors that are now approaching the CPU and GPU power of entry level PCs, but are cheaper to build and feature superior power management.
That's a potential threat to Intel's Mac business, were Apple to launch new Mac models using the company's own internal A-series Application Processors. But even if that doesn't happen in the next couple of years, Intel also faces the possibility that Apple will continue to launch entirely new product categories that won't need Intel processors.
iPhone, iPod touch and iPad are obvious examples, but another product that is often overlooked is Apple TV. That device was first launched in 2007 with an I it was essentially a scaled down desktop Mac. However, in 2010 Apple launched its second generation Apple TV powered by the
as the original iPad and iPhone 4.
Apple's next product launch, Apple Watch, is similarly powered by a custom designed package of components that Apple calls S1, with no need for an Intel x86 chip. In fact, going forward there is increasingly little need for Intel's x86 anywhere. Apart from Apple inventing new product categories that can be powered by its own A-series chips, server vendors are also increasingly making use of ARM chips.Going forward there is increasingly little need for Intel's x86 anywhere
Samsung, LG and a variety of smaller players are now producing custom ARM chips for consumer devices, but none with the high end, high volume sales that Apple achieves. Their designs also follow the generic outline of ARM, typically using ARM's less powerful Mali graphics (as opposed to the leading PowerVR mobile graphics Apple is incorporating). That results in a market for Application Processors outside of Apple that is either low cost/low power, or extremely low volume and therefore expensive.
Apple has effectively made Application Processor sophistication a strong, proprietary advantage alongside user interface, operating system savvy and advanced software development frameworks and tools. At the same time, the market is seeing a sharp contraction in the variety of distinct processor families available.
These factors will make it increasingly expensive for other vendors to attempt to copy Apple's products, or force them to remain in business at the low end, ceding profitable market segments to Apple. As Google can attest, that's not a desirable position.
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