 |  |
|---|---|
| iPad Air | iPad 10.2 |
| BUY NOW | BUY NOW |
| PROS | PROS |
| Brilliant-looking laminated screen. Cheapest Smart Keyboard iPad. Fast charges via Lightning-to-USB-C. | Great price for a new iPad. Slightly bigger screen. Works with Smart Keyboard Cover. |
| CONS | CONS |
| Uses the 1st Gen Apple Pencil. Traditional design doesn’t wow. Two speakers instead of four. | Marginally better than iPad 9.7. Older iPads may be cheaper. iPad Air is superior for sketching. |
DESIGN
| iPad Air | iPad 10.2 | |
| Dimensions | 9.8 x 6.8 x 0.24 inches (248.9 x 172.7 x 6.1 mm) | 9.8 x 6.8 x 0.29 inches (248.9 x 172.7 x 7.4 mm) |
| Weight | 464.0 g | 493.0 g |
| Materials | Back: Aluminum | Back: Aluminum |
| Biometrics | Fingerprint (touch) | Fingerprint (touch) |
| Colors | Gold, Gray, Silver | Silver, Space gray, Gold |
Both tablets are almost identical to each other. We have the same button placement, bezels with the same style, volume keys, speakers and even the same smart connectors placement. Even those tools are identical in dimensions. In short, they both look almost alike.
The iPad Air is significantly lighter than the 10.2 iPad, and is even smaller than the 10.2 iPad. Though in terms of weight both of them are almost identical. The iPad Air weighs 1 pound and iPad 10.2 weighs 1.07 pounds.
The build quality and overall design are almost similar, and both are made of high-grade aluminum, but carrying iPad 10.2 feels a little uncomfortable, but carrying iPad Air feels a lot more relaxed and luxurious. Overall, they ‘re both close in design terms.
DISPLAY
| iPad Air | iPad 10.2 | |
| Size | 10.5 inches | 10.2 inches |
| Resolution | 2224 x 1668 pixels, 4:3 ratio, 265 PPI | 2560 x 1600 pixels, 16:10 ratio, 288 PPI |
| Technology | IPS LCD | IPS LCD |
| Screen-to-body | 79.41 % | 74.94 % |
| Features | Pressure-sensitive, Oleophobic coating, Ambient light sensor | Oleophobic coating, Ambient light sensor |
What I first notice here is that the bezels on the iPad Air are slightly thin, compared to the iPad 10.2. It gives the iPad Air a sleek and futuristic look and there is not much difference in size but the display of iPad Air looks a little bigger.
If I’m to be honest , I didn’t see any difference on iPad Air for having a 0.3-inch bigger screen. And for me they ‘re both similar. Both the 2224 x 1668 pixel screen size, and the 264 PPI density are the same. But the iPad Air has a wide variety of colors, which means a bit of accuracy in color. This also has an anti-reflective screen that protects us when we’re in sunlight, so that will give us more outdoor vision but most people use tablets at home or at the workplace so it’s not a big deal. I would assume that the overall quality of these displays to watch movies, news and even media consumption is the same on either unit. But for someone who is a photographer or video editor, than iPad Air is good as it gives better color accuracy.
Overall if you want a device with beautiful colors and color accuracy then I would suggest you to buy iPad Air and if you don’t care about the that, than iPad 10.2 is perfect for you.
HARDWARE & PERFORMANCE
| iPad Air | iPad 10.2 | |
| System chip | Apple A12 Bionic APL1W81 | Apple A10 Fusion APL1W24 |
| Processor | Octa-core, 2490 MHz, Vortex and Tempest, 64-bit, 7 nm | Quad-core, 2340 MHz, Hurricane and Zephyr, 64-bit, 16 nm |
| GPU | Apple 4-core GPU | PowerVR 7XT GT7600 Plus |
| RAM | 3GB LPDDR4 | 3GB |
| Internal storage | 256GB | 128GB |
| OS | iPadOS (13.x) | iPadOS (13.x) |
Now, the first thing I notice in terms of Hardware on both these device is the touch ID. The touch ID is integrated into the home button on both devices and both of them offer super quick and super-secure operation on either device. And even the dual stereo speakers are identical and they’re both bottom fired speakers. In short they are the exact same speakers on both of these devices.
Both of these devices are running on IOS and both of these devices are really capable of working and playing, but I have to admit that iPad Air has the better processor and that processor is A12 and it’s really good processor for nearly all kinds of jobs. The iPad Air is better in terms of day-to-day efficiency, and the animation is smooth too.
It doesn’t mean the experience with iPad 10.2 isn’t smooth. It’s easy, as it has the same chipset that iPhone 7 had. Apple pen runs pretty quick and for most of the sections the animation is smooth and gameplay output isn’t the best but you can still run some of the heavy games. And finally I want to say this device is smooth but not as smooth as the iPad Air.
CAMERA & BATTERY
| iPad Air | iPad 10.2 | |
| Rear | Single camera | Single camera |
| Main camera | 8 MP (Autofocus, BSI sensor) | 8 MP (Autofocus, BSI sensor) |
| Video recording | 1920×1080 (Full HD) (120 fps) | 1920×1080 (Full HD) (30 fps), 1280×720 (HD) (120 fps) |
| Front | 7 MP (HDR) | 1.2 MP (HDR) |
| Battery Capacity | 8134 mAh | 8827 mAh |
| Type | Li – Ion, Not user replaceable | Li – Ion, Not user replaceable |
The back camera’s on both the device are 8 MP and these both camera’s provide’s same quality images and it is almost similar but what’s makes both these device’s different is that the iPad Air has better color capture. That’s the only difference on the camera’s of both the devices.
But it is the front camera that makes all the difference. The iPad 10.2 has got the 1.2 MP camera and the image quality is horrible with this camera. The iPad Air has got the 7 MP camera and the image quality is also really nice as well. So if you want better image than go for iPad Air. But I don’t think that most people buy tablet to take images and I this can’t be the main reason to buy this or any tablet.
In terms of battery life both of them are almost similar there might be a little difference if you do very comprehensive detail review but in my opinion there is no need for that. Apple claims that it could last up to 9 to 10 hours with moderate usage and it looks like that it’s really accurate. Both of these are extremely capable to last the whole day without any doubt. So I wouldn’t spend a little extra if you are just concerned about the battery life.
WHICH ONE YOU SHOULD BUY?
In my opinion, 10.2 is for media consumption and it’s also for school students who had to do homework or assignments. It also offers the great multitasking, web surfing, and note taking experience.
The iPad Air is for those who wants tablet with slimmer body, a really nice display with nice colors and no air gaps as well. You will also get better performance and want to play high end games smoothly without any lags or stuttering.
