By Geoffrey A. Fowler
Meet the new iPad Air: It looks very similar to the old one. Is
that OK?
We've come to expect every Apple product refresh will be
thinner, lighter and have a better camera--and the iPad Air 2 that
Apple unveiled on Thursday checks all those boxes. It also now
includes the iPhone's Touch ID sensor, which replaces passwords
with your thumbprint.
But anyone looking for stop-the-presses new capabilities in the
new iPad may be disappointed. Tablet sales growth across the market
has slowed as consumers hang on to older models that still work OK
and shift toward larger "phablet"-style phones or hybrid
laptop-tablets with keyboards.
There's talk that tablets, just four years old, are having an
identity crisis.
That's premature. I got to spend a little time with the iPad Air
2 after Apple's event on Thursday. My first impression is that
Apple wants to make the statement that iPads are something
unique--not all-in-one computers or laptop replacements. They're a
kind of computer you can hold in your hands that immerses you in
watching video, reading books, browsing the Web, playing games, and
completing tasks that are best done with fingers on a touch
screen.
And for those tasks, Apple didn't need to reinvent the tablet
but improve on it. I think they've done that--but there could be
more, particularly where business people and younger users are
concerned.
First, the new iPad Air is 18% thinner than its already
stick-thin predecessor. You can feel that when you hold it with one
hand along the bottom. It's lighter, too, though that was harder to
notice when I compared old and new iPads, one in each hand.
The thinner form has another advantage--one that may be my
favorite feature: It allowed Apple to cut down on glare by about
50%. I could see that clearly holding the older Air and Air 2 side
by side. When I caught the reflection of an overhead light, text on
the old model became unreadable but remained clear on the new one.
The big test will be direct sunlight, which I didn't get a chance
to try on Thursday.
I'm also glad to see that Apple included the Touch ID sensor
found on recent models of the iPhone. That will make unlocking the
screen and making online purchases easier on a device that's great
for leaning back and shopping. While it supports the new Apple Pay
for making online payments, you won't be able to use it to pay in
physical stores.
The iPad Air 2 also got a camera upgrade, though I'll hold off
on judgment until I've been able to test it in low-light
situations, where many phone and tablet cameras struggle.
But there are improvements I'm still waiting to see that would
extend the iPad's usefulness without turning it into an inferior
laptop. I had been hoping that the new iPad might support app
multi-tasking like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S and Windows 8, which
let you split your screen between, say, Twitter and a Web
browser.
While I often use a Bluetooth keyboard when working on my iPad,
I'm surprised Apple hasn't embraced the keyboard case like its
competitors. There are times when you just want to type and don't
want to strain on a glass keyboard or pull out a laptop.
And any parent can tell you that iPads are great ways to
entertain--and even teach--little ones. But there needs to be a way
to corral all of the kid-friendly material in one place and leave
Junior to it. Just saying ixnay to browsers and cameras isn't the
answer.
For many people, the question is whether the new capabilities in
the iPad Air 2 warrant an upgrade. With a new form factor and
better screen, the iPad Air 2 is a bigger leap than we saw between
the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5S. If you're buying something you want to
last for years ahead, it's a great choice. But it also isn't a
whole new kind of tablet--and last year's models just got $100
cheaper.
Write to Geoffrey A. Fowler at Geoffrey.Fowler@wsj.com or on
Twitter @geoffreyfowler.
Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires