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.

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