iPad Air vs iPad 4 Comparison, Specs Rumors Review: Is the Lightweight Version Worth It?
The iPad is one of Apple's product lines which have gained an enormous popularity since its release in 2010. Since then, the Cupertino company had only needed to build upon that foundation to come up with other variants such as the iPad Air and the iPad Mini.
The challenge that Apple currently faces with its product lines is its continuous ambition to outdo the previous releases. Take for example the iPad with Retina Display or iPad 4th generation in November 2012 and the iPad Air in November 2013.
First off, the display. The iPad 4 comes with and IPS LCD 9.7-inch touchscreen with a resolution of 2048 x 1536 and 264 ppi. The iPad Air on the other hand has the same IPS LCD 9.7-inch touchscreen with the same resolution. Not having an upgraded resolution is a bit of a let down but it might change with the release of the iPad 2.
Next, the iPad 4 is powered with an Apple A6X chipset with a dual-core 1.4GHz processor and a PowerVR SGX554MP4 GPU. It has 1GB of RAM as well as internal storage options of 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB. The iPad 4 initially run on the iOS 6 but can be upgraded to iOS 7.1.2 with a planned upgrade to the iOS 8.
The iPad Air on the other hand has an upgraded Apple A7 chipset with a dual-core 1.3GHz ARM v-8 based processor and a PowerVR G6430 GPU. RAM and storage options have not changed but it initially runs on the iOS 7, also upgradable to iOS 7.1.2 with a planned upgrade to the iOS 8.
Both tablets sell for roughly $480 dollars, which isn't surprising considering the iPad Air doesn't offer much improvement except for the slight boost in its chipset and processor speed. The iPad Air is thinner than the iPad 4 though and it could be a selling point for those who want the functionality of an iPad 4 without its bulk.
