Pad Air (i
Pad 5): Everyi
Pad.com
i
Pad Air Q&A
Update Published October 28, 2019
All táo bị cắn Q&As >> i
Pad Air Q&A (Home) | Also see: All i
Pad Specs
To be notified of new Q&As, sign up for Every
Mac.com"s bimonthly email list.
Bạn đang xem: Compare apple ipad air vs
If you find this page useful, please
Bookmark và Shareit.Thank you.
What are all the differences between the i
Pad 4th Gen và original i
Pad Air?
Please note that both the i
Pad 4th Gen & original i
Pad Air have been discontinued. However, this Q&A has been updated subsequently with current i
OS tư vấn details & more and can be quite useful for anyone buying or selling either model on the used market.
With just a quick glance at the original i
Pad Air models -- the i
Pad Air (Wi-Fi Only), (Wi-Fi/Cellular), và (Wi-Fi/TD-LTE - China) -- & the i
Pad 4th ren models -- the i
Pad 4th ren (Wi-Fi Only), (Wi-Fi/AT&T/GPS), and (Wi-Fi/Verizon & Sprint/GPS) -- it is clear that the devices are quite different from one another from the perspective of design, size, & weight alone.
Design, size, and weight are important differences và Apple boasts that the i
Pad Air is "20 percent thinner và 28% lighter" than the i
Pad 4th Gen. Specifically, when held upright in portrait mode, the i
Pad Air models are 9.4 inches tall, 6.6 inches wide, and 0.29 inches thick & weigh around a pound whereas the i
Pad 4th ren models replaced are 9.50 inches tall, 7.31 inches wide, & 0.37 inches thick and weigh nearly a pound và a half.
Pad 4th ren -- Left, i
Pad Air -- Right)
Although the reduction of nearly half a pound of weight certainly is impressive, bulk is not the only difference. There are important differences in terms of performance and connectivity, as well as quality identifiers that are important, also. There are some major similarities that are worth reviewing, too.
External Similarities và Differences
Both the i
Pad 4th Gen and original i
Pad Air have the same display -- a glossy, IPS LED-backlit 9.7-inch 2048x1536 (264 ppi) "Retina" display -- but the i
Pad Air uses a completely different case kiến thiết in the same style as introduced by the original i
Pad mini line -- with thinner bezels on the sides of the display than the i
Pad 4th Gen.
The i
Pad 4th gen models either have a trắng or black front và a silver aluminum back, but the i
Pad Air models are available with either a white front và a silver back or a đen front and a medium-toned gunmetal gray back that táo khuyết refers lớn as "Space Gray."
Pad 4th gen -- Top, i
Pad Air -- Bottom)
The case shape also is quite different as the i
Pad 4th gen models have a back that is not only .08 of an inch thicker, but that tapers much more sharply from the corners than the i
Pad Air, which has smoother, rounded rear corners.
Both the i
Pad 4th Gen và the original i
Pad Air also have dual cameras. Officially, both the rear-mounted 1080p 5 megapixel "i
Sight" cameras (f/2.4 aperture) và the front-mounted 720p 1.2 megapixel "Face
Time HD" cameras are identical.
However, as first discovered by i
Lounge, both cameras in the i
Pad Air have slightly smaller lenses than those in the i
Pad 4th Gen. In real world use, the i
Pad Air cameras produce slightly different colors and lighting than their predecessor, but none of these cameras produce particularly high quality images relative to lớn recent i
Phone models.
Additionally, both models have a "Lightning" port for power and connecting lớn a Mac or Windows PC, if desired, but the i
Pad Air models have stereo speakers & dual microphones, rather than just a single speaker và a single microphone lượt thích the i
Pad 4th gene line.
Internal Differences
Both the i
Pad 4th Gen and i
Pad Air models have 1 GB of RAM, but otherwise are quite different internally.
Specifically, the i
Pad 4th gen models have a dual chip core 32-bit 1.4 GHz hãng apple A6X processor & originally were available with 16 GB, 32 GB, or 64 GB of storage (with a 128 GB configuration added later). The i
Pad Air models, on the other hand, have a significantly faster dual core 64-bit 1.4 GHz hãng apple A7 processor và an M7 motion coprocessor và originally were offered with 16 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB, or 128 GB of storage from day one.
However, on October 16, 2014, táo apple discontinued the 64 GB & 128 GB configurations of the original i
Pad Air and cut the price of the remaining 16 GB và 32 GB configurations. Apple discontinued the original i
Pad Air altogether on March 21, 2016. Of course, all capacities remain available on the secondary market.
Identification Differences
Although the i
Pad 4th Gen & original i
Pad Air models use completely different case designs, it is not possible lớn visually differentiate between the different cellular capable models within each line. Subsequent i
Pad models also use a case design similar lớn the original i
Pad Air. Consequently, visual identification is not a good long-term method for differentiation.
Instead, one of the best methods for external identification is via model Number. Mã sản phẩm numbers are provided in tiny type toward the bottom of the back of each i
Pad.
Specifically, the i
Pad 4th Gen and original i
Pad Air mã sản phẩm numbers are the following:
i | Model Number |
i | A1458 |
i | A1459 |
i | A1460 |
i | A1474 |
i | A1475 |
i | A1476 |
These i
Pad models can be differentiated by other identifiers as well, such as the Order Number, which can be located by selecting the Settings app và pressing General > About và scrolling down khổng lồ what is specified as "Model" within the i
OS. For example, the Wi-Fi/AT&T configuration of the i
Pad 4th gen in black with 16 GB of storage is MD516LL/A.
To pinpoint an exact i
Pad by a variety of different identifiers -- including its Serial Number -- please refer to Everyi
Pad.com"s Ultimate i
Lookup feature.
Connectivity & Battery Life Differences
Both the i
Pad 4th Gen & original i
Pad Air support Bluetooth 4.0 and both tư vấn dual stream 2.4 GHz & 5 GHz 802.11n Wi-Fi, but the i
Pad Air adds MIMO capability.
The battery life of both lines is the same, as well. When using Wi-Fi, all of these models support a maximum of ten hours of runtime, but the cellular data capable models only support a maximum of nine hours of runtime when using cellular connectivity.
Specific sản phẩm điện thoại data connectivity for the i
Pad 4th Gen and i
Pad Air include:
| i Pad | Model Number | GSMEDGE | UMTS/HSPA+DC-HSDPA | CDMA EV-DO | LTE Bands4G |
| 4th gen (Wi-Fi Only) | A1458 | None | None | None | None |
| 4th gen (Wi-Fi/AT&T/GPS) | A1459 | 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz | 850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz | None | 4, 17 |
| 4th ren (Wi-Fi/Verizon & Sprint/GPS) | A1460 | 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz | 850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz | 800, 1900, 2100 MHz | 1, 3, 5, 13, 25 |
| Air (Wi-Fi Only) | A1474 | None | None | None | None |
| Air(Wi-Fi/Cellular) | A1475 | 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz | 850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz | 800, 1900 MHz | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26 |
| Air(Wi-Fi/Cellular - China) | A1476 | 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz | 850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz, TD-SCDMA 1900 (F), 2000 (A) | None | 38, 39 (TD-LTE) |
All i
Pad 4th Gen & i
Pad Air models with cellular connectivity support A-GPS, as well, whereas the Wi-Fi only models vày not.
The cellular capable models all ship, or shipped, unlocked & can be used on any carrier that provides a compatible Nano SIM card và that supports the underlying cellular technology. Nevertheless, even if the device is compatible, some companies may require activation or configuration before the i
Pad will work on their network.
In addition, the i
Pad 4th ren (Wi-Fi/AT&T/GPS) (A1459) generally is intended for use in the US and Canada, whereas the i
Pad 4th ren (Wi-Fi/Verizon & Sprint/GPS) (A1460) supports Verizon and Sprint in the United States & many more countries globally.
On the other hand, the i
Pad Air (Wi-Fi/Cellular) (A1475) supports AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, và Sprint in the US and most major carriers around the world. The i
Pad Air (Wi-Fi/TD-LTE - China) (A1476), sold only in mainland China, is intended for use on trung quốc Mobile.
i
OS tư vấn Differences
The i
Pad 4th gen models first were shipped with a version of i
OS 6. The i
Pad Air models first shipped with i
OS 7.0.3 & are not capable of running the earlier i
OS 6 operating system.
Both lines are fully supported by i
OS 7, with the exception of the "Panorama" và "Filters in Camera" photographic features. Both lines also almost are fully supported by i
OS 8 with the exception of the "Health" and "Apple Pay" features.
Interestingly, the first release of i
OS 8 did not support Panorama on the original i
Pad Air, but táo quietly added Panorama support with i
OS 8.0.2. The company did not địa chỉ cửa hàng support for this feature for the i
Pad 4th ren models, though.
Both lines are supported by i
OS 9, but the i
Pad 4th gen lacks support for Transit và each of the most notable new i
Pad multitasking features -- Slide Over, Picture-in-Picture, & Split View -- whereas the i
Pad Air supports Transit, Slide Over, & Picture-in-Picture and merely lacks support for Split View.
Likewise, both models are supported by i
OS 10, but the original i
Pad Air supports Rich Notifications whereas the older i
Pad 4th ren does not. Neither mã sản phẩm support the minor "Raise to Wake" or Ride-Booking features.
Finally, the original i
Pad Air supports i
OS 11 and i
OS 12, but the i
Pad 4th ren does not. Neither mã sản phẩm supports the current version of the i
OS.
Original và Subsequent Pricing Differences
As originally shipped, the i
Pad 4th Gen và i
Pad Air models were offered for the same prices:
| 16 GB | 32 GB | 64 GB | 128 GB |
| US$499 | US$599 | US$699 | US$799 |
| US$629 | US$729 | US$829 | US$929 |
The reintroduced 16 GB configuration of the i
Pad 4th gene (Wi-Fi Only) was US$399 and the (i
Pad 4th gen (Wi-Fi/AT&T/GPS) and i
Pad 4th ren (Wi-Fi/Verizon & Sprint/GPS) were US$529. These models were discontinued on October 16, 2014.
On October 16, 2014, hãng apple also discontinued the 64 GB & 128 GB configurations of the original i
Pad Air and cut the price of the remaining configurations accordingly:
| 16 GB | 32 GB | 64 GB | 128 GB |
| US$399 | US$449 | -- | -- |
| US$529 | US$579 | -- | -- |
On March 21, 2016, hãng apple discontinued the original i
Pad Air entirely.
For pricing details in dozens of other countries, please refer lớn the i
Pad specs page for the device of interest as well as Everyi
Pad.com"s Global Original Prices section.
Comparison Chart
The major differences between the i
Pad 4th Gen và the original i
Pad Air are summarized below:
| 9.7" | 9.7" |
| 2048x1536 (264 ppi) | 2048x1536 (264 ppi) |
| 1.4 GHz | 1.4 GHz |
| Apple A6X | Apple A7 |
| 32-Bit | 64-Bit |
| None | Apple M7 |
| 1 GB | 1 GB |
| 16, 32, 64, 128 GB | 16, 32, 64, 128 GB |
| Wi-Fi/Wi-Fi & Cellular Data | Wi-Fi/Wi-Fi & Cellular Data |
| No | Yes |
| Handful | Many |
| 4.0 | 4.0 |
| 720p (1.2 MP) | 720p (1.2 MP) |
| 1080p (5 MP) | 1080p (5 MP) |
| No | Yes (i OS 8.0.2+) |
| No/Yes | No/Yes |
| Mono | Stereo |
| One | Two |
| 9-10 Hours | 9-10 Hours |
| i OS 6 | i OS 7 |
| i OS 10 | i OS 12 |
| No | Yes |
| No | No |
| No | Yes |
| 9.50 x 7.31 x 0.37 | 9.4 x 6.6 x 0.29 |
| 1.44, 1.46 | 1.0, 1.05 |
| A1458/A1459/A1460 | A1474/A1475/A1476 |
| US$499-US$929 | US$499-US$929 |
So, which i
Pad is best for me? Is one of these older models still worth considering?
At this point, most users should buy a newer i
Pad because neither model support the current version of the i
OS. Current app tư vấn for the i
Pad 4th gene running i
OS 10 is becoming less-and-less likely. The original i
Pad Air runs up to i
OS 12, but app tư vấn will begin to lớn wane for this version of the operating system, as well.
Nevertheless, just compared to one another (and ignoring later i
Pad models), the i
Pad Air is a major improvement compared to the i
Pad 4th Gen. Although both devices have the same display, the i
Pad Air provides (1) significantly reduced size and weight, (2) significantly improved performance, (3) better audio, (4) the option of much more global LTE coverage, a major advantage for those who travel internationally, in particular, và (5) more recent i
OS support.
i
Pad Purchase và Sale Options
There are many places to lớn buy an i
Pad 4th ren or i
Pad Air. However, purchasing from a chất lượng business with extensive táo apple knowledge -- and after sales support -- will provide the best experience and save you money và time, too.
In the US, site sponsor Adorama sells new i
Pad Air models with free shipping. Other World Computing & Jem
Jem sell used và refurb i
Pad Air models at bargain prices with không tính phí shipping, as well. Finally, if you need lớn sell an i
Pad, A+ BBB-rated Cash for Your Mac và Go
Roostr will buy your older i
Pad with an instant quote và prompt payment.
In the UK, site sponsor Hoxton Macs has a large number of used and refurbished i
Pad models with a one-year warranty and free next day delivery throughout the UK. Delivery across Europe also is available starting at just £9.99 for two-day delivery lớn France & Germany.
In France, site sponsor Mac
Way sells new & reconditioned i
Pad models from seven stores around France (two in Paris) & provides fast, express shipping throughout France, Belgium, and Luxembourg.
In Australia, site sponsor Mac city may have used i
Pad models in stock, as well. All Macs & devices are available with a không tính tiền warranty và fast shipping across Australia.
Please also see Everyi
Pad.com"s Ultimate i
Comparison feature to lớn dynamically compare any i
Pad to lớn any other i
Pod, i
Phone, or i
Pad (new or old alike).
A couple of months ago, táo khuyết officially unveiled the i
Pad Air fourth-generation tablet and announced a new, eighth-gen i
Pad (simply called “i
Pad (2020)” or “i
Pad”). So if you’re looking for a standard-sized i
Pad, you’ve now got two choices: The i
Pad (2020), or the i
Pad Air 4.
These two i
Pads look very similar at a glance, but trust us, there are many key differences, both externally và under the hood. We compare them across six chip core categories, from performance và battery life to design & durability, to lớn help you decide which one’s right for you. When you’ve finished reading, make sure to kiểm tra out the best i
Pad đơn hàng available now.
Specs
| i Pad (2020) | i Pad Air 4 | |
| Size | 248.9 x 152.4 x 7.37 mm (9.8 x 6.8 x 0.29 inches) | 247.4 x 177.8 x 6.09 milimet (9.74 x 7 x 0.24 inches) |
| Weight | 489.9 (1.08 pounds) | 453.6 grams (1 pound) |
| Screen size | 10.2-inch Retina LCD | 10.9-inch Liquid Retina LCD |
| Screen resolution | 2160 x 1620 pixels (264 pixels per inch) | 2360 x 1640 pixels (264 ppi) |
| Operating system | i Pad OS 14 | i Pad OS 14 |
| Storage | 32GB, 128GB | 64GB, 256GB |
| Micro SD thẻ slot | No | No |
| Processor | Apple A12 Bionic | Apple A14 Bionic |
| RAM | 3GB | 4GB |
| Camera | 8-megapixel rear, 1.2MP front | 12MP rear, 7MP front |
| Video | 1080p at 30 fps, 720p at 120 fps | 4K at 24, 30, 60 fps, 1080p at 30, 60, 120, 240 fps |
| Bluetooth version | Bluetooth 4.2 | Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Ports | Lightning cable | USB-C |
| Fingerprint sensor | Yes | Yes |
| Water resistance | No | No |
| Battery | 10 hours on Wi-Fi, 9 hours on cellular | 10 hours on Wi-Fi, 9 hours on cellular |
| App marketplace | Apple tiện ích Store | Apple tiện ích Store |
| Network support | AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon (cellular models only) | AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon (cellular models only) |
| Colors | Silver, Space Gray, gold | Silver, Space Gray, rose gold, green, Sky Blue |
| Price | Starting at $329 (Wi-Fi), $459 (cellular) | Starting at $599 (Wi-Fi), $729 (cellular) |
| Buy from | Apple | Apple |
| Review score | 4 out of 5 stars | 4.5 out of 5 stars |
Design, display, & durability
While the two i
Pads may look very similar, there are some slight design differences. The Air 4 is slightly shorter (9.74 inches to 9.8 inches) và slightly wider (7 inches to lớn 6.8 inches). It’s also thinner at 0.24 inches lớn 0.29 inches & slightly lighter at 1 pound versus 1.08 pounds. (Another important thiết kế difference is the new camera, which we’ll talk about in detail below.) The big difference is the new bezel-less screen thiết kế on the i
Pad Air 4, and it means the new Air looks a lot more modern than the standard i
Pad.
Related
i
Pads are all about their touchscreen displays, and the Air 4 has a serious advantage over the new i
Pad. The Air 4 comes with a 10.9-inch LED Liquid Retina Display sporting a 2360 x 1640 resolution. The i
Pad has a slightly smaller 10.2-inch LED screen with a Retina display & a 2160 x 1620 resolution. However, it’s important to chú ý that both have the same pixels per inch measurement. Both offer a max brightness of 500 nits, but the Air 4 does địa chỉ a fully laminated display và anti-reflective coating, as well as better color accuracy, for an overall better look in almost every way.
The i
Pad eighth-gen sticks with the traditional Lightning cable attachment for charging. However, the Air 4 joins the i
Pad Pro by using a USB-C connection instead. Not only does this provide a lot more versatility in charging options, but it can be used to lớn transfer data, which adds a lot of usability, especially for more complex projects.
We also need lớn talk about model color: The new i
Pad is available in three colors — silver, Space Gray, & gold. The Air 4 is available in silver, Space Gray, rose gold, green, & Sky Blue, so you certainly have more options there. Durability is likely to be about the same, with no water resistance on either. But really, you shouldn’t be taking an i
Pad near the pool anyway.
With a better-looking design, upgraded display, and a USB-C connection, the Air 4 wins here.
Winner: i
Pad Air 4
Performance, battery life, và charging
The Air 4 comes with an A14 Bionic chip with Neural Engine, & that’s more important than it may appear. The A14 cpu represents a significant upgrade to lớn processing power, with 11.8 billion transistors and a new six-core design that leads to lớn a 40% performance increase over the A13 chip and a 30% increase in graphics processing. Plus, táo bị cắn dở reports its Neural Engine tech is twice as fast as the A13 and has 10 times faster machine learning calculations.
Keep in mind that the i
Pad eighth-gen is shipping with the A12 chip, so the differences are even more stark. If you want a fast i
Pad that can handle a variety of functions at once, the Air 4 is the clear choice here. However, it’s important to chú ý the standard i
Pad still has enough power for everyday tasks và most games you’ll want khổng lồ run.
When screen size and processing power nguồn increase, there’s always the possibility that they’ll take up more battery life. And while battery performance depends on a lot of variables, táo bị cắn dở has managed to lớn keep expected performance about the same between these two i
Pads. Both are rated for up lớn 10 hours of average website activity/watching đoạn phim on Wi-Fi. That drops lớn nine hours for those using a cellular data network.
With a more powerful processor, the i
Pad Air 4 takes the win here.
Winner: i
Pad Air 4
Cameras
The camera on i
Pad models can be used for tracing, capturing whiteboards or notes, creating an amateur movie, grabbing a panorama shot, and identifying everything from stars khổng lồ math problems. If that sounds interesting to you, the Air 4 is probably a better choice. While the i
Pad eighth-gen comes with an 8MP camera lens, the Air 4 comes with a significant upgrade to lớn a 12MP camera lens that’s going khổng lồ be better at capturing detail. It also has a much better selfie camera lens, which is going to lớn be important if you make a lot of video calls with your tablet.
Winner: i
Pad Air 4
Software & updates
Software is somewhere where it’s harder lớn split the two devices, as both use Apple’s i
Pad
OS, its newest OS. Since i
Pad
OS is built around tablet use, you’ll find a lot of great features you wouldn’t expect on the smaller screen of an i
Phone, including split-screen modes và mouse support. I
Pad
OS 14 is the latest version of i
Pad
OS, and both i
Pads support this new update. Both are likely to get the same new versions of i
Pad
OS going forward, and at roughly the same time, making this round a draw.
Winner: Tie
Special features
i
Pads are no strangers khổng lồ special features, and an i
Pad is often only as strong as its accessories. If you are interested in a keyboard attachment, the i
Pad Air 4 is compatible with the latest Magic Keyboard & Smart Keyboard Folio. The Folio, in particular, is an impressive piece that adds a trackpad, making your i
Pad into more of a laptop. Combined with the new i
Pad
OS support for a cursor (a small bubble cursor made khổng lồ be friendly for i
Pad tasks), this allows you to get one step closer lớn laptop-like performance. The i
Pad, meanwhile, is only compatible with the more limited Smart Keyboard, although that still gives you all the typing functionality you need.
When it comes to lớn the táo apple Pencil, the i
Pad is designed khổng lồ work only with the first-gen Pencil, while the Air 4 is specifically designed for the second-gen Pencil, so make sure you match up the right models. The second generation of táo bị cắn Pencil also comes with some advanced features like wireless charging, making it a must for anyone with serious scribbling khổng lồ do.
Winner: i
Pad Air 4
Price & availability
You can find both the i
Pad Air 4 và i
Pad (2020) in-store or online at the táo bị cắn Store, but be prepared lớn pay significantly more for the i
Pad Air 4’s upgrades specs. The i
Pad 32GB base model, with Wi
Fi only & no data package, starts at $329. Upgrading storage khổng lồ 128 GB increases the price to lớn $429, và adding cellular functionality can raise the cost to $459.
The Air 4’, on the other hand, starts at $599 for the 64GB Wi
Fi-only model. Adding a data package raises the price to lớn $729, và a storage upgrade to 256GB brings your cost to lớn $749. You’re paying an extra $300 on average with the Air 4’ for its large storage capacity, improved screen quality, and faster performance.
Overall winner: i
Pad Air 4
While the i
Pad 4 is superior in function, specs, & hardware khổng lồ the new i
Pad, you can expect khổng lồ pay significantly more for it. The deciding factor for many consumers is the price difference, at more than $250. The Air 4 is far more suitable for multi-tasking or professional work, but the i
Pad is still an excellent tablet for those that want a dependable device at a lower price.
